Curiosity Killed the Cat...

Chapter 16: Chapter 16



The burger joint smelled of grease, cheese, and toasted buns—a sensory overload for Stephen, who was still curled up in Tony's lap as the group waited for their food. Tony, naturally, had ordered a double cheeseburger for himself, but he'd also insisted on ordering extra.

"Why the extras?" Pepper asked, sipping from a cup of water as she eyed the paper bag Tony was stuffing with to-go items.

Tony glanced down at Stephen with a grin. "Our resident wizard-cat can't exactly chow down in his current form. We'll handle that later."

Pepper gave him a skeptical look. "You're really enabling this whole… talking cat situation, aren't you?"

Tony shrugged, clearly unbothered. "What can I say? I'm open-minded. Plus, the guy deserves a burger after all the saving-my-life stuff."

Stephen sighed, his tail flicking lazily. "I can hear you, you know."

Tony smirked. "I know."

Once the group had their food in hand, they returned to the car, piling in as Happy started the engine. The smell of the fresh burgers filled the cabin, making Tony hum with satisfaction as he tore into his own. Stephen, however, remained quiet, his gaze flicking toward the bag of food as if debating something.

Halfway through his burger, Tony glanced down at the cat in his lap. "Alright, Strange. Time to do your thing. No way you're missing out on this."

Stephen's ears twitched as he looked up at Tony. "Warn them first," he said dryly, flicking his tail toward Pepper and Happy in the front seats.

Tony rolled his eyes but leaned forward to address them. "Heads up, folks. Our magical friend here's about to go full human on us. Try not to freak out."

Pepper frowned, clearly confused. "Wait, what do you mean—"

Before she could finish, Stephen leapt gracefully out of Tony's arms and onto the empty seat beside him. He turned to Tony, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You could have explained it better."

Tony raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin widening. "Could I? Anyway they're going to freak out."

Stephen let out a low huff before shimmering with golden light. His feline form stretched and shifted, his fur receding as limbs elongated and clothing materialized over his body. Within moments, Stephen Strange was sitting in his full human form, the transformation as seamless as it was striking.

The red bandana around his neck floated upward, not transforming back into the Cloak of Levitation. It fluttered curiously through the car, its fabric rippling as though inspecting the surroundings. It lingered near Pepper for a moment, almost brushing her shoulder, before drifting lazily back toward Stephen, who sat stiffly in the cramped seat.

"What the—" Happy said, glancing in the rearview mirror, his eyes wide.

Pepper turned in her seat, her mouth slightly open as she stared at Stephen. "You weren't kidding."

Tony, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed at all. He reached into the bag of food and pulled out a burger, holding it out to Stephen with a grin. "Here you go. Enjoy."

Stephen hesitated, his eyes narrowing at the offering. "It's been a while since I've eaten," he admitted, his voice quieter than usual.

"How long's a while?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.

Stephen shifted slightly, his fingers brushing against the floating bandana as though for reassurance. "Since I arrived in this universe. Weeks ago."

Pepper blinked, her expression softening. "You haven't eaten in weeks?"

"How are you not dead?" Happy asked, incredulous.

Stephen let out a soft sigh, his gaze dropping to the burger in Tony's hand. "Magic and meditation," he said simply. "I can sustain myself by drawing energy from the universe. It's not… ideal, but it's enough."

Tony's grin faded slightly, replaced by something softer as he watched Stephen. "Yeah, well, that's not how we're doing things anymore. You're in my universe now, and here, we eat cheeseburgers. So, take it."

Stephen looked conflicted, his fingers twitching slightly as though unsure whether to reach for the burger.

"Come on," Tony urged, his tone light but earnest. "It's not gonna bite you. Promise. It's just a burger. Meat, cheese, bun, and happiness all rolled into one."

The cloak-turned-bandana fluttered slightly, nudging Stephen's shoulder as if encouraging him. Finally, Stephen relented, reaching out and taking the burger with a small, hesitant nod.

He unwrapped it slowly, his movements careful as though handling something foreign. The first bite was tentative, his expression unreadable as he chewed.

"Well?" Tony asked, watching him closely.

Stephen swallowed, his eyes flicking toward Tony. For a moment, he didn't say anything, then finally admitted, "It's… good."

Tony's grin returned in full force. "There we go! Welcome to Earth's greatest culinary achievement."

Yinsen chuckled softly from the corner. "It's nice to see you enjoying something, Stephen."

Stephen glanced at him, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "It's… different. In a good way."

The cloak, clearly satisfied, settled back around Stephen, continuing to look around, its fabric curling slightly as if in approval.

.

As the car continued down the road, the group settled into a comfortable rhythm. The smell of burgers and fries filled the cabin, and the faint sound of traffic outside hummed like a distant backdrop. Tony leaned back in his seat, contentedly finishing his own burger, while Pepper and Yinsen occasionally exchanged small smiles at the bizarre yet strangely harmonious dynamic unfolding around them.

