Capítulo 4: Chapter 4
"Please have a seat. Would you like some refreshment? Tea, coffee?" The familiar voice spoke up once more.
Pepper and Happy exchanged glances before settling onto a couch that was positioned to face away from the stairs.
"Coffee sounds great." Pepper replied with a nod. Almost magically, a tray appeared right before them, holding two steaming cups of coffee, accompanied by sugar and milk. She raised her cup and took a sip, delighted by its great taste.
While the pair was taking in the room's decor, Jamie strolled in from the hallway. "Good morning! I'm Jamie Black. How can I be of service today?"
Pepper directed her attention towards the petite girl in front of her, taking note of her black hair and gray eyes. The girl possessed delicate features reminiscent of a doll, and she carried a hint of aloofness and nonchalance around her. Her attire consisted of a Gothic-style dress. She looked no older than fifteen!
"Are you the store's owner?" Pepper asked.
Seating herself across from them, Jamie reached for a teacup that had just appeared on a tray beside her. "I've got limited time, so get to the point."
Pepper pursed her lips; she found it surreal that she was investing her hope in a completely random fifteen-year-old girl.
"I hope you can find Tony Stark and confirm whether he's alive or dead, as well as his location!" Pepper said.
Jamie sipped her tea and set the cup down. "And what can you offer in return?"
Pepper thought for a moment. "Do you accept cash and gold here? If the information is accurate, I can offer ten million dollars in cash or two hundred and eighty kilograms of gold!"
Jamie raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Are you sure?"
Pepper nodded and said, "We can get the cash right away, but the gold will take a while."
"Just pay me in cash, and I'd gladly assist you in finding the person." Jamie said lazily while reclining in her armchair.
Pepper simply nodded. As Tony Stark's most trusted personal assistant, she had the authority to manage all the assets under his name. She wrote a check and gave it to Happy, who took it and went downstairs.
In less than thirty minutes, Happy returned, looking tired as he lugged a sizable box up the stairs. He proceeded to open the box in front of Jamie, revealing a stack of crisp, green banknotes.
Jamie snapped her fingers, and the banknotes inside the box started flipping and counting on their own. She gave a nod of approval and turned to Pepper. "Very well. Got any pics of the person you're after? Maybe some of their hair?"
Pepper produced a photo of Tony from her handbag, then requested Happy to look for Tony's clothes in the car's trunk. Shortly after, Happy came back clutching a shirt that he passed to Pepper, who found a couple of strands of black hair, unmistakably Tony's.
Jamie nodded at that and called out, "Koby, could you bring me the crystal tray?"
"Yes, Mistress!" The mysterious voice appeared again, and right before them, a translucent crystal tray drifted in from the hallway and landed gently onto Jamie's waiting hand.
Jamie had Pepper place the photo and facial hair on the tray. Then, she pulled out her wand—ebony with a core of dragon heartstring—and tapped it on the tray. The photo and hair began to glow, and Jamie muttered an incantation under her breath. A cloud of green smoke rose from the tray and formed into the shape of a person. It was Tony Stark, the missing billionaire.
Pepper couldn't believe her eyes. Seeing Tony all ragged, pounding away with a hammer, making something. His clothes and face were stained with dried blood, and there was that strange glowing thing on his chest. Despite looking like he'd been through the ringer, he remained very much alive.
"Tony!" Pepper and Happy yelled at the top of their lungs, hoping he could hear them. Tony seemed to be trapped inside a cave of some sort. There was someone else beside him, but it was hard to discern their appearance.
"I require a map." Jamie stated, and Happy wasted no time in placing a map of Afghanistan on the table. Jamie looked at it briefly, then pointed to a spot on the map with her wand, marking it in a big red circle.
"Your wish has been granted. Please take care of the outstanding payment as soon as you can. You wouldn't want to know what happens to those who don't fulfill their contracts with me." Jamie said, after the scrying spell ended.
Pepper couldn't look away from the image of a disheveled Tony. "Fifty million! Can you rescue him?"
Jamie quirked an eyebrow. "That's quite a sum. You got a thing for him?"
Pepper's cheeks turned slightly red. "No, he's my boss. I'm just using his money to help him out!"
"Are you sure you can make decisions on his behalf?" Jamie idly played with her wand.
"No problem, we'll definitely have the money delivered to you by tomorrow at the latest." Pepper shifted her attention from Tony to the teenager standing right in front of her.
"I want fifty-fifty in cash and gemstones; the purest ones." Jamie laid out her request plainly.
"Deal! Give us a day to prepare them." Pepper stood up, shook the witch's hand, and then headed downstairs with Happy following her.
"Mistress, are we truly planning to go there?" Koby revealed himself as soon as the two muggles had left the store. "Outsiders aren't really welcome there."
"What's there to fear? I've seen the place. There aren't any wizards near where we're going." Jamie turned and walked away. "Just make sure to pack what we need for the trip!"
"As you wish, Mistress." Koby bowed his head and got to work.
Jamie went back to her room, opened a drawer next to her bed, and grabbed a small mirror. She opened it and said, "Ted? Are you there?"
After calling out a couple of times, the mirror revealed the face of a young boy with red hair and gray eyes. Upon seeing Jamie on the other side, his red hair changed color to a shade of bubblegum pink. "Jamie! You finally got in touch! Where are you now? Are you coming back?"
"Hey, Ted, how about you shush for a sec?" Jamie interrupted. "Don't ask me where I am; I won't tell you. Look here, I need a tent."
"A tent? Why? Are you out of money? Why don't you just come back home? We're all worried about you; Harry especially. He's been asking me if I have any idea where you might be." Ted found a quiet corner and spoke to the two-way mirror.
"Ted, I'd rather not discuss this at the moment. Now, about that tent..."
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