Chapter 15

Jamie believed that even if her role in Tony's rescue were to be made public, the Congress would lift a finger against her. Having the famous Harry Potter as her godfather sometimes has its perks. Setting the newspaper down, she fixed her eyes on Tony's photo, wondering how he might respond to this.

As the clock neared nine in the morning, she signaled to Koby to get the store ready for the day. With a faint reply of "Yes, Mistress," Koby proceeded to unlock the front door, and flipped the sign on the window from "Closed" to "Open".

Nearly half an hour later, a woman with fiery red locks in a sleek business suit strolled in, her eyes scanning the surroundings with curiosity. Settling down at the center table, she reached for the parchment lying upon it. As she absorbed its message, her thoughts wandered before she finally put pen to paper.

Right as she was about to put the pen down, Koby's voice echoed throughout the ground floor room, "We kindly ask that you provide your true name; otherwise we won't take the request."

Startled by the unexpected voice, the redheaded woman abruptly stood upright. Her eyes scanned the room, yet no one else was there except her. She made sure of it earlier. Then, where did the voice come from?

She continued to survey her surroundings, yet the voice remained silent. As her attention returned to the table, a sense of alarm overcame her. The parchment lying there began to emit wisps of smoke before quickly turning into a pile of ashes. Then, a blank piece of parchment appeared in its place.

Eventually, she resumed her position in the chair. After careful consideration, she penned down her request and finished it by disclosing her real name, Natasha Romanoff.

Unbeknownst to her, Jamie had been observing her every move from upstairs. "Hmm, this lady seems rather interesting," Jamie remarked with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Through a cleverly devised confundus charm she placed on the parchment, Jamie could compel people into revealing their deepest desires. Even ordinary wizards could fall victim to it if they weren't careful.

Setting the paper down, Natasha let out a silent exhale of relief. The fact that it didn't go up in flames this time was reassuring to her. Surely, it wouldn't happen again right?

Before her eyes, the parchment suddenly disappeared, and that same voice she heard moments ago spoke again, "Please wait a moment."

Apparating to the upper floor, Koby immediately passed the parchment over to his Mistress. Jamie cast a glance at it before tossing it aside without a care. "I had hoped for something more challenging, but all she wants is an old scar gone. How dull... Koby, tell her to make the payment. She'll find the potion stashed in the cabinet right above the counter."

"Of course, Mistress," Koby responded, then disappeared without a trace.

Jamie wasn't interested in the redheaded woman anymore. With a nonchalant shrug, she left the balcony, and descended the stairs towards the basement. Her potion stock had almost run out, and the Skele-Gro formula was still in need of some adjustment. So much stuff to do.

During that time, Natasha saw that there was a new piece of parchment on the table. After absorbing its written contents, she cast another searching gaze, yet no one came into view.

Her eyes flickered toward the wall-mounted cabinet, prompting her to retrieve a small gold necklace from her bag. Placing it gently upon the table, she then advanced towards the cabinet.

A gentle, almost imperceptible, sound marked the opening of a wooden cabinet door. Extending her hand inside with caution, she retrieved a small vial filled with some kind of green liquid. There was also a slip of paper inside. She grabbed that too and began to peruse it. The paper contained instructions on its usage, the recommended dosage, and the anticipated onset time.

Leaving the store, Natasha carried the vial and paper and made her way down a few blocks to a building close by. She pushed open the double door and went up a flight of stairs, arriving at yet another door.

The instant Natasha opened the door, a voice crackled through her earpiece, "Natasha, what's the update?"

"I didn't receive any communication from you earlier. Is the radio not working properly?" Natasha asked, while locking the door behind her. The room she found herself in was a standard apartment, consisting of a bedroom, a small kitchenette, and a bathroom. It served as a safehouse for her current mission.

"That place is really strange. When you walked in, all signals suddenly disappeared. If it weren't for your life signal still showing, we would have stormed in by now," came the reply through the earpiece.

"Well, that store is definitely odd. They could even tell that I was using a false identity. Anyway, I ended up getting this potion that supposedly has the power to heal any scar," Natasha shared, taking out the vial from her pocket.

"If the information on this paper is accurate, then the potion should work," she finished, unbuttoning her shirt to expose an old scar she had acquired during her time at the Red Room years ago.

Carefully, she applied the potion to the scar with a cotton swab. She glanced back at the paper, double-checking that she hadn't missed any steps. According to the instruction, the effects should manifest within a minute.

"What in the world do you think you're doing, Natasha?" questioned the irritated voice in her earpiece.

"I'm in the middle of a potion experiment, sir," Natasha responded, but a sharp cry of pain slipped through her clenched teeth.

"Natasha, for God's sake, tell me what's going on! Respond!"

"I'm alright, just a little pain," Natasha reassured.

In truth, the pain was unbearable, but after years of being an agent, she had grown accustomed to it. As the pain subsided, she took a deep breath and wiped off the excess potion, only to witness the scar from a stab wound she had once received slowly fading away.

Her eyes were fixed on the mirror, watching as the scar vanished completely. Except for a faint mark, one would find it hard to believe that this scar had ever existed on her skin.

Examining the tiny amount of potion left in the bottle, Natasha couldn't help but say with regret, "I should definitely ask for more."

The door swung open behind Natasha, revealing a bald African-American man clad in a black trench coat. "Why did you use that potion without informing anyone? What if it's poison" he exclaimed.

"I highly doubt it's poison," Natasha scoffed, her back turned to him as she buttoned her shirt back on. "You're here for the result, aren't you"

"Damn straight I do. Since I'm the one who paid for it, I need to make sure my money wasn't wasted," replied Director Nick Fury, her direct superior.

Natasha turned around to face him, lifting her shirt a little to reveal her now flawless skin where the scar used to be. "Impressive, isn't it?" she said, her voice filled with satisfaction.

Nick Fury inspected her closely, his eyes widening in surprise. "Well, I'll be damned. It actually worked. That scar is completely gone."

Natasha grinned, a rare sight for her. "I told you it would. This potion is the real deal."

Nick Fury walked closer to examine her skin, his expression turning serious. "If this potion truly has the power to heal scars, imagine what else it could do. We need to investigate this further."

Natasha nodded in agreement. "I was thinking the same thing, sir. This store, the mysterious tenants, and the magical occurrence. There's something more to all of this."

Nick Fury pulled out a small device from his pocket and activated it. "I'll contact our team and have them dig deeper into this shop and its owner. We can't afford to overlook any potential threats or opportunities."

While her boss spoke into the device, Natasha's mind wandered back to The Enchantress. She couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to the store than met the eye. It was as if there was a huge secret lurking within its walls, waiting to be uncovered.

"Natasha, are you listening?" Nick Fury's voice brought her back to the present.

"Yes, sorry, I got lost in my thoughts for a moment," she replied, refocusing her attention.

"We need to gather more information and proceed cautiously," Nick Fury emphasized. "This might be just the tip of the iceberg."

Natasha nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "I'll do some reconnaissance and see what else I can find out."

As they left the room together, Natasha couldn't help but wonder what other secrets the store held.