Chapter 8

Tony effortlessly finished an entire basket of food before turning to Jamie and asked, "So, what's the plan?"

Jamie hesitated, wondering if she even needed a plan. Couldn't they just leave right away?

"The plan is simple: I'll get you out of here, contact Miss Pepper, and we'll return to the US," Jamie said honestly.

Her response left Tony confused, and Yinsen stepped in, "What he means is, how do we leave this cave? There are over a hundred armed terrorists outside."

"Oh! Don't worry about them. I'll get you out the same way I came in." Jamie replied in a laid-back tone.

Tony and Yinsen fell silent, just now realizing how bizarre her arrival was. "Can you help me move everything here?" Tony asked slowly. "If it's too much trouble, I can destroy them."

Looking at the mess of metal, broken gadgets, and an old computer in the cave, Jamie frowned. "Everything?"

Tony quickly clarified, "Of course not, I'll gather the things we need to take, maybe about half of them?"

Jamie hesitated as she looked at the piles of metal in the corner.

"Ten million! I'll pay you when we get back!" Tony offered.

"Deal!" Jamie agreed right away. She wouldn't have to do the heavy lifting anyway.

Tony, with Yinsen assisting him, quickly started gathering the necessary items they needed to take, while Jamie just watched on with a curious look.

After a while, Jamie couldn't stand the stuffy air in the cave anymore. Calling Tony, she said, "I'm heading out. You all just keep doing your thing. When you're done, call Koby; he'll guide you out of this place."

Before Tony could respond, he saw the young girl standing there vanish into thin air. The steel plate in his hand dropped to the ground. He hurried over, waving his arms around to confirm there was nothing there. He searched around for a hidden passage but didn't find anything.

Tony and Yinsen exchanged bewildered looks before Tony finally spoke up, "Did that just happen? Did she... teleport?"

Yinsen shrugged, equally perplexed. If it weren't for the basket left on the ground, they might have thought it was all a dream. Seeing there was no point in dwelling on it, Tony resumed gathering the items they needed to take with them. Yinsen joined him, still lost in thought but willing to push aside the strange occurrence for now.

Finally, they finished packing the essentials into a couple of makeshift bags. Tony looked around to make sure nothing was left behind, then called out, "Koby?"

Right on cue, Koby appeared right in front of Tony. "Koby, at your service."

Tony stumbled back, startled. "What the hell?!"

Helping Tony up, Yinsen gawked at the tiny creature in utter disbelief. This was unlike anything he'd encountered. "Is this another teleportation trick?" He quipped, half-joking.

Koby, the house elf, bowed politely. "No, sir. I am a house-elf, bound to serve Mistress Jamie. She has sent me to assist you in your escape."

Tony and Yinsen exchanged astonished glances, still trying to process the sudden appearance of the house elf. Yinsen coughed gently and found his voice, "Well, uh, thanks Koby. We're really grateful for your help."

Tony, staring at the house-elf, couldn't help but ask, "You aren't some kind of alien from space, are you?"

"Muggles! Always jumping to conclusions." Koby grumbled to himself. "No, Koby is not an alien. Koby is a magical creature, a house-elf. My kind serves wizards and witches. We come from a different realm, closely tied to the wizarding world."

"Wizarding world?" Tony repeated, his eyes widening.

"Yes, sir. The realm of magic, where witches, wizards, and magical creatures reside." Koby explained with a proud look.

Tony scratched his head, trying and failing to wrap his mind around this new information. "I guess this day just keeps getting stranger and stranger."

Yinsen, who had been quietly observing the conversation, spoke up, "Tony, let's focus on getting out of here safely first."

Tony nodded, realizing the urgency of the situation. "You're right, Yinsen. We can discuss all this later." Turning to Koby, he asked, "So... Koby, how exactly are you going to help us escape?"

Koby straightened up and replied, "I have the ability to apparate, which means I can transport us instantly from one location to another. Koby will take you to Mistress. We've set up a camp not far from here, where you'll be safe."

Tony's eyes widened. "That sounds... convenient. Alright, lead the way, Koby."

With a snap of his fingers, Koby held out his hand and beckoned them to join him. "Hold on tight."

Tony and Yinsen grabbed onto Koby's outstretched hand, and within an instant, they felt a strange sensation as if being squeezed through a tight tube. When the sensation subsided, they found themselves standing in front of a bright red tent within an oasis. The tent was quite eye-catching with a chimney chimney on top that puffing out smoke.

Jamie was there, sitting on a comfortable chair and sipping a cup of tea. She looked up and smiled at their arrival. "Glad you made it."

Tony and Yinsen released their grip on Koby's hand, still trying to adjust to the sudden change of scenery. Tony looked around, amazed at the surroundings. He couldn't believe they were in that dark, stuffy cave just a second ago. "Wow, this is incredible."

Jamie nodded. "Welcome to our temporary hideout. It's enchanted to be hidden from prying eyes and protected from any unwanted intrusions."

Yinsen took a moment to catch his breath before speaking. "Jamie, you have a lot of explaining to do. First, the teleportation, and now this tent. What's going on?"

Smirking, Jamie said, "It's actually simple – magic! I believe you all could use a bath right now." She motioned to the pool of clear water nearby. "Feel free to freshen up. We'll have plenty of time for explanations afterward."

Tony and Yinsen looked at each other, still processing the mind-boggling turn of events. But the offer of a refreshing bath was too enticing to pass up. They nodded in agreement and headed towards the pool, ready to wash away the grime and confusion of the past hours.

After Jamie finished her tea, she grabbed her wand and conjured up two fresh sets of clothes for Tony and Yinsen. These should hold up until they could get their hands on proper replacements. Afterward, she went indoors, having no interest in witnessing two middle-aged men taking a dip in the pool.