Chapter 9
Tony Stark—er, Merlin—was not particularly impressed.
As soon as Stephen announced the new name, Tony froze mid-lick, his tail twitching in irritation. Merlin?
He had expected something cooler, something with a little more edge. Sure, it had some magical connotations, but it wasn’t exactly a name that screamed Tony Stark, was it?
Merlin looked up from his paw, his golden eyes narrowing with a hint of disbelief. Merlin? Seriously?
Stephen and Wong both looked at him expectantly, but the cat remained entirely unamused.
Tony flicked his tail, letting out a frustrated huff. This is ridiculous. I’m Tony Stark, not some ancient wizard.
Stephen, clearly misunderstanding Tony’s disapproval, raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with the name Merlin? It’s fitting, don’t you think?”
Tony blinked slowly, giving him a look that was the feline equivalent of a skeptical side-eye.
Stephen shrugged, turning back to Wong. “Well, it’s better than naming him something like ‘Fluffykins’ or ‘Sir Whiskers,’ don’t you think?”
Wong grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. “I’ll admit, Merlin has a certain charm to it. The cat has a certain… air about him.”
Tony’s ears perked up at the last part, and he gave an almost imperceptible nod of agreement. At least someone in this room recognized his superiority.
But Merlin? That was going to take some getting used to.
He decided, for the time being, to take the high road. The name would be annoying, but it was better than being ignored completely. Tony Stark—er, Merlin—let out a dramatic sigh, flopped onto his back, and resumed licking his paw, pretending that the name didn’t bother him.
But deep down, Tony was already plotting ways to sneak in a much cooler name.