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

Chapter 06: Impulses.

Weeks had passed since Natasha Romanoff sought the help of private detective Jessica Jones, recommended by her old friend Luke Cage, to find Isaiah Ross, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who had carried out several operations at the Triskelion alongside Black Widow and Captain America under the orders of the Superintendent, and who had been missing until that moment.

Although the spy had a stockpile of supplies including money, passports, false identities, weapons, and everything a spy might need to lay low, money would eventually become scarce. It was then that Luke Cage offered Natasha a temporary job as a waitress at his bar. That's where she found herself at that exact moment, returning to the counter and resting a tray filled with empty glasses smelling of alcohol on the wooden surface, amid a sigh of tiredness escaping her lips.

"The one at table two asked for another one of those strange purple drinks that definitely isn't wine," Natasha said to Luke as she approached to collect the items used by customers from Natasha's tray.

"You look tired. And don't lie," Luke noticed, seeing the beads of sweat on Romanoff's forehead.

"No, no... not at all... it's been a great experience. I'm even reconsidering my thoughts on alien invasions and robot invasions—they're starting to seem easy compared to dealing with the folks you get in here," she quipped, grabbing a cloth to wipe her brow before returning to work, amidst Luke's discreet laughter. "What? You asked for honesty."

"Nothing, it's nothing," Luke shrugged, noticing his friend seemed slightly irritated.

"Well, speaking of honesty, I need you to be straight with me: any news from that investigation I asked your cute detective friend about?" Natasha leaned on the counter, using humor to try to coax out a truth she'd been waiting for weeks.

"Sorry, Nat. Still nothing. And we're not 'dating,' okay? It was just a thing," he said, washing some of the glasses she had brought back.

"Just 'a thing,' huh? Sure thing, tiger," Natasha teased, leaving the cloth aside as she turned away to get back to work, the smile fading as the truth continued to elude her.

"Hey, Nat, one more thing," Luke caught her attention, turning to her, expecting to add something about any information from Jessica.

"You've been working hard. How about we swing by Harlem's Paradise tonight? I'll buy you a drink."

"Oh... sure. It'll be nice to get out... breathe some fresh air, right?"

"Breathing, sure, just not sure if the air there will be the freshest," Luke joked, chuckling as he crossed his arms.

Minutes later, Natasha's field of vision turned to the streets of New York, walking with two garbage bags in hand until she turned into the nearest alley and dumped the black bags into one of the dumpsters there. With a sigh, she clapped her hands to clean off the debris that had stuck to them, but the sound of claps was interrupted by footsteps approaching her. Turning around, she found two men getting closer, dressed casually, ordinary citizens of that part of the city, except one of them was carrying a crowbar.

"Well, look what we have here, a redhead... don't see many pretty redheads like you around here, huh, sweetie?" one of the men remarked, stepping in front of Romanoff as she tried to leave the alley.

"I just want to get back to work, okay? If you'll excuse me..."

"Back to work? Don't worry, you won't be out of work. We've got two right here for you," the second man said.

In her mind, the Widow thought about just trying to escape the situation and calling the police, like a normal person might try to do in a situation like this, and thereby maintain her disguise as she had done in these long and boring weeks. "Long and boring" were the words that lingered in the former Avenger's mind as she found herself cornered by the two men against the alley wall. Then, an inexplicable sensation surged from her subconscious to her nervous impulses, which began to speak for themselves as the Widow grabbed the wrist of the crowbar and kicked the other man's belly, pushing him away, then punched the face of the man wielding the crowbar while dislocating his thumb, allowing her to wield the weapon herself.

"What the hell?!" the man who had been kicked in the torso by the redhead asked.

Not giving them time to resume their attempts to abuse her, Natasha continued to strike both unknown men with the crowbar until both were on the ground, bleeding. Romanoff was on top of one of them, about to finish the job, the crowbar covered in blood like her clothes. That was the sight Luke Cage encountered as he turned into the alley to find his old friend.

"Natasha! Don't do this!" he shouted, running to her and grabbing the wrist holding the metal weapon, forcing her not to commit murder. Natasha's eyes seemed unfocused, her irises clouded, until something made her regain her self-awareness and realize what she had done, exchanging glances between Luke and the weapon she was holding, throwing it several meters away.

"Luke... I... "

"Go! Get out of here," Cage said, motioning for Romanoff to leave before anyone else saw her in that state.

"B-but what about you?"

"I can handle myself. Now go!" he shouted, this time in a serious tone, prompting her to leave the scene completely disoriented.

Hours after the incident, the redhead found herself back in her temporary apartment, completely in shock. She was at a loss in that moment, even though she was under the cushions of her used sofa and used herself for support so her body structure could remain stable, nothing she held onto seemed tangible. All that passed through her mind were blurry images of what had happened moments before she arrived there.

"Well, look what we have here, a redhead," "Natasha! Don't do this!" "Go! Get out of here."

"Natasha?"