Stephen, having finally started eating his burger, sat quietly beside Tony, his gaze drifting out the window. The simple act of eating after weeks of magical sustenance was grounding in a way he hadn't expected. The rich flavors, the texture of the bread and meat—it wasn't just food; it was a reminder of the humanity he hadn't allowed himself to fully embrace since arriving in this universe.

Pepper, seated across from them, leaned forward slightly, her curiosity finally bubbling to the surface. "So, Stephen," she began, her tone conversational, "how exactly did you two meet? Because I feel like I missed the part where a talking cat entered Tony's life."

Stephen paused mid-bite, his sharp blue eyes flicking to her. He set the burger down in its wrapper, carefully wiping his fingers with a napkin as he considered how to answer. "It's… a long story," he said at last, his tone measured.

Tony, never one to miss an opportunity, chimed in with a smirk. "Oh, it's a great story. Magic, explosions, heroics, and, of course, my charming personality tying it all together."

Stephen rolled his eyes, his voice dry. "I think you're overstating your role just a bit."

Pepper raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Try me. I've got time."

Yinsen smiled warmly from his seat beside her. "It's quite the tale, Pepper. But the short version is that Stephen saved both of our lives."

"Twice," Tony added, pointing a fry at Stephen for emphasis.

"Once," Stephen corrected, his expression stern. "The first time, I didn't save you. Yinsen did."

Pepper frowned slightly, her gaze shifting between the two of them. "Wait, I thought you said Yinsen saved you by helping you build that… suit thing? What's Stephen got to do with it?"

Tony leaned back, gesturing grandly at Stephen. "Well, our wizard-cat here was skulking around in the background, apparently just watching us for a while like some kind of mystical stalker."

"I wasn't stalking," Stephen said firmly, though a hint of guilt flickered in his expression. "I was… observing."

That caught Pepper's attention. She tilted her head, her brow furrowing slightly. "Observing? Why? What were you doing in the Middle East in the first place?"

Tony, suddenly more curious, leaned forward slightly. "Yeah, that's a good point. What were you doing there? It's not exactly the kind of place you'd go for a vacation."

Stephen sighed, the weight of the question settling over him. He leaned back slightly, his fingers brushing the edge of the floating cloak as if seeking reassurance. "Your kidnapping," he said softly, looking at Tony, "is a fixed point in time."

The air in the car seemed to shift at those words, the lighthearted atmosphere giving way to something more serious. Tony frowned, his brow creasing. "A fixed point?"

Stephen nodded, his expression grave. "Some events in the timeline are immutable. They have to happen. They act as anchors for the flow of time. Your capture… was one of them. I wanted to observe how the timeline would unfold around it, to see how things aligned in this universe."

Yinsen glanced at Stephen, his expression thoughtful. "But you didn't just observe, did you?"

Stephen hesitated, his gaze dropping for a moment before he admitted, "No. I didn't."

Pepper looked at him closely, her voice quiet but curious. "Why not? If it was so important to the timeline, why did you interfere?"

Stephen's lips pressed into a thin line as he glanced out the window. "At first, I didn't plan to interfere. I told myself I would only watch. But…" He trailed off, his voice faltering slightly before he continued, quieter this time. "I couldn't help myself. Watching Yinsen—watching everything that went there, seeing the desperation in their situation… it was too much. My guilt got the better of me."

Tony tilted his head, studying Stephen intently. "Guilt? What do you mean?"

Stephen sighed, leaning forward slightly as he rested his elbows on his knees. "The timeline demanded that certain things happen. That you escape, for one. That you begin the journey that would lead to… well, everything." He paused, his gaze flicking briefly to Yinsen. "But Yinsen wasn't supposed to survive. And when I saw him preparing to sacrifice himself… I couldn't let it happen. I intervened."

The car fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Stephen's words hanging in the air.

Yinsen, his voice soft but steady, broke the quiet. "And because you did, I'm alive."

Stephen glanced at him, his expression conflicted. "Yes. But I also altered the timeline in ways I can't predict. And now… I don't know what will come of it. No one knows."

Tony leaned back, his gaze still fixed on Stephen. "So, let me get this straight. You went there to observe—no interference, no involvement—and instead, you jumped into the middle of everything, saved Yinsen, and fought off terrorists with me."

"Essentially," Stephen said dryly, though there was a faint glimmer of self-deprecation in his tone.

Tony smirked, shaking his head. "You're terrible at sticking to your own rules."

Stephen raised an eyebrow. "You're one to talk."

That earned a laugh from both Pepper and Yinsen, the tension in the car easing slightly. Even Happy, who had been quiet throughout the conversation, cracked a small smile from the driver's seat.

Tony's grin widened as he leaned closer to Stephen, his tone teasing but warm. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad you broke your own rules. You might've messed with the timeline, but you saved us. And, you know, now I've got a wizard-cat sidekick. Pretty solid trade-off."

Stephen rolled his eyes, though there was no real annoyance in his expression. "You're impossible, Anthony."

"And you're terrible at staying out of trouble," Tony shot back, his grin turning softer. "Looks like we've got that in common."

Stephen huffed, turning his gaze back to the window. But despite his usual demeanor, there was a faint smile on his lips.

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