When The Skyfall.. || Black Widow (English Version)

Chapter 04: Where is Isaiah Ross?

Current Location: New York, Hogarth & Associates Office

After her meeting with Matthew Murdock at Hell's Kitchen Church, Natasha followed his lead and headed to the law firm where Isaiah was supposedly working as a lawyer. Based on her online research and the situation presented, the redhead believed her old friend had managed to rebuild his life after the events in Washington D.C., where S.H.I.E.L.D. fell into Captain America's and her own hands, revealing HYDRA as the true hidden orchestrator.

Still being hunted, the Widow disguised herself with the hood of her coat and sunglasses, sitting on a bench in front of the office, patiently observing the comings and goings of employees throughout the day. She continued this surveillance until she recognized Jeryn Hogarth's secretary, the company's owner, making it relatively easy to bypass building security using the secretary's ID and documentation, obtained after a conversation with the real secretary in a nearby alley.

Approaching Isaiah's office, identified by the nameplate on the door, she sighed several times before finally entering, preparing herself to revisit the past by meeting her old friend. However, upon entering, the office was empty. It didn't make sense, as this was Ross's standard work hour. Leaving the office, she went to reception to inquire about the lawyer's presence at the firm.

"Good morning, excuse me? I'm looking for Isaiah Ross. He works here but... he's not in his office," she questioned the receptionist, tapping her fingers on the service counter. She was anxious about the situation.

"Oh... I'm sorry, but Mr. Ross hasn't shown up for days. It seems Ms. Hogarth is about to dismiss him but he hasn't even shown up to fill out the termination forms," he indicated to Natasha.

"Ah... that's just great. I had something very important to discuss with him. He was handling a case for my mother, actually, but... I need to handle it on her behalf due to her age. Could you... maybe give me a contact that... I don't know..." Natasha formulated a story to persuade the receptionist to reveal more information, appealing to his humanity.

"I... I can give you Mr. Ross's address and phone number, but I can't guarantee he'll respond," he suggested.

"That would be great... thank you," Romanoff quickly grabbed the paper where the employee noted such information, so she could leave the building.

Location: Isaiah Ross's Apartment

Having obtained Isaiah's apartment location, she wasted no time heading there. Passing through the lobby as if she were a girl who Isaiah had been in a relationship with for more than one night, she managed to take the elevator up to her old friend's apartment. Knocking on the door a few times, she noticed that no one was home, so she simply picked the lock with a hairpin. Now having free access to roam the place, she began searching Isaiah's apartment for any clue as to where he might be... and found nothing. Absolutely nothing!

"This makes no sense."

"Okay, let's... recap, alright? So... you went to his office, his place, and he just wasn't at either of those places?" Luke recapped with Natasha while washing some glasses to serve the final customers of the day.

"I did... and I found nothing at the apartment and office that could lead me to him. The most I got was a cellphone number... I called him but it goes straight to voicemail. I could try to trace it, but..."

"...you don't have resources anymore?" Luke interrupted, met with a nod from Natasha and another sip of vodka being consumed by her.

"If I had access to some tracking software... or anything like that... it could make things easier. But I'm not sure if Tony would be too happy to help right now," Nat said in a truly sarcastic tone.

"Look... I may not have a Stark Industries supercomputer with me, but... I know someone who can track people better than anyone."

"A cop? Or a detective? Because I don't think either of those options would work for a fugitive wanted by the government," she mocked.

"No and no. You know I don't trust cops much. No. I'm talking about a real friend," he replied seriously, picking up his cell phone from under the counter, checking his contacts to find the number of the person he was looking for. "Her name is Jessica Jones. She's a private detective... she's helped me a lot..."

"You slept with her," Natasha asserted with some conviction in her speech. She was an expert at reading people... and didn't need much to figure out what Luke meant by "real friend." And, by his responsive look... "More than one night...? Oh my God, Luke! So, it's serious?"

"Maybe... but we haven't talked much lately. But... she'll be happy to help you. Just... say I recommended her," Cage instructed, finishing washing the glasses as he saw a customer approaching the counter.

"Are you sure she'll go for it?"

"She'll take the case, I guarantee. Now... go get some rest. It's late," he suggested, going to attend the customer when interrupted by Natasha's hand.

"Thank you, Luke... you have no idea how much you've helped me."

"No need to thank me, Nat. I protect people I trust. You're one of them, so... just make sure you don't get into trouble. Things are really messy out there," he replied, flashing a mischievous smile, leaving the redhead to speak with the customer finally.