Chapter 3
Stephen Strange was still suspicious.
The cat was too intelligent, too smug, and too comfortable lounging around the Sanctum like it owned the place. But despite his best efforts, he had found nothing to prove that it was anything more than an ordinary feline.
So, against his better judgment, he let it stay.
What he hadn’t expected was for the cat to start making itself at home.
It had claimed his reading chair. It had bullied Wong into giving it actual cooked food instead of regular cat food. And worst of all—it had somehow charmed the Cloak of Levitation.
Stephen entered the study one evening, only to find the cat curled up inside the Cloak, which was floating lazily in the air like a makeshift hammock.
The cat yawned, golden eyes gleaming in amusement.
Stephen pinched the bridge of his nose. “Et tu, Cloak?”
The Cloak gave a little flick, as if shrugging.
The cat just stretched and purred, looking more content than any being had the right to be.
Stephen sighed in defeat. “Fine. Enjoy your ridiculous floating bed.”
The cat, as if sensing victory, smugly closed its eyes.
Meanwhile, at the Avengers Compound…
“Has anyone seen Tony?”
Pepper Potts looked around the room, arms crossed. It had been three days since anyone had seen or heard from Tony Stark, and that was never a good sign.
“I thought he was in his lab,” Rhodey said, frowning. “FRIDAY said he’s not, though.”
“I checked his usual haunts,” Happy added. “No luck.”
Steve Rogers rubbed his chin. “Could he be on some secret mission?”
Rhodey shook his head. “If he was, he’d at least tell someone. And his suit hasn’t left the lab.”
That, more than anything, was concerning. Tony never went anywhere without at least one Iron Man suit nearby.
“Maybe he’s just hiding out?” Sam suggested. “You know, doing billionaire genius stuff?”
Pepper sighed. “I don’t like this. If Tony was just taking a break, he’d still be answering his phone. But he hasn’t responded to any messages.”
That was when Peter Parker ran into the room, looking frantic. “Okay, so I might be overreacting, but—uh—I think Mr. Stark is missing?”
“Yeah, we figured that out, kid,” Rhodey muttered.
Peter waved his hands. “No, I mean, like—actually missing. Like something weird happened. His lab’s a mess, like there was some kind of accident, and FRIDAY won’t tell me anything! She just keeps saying, ‘Mr. Stark is currently unavailable.’”
The room went silent.
That wasn’t normal.
Pepper’s expression turned from worried to very concerned. “We need to find him.”
Steve nodded. “Agreed. We should check surveillance, track his last known location—”
“Already did that!” Peter interrupted. “There’s nothing. It’s like he poofed out of existence!”
Everyone exchanged uneasy looks.
Tony Stark didn’t just disappear.
Something was very, very wrong.
Back at the Sanctum…
Tony, still stuck as a cat, was having the time of his life.
Stephen had officially given up trying to evict him. Wong had begrudgingly started setting out plates of cooked chicken and fish. The Cloak of Levitation was basically his personal hammock now.
For the first time in years, Tony Stark was relaxed.
No meetings. No Avengers. No constant demands for his time. Just naps, good food, and the occasional smug satisfaction of watching Stephen Strange get increasingly frustrated with his presence.
Honestly?
Being a cat wasn’t so bad.
Sure, he needed to figure out how to fix this eventually. But for now?
He stretched lazily, basking in the warm glow of the Sanctum’s fireplace.
He could get used to this.