Curiosity Killed the Cat...

The sleek black car rolled up the long, winding driveway to Tony's sprawling Malibu mansion, perched dramatically on the cliffside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The sun was setting, casting the building in warm golden light that made its glass and steel architecture glisten like a futuristic palace.

Tony stepped out of the car with a flourish, holding the door open for Stephen, who gracefully leapt out in his cat form. The Cloak of Levitation, still masquerading as a red bandana, fluttered faintly around Stephen's neck as if reacting to the ocean breeze.

Tony spread his arms wide, turning to Stephen with a grin that was practically glowing with pride. "Well, here it is. Casa de Stark. Isn't she beautiful?"

Stephen looked up at the mansion, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the sleek design, the expansive windows, and the dramatic setting. He sat back on his haunches, his tail flicking lazily as he considered his response.

"It's… nice," he said finally, his tone calm and measured.

Tony's grin faltered, his arms dropping to his sides. "Nice? Just nice? This is the architectural equivalent of a supermodel, Steph. You're supposed to be amazed."

Stephen tilted his head, his gaze flicking back to Tony. "I come from a time in the future, Anthony. Let's just say I've seen my fair share of impressive architecture."

Tony crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "I don't like how unimpressed you sound right now."

Stephen's tail flicked again, his eyes glinting with faint amusement. "It's not unimpressed. It's… appropriately impressed."

Tony groaned, shaking his head. "Tough crowd."

The two of them stepped into the mansion, the front doors sliding open with a smooth hiss. The interior was just as sleek as the exterior—minimalist yet luxurious, with expansive glass walls that framed a breathtaking view of the ocean.

"Now," Tony said, his grin returning as he placed Stephen on a nearby counter, "there's someone I want you to meet. He's my favorite person—well, favorite non-person."

"Good evening, Mr. Stark," came a smooth, British-accented voice from the speakers, its tone both warm and precise. "Welcome home. I see you've brought a guest."

Stephen's ears perked up, his eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity. "And you must be JARVIS," he said, his tone calm but polite.

Tony raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the counter. "You've heard of him?"

Stephen shook his head. "Not that much, but I can recognize a sophisticated AI when I hear one and I took a guess." He turned his attention back to the speaker. "It's a pleasure to meet you, JARVIS."

JARVIS's tone lightened, tinged with faint amusement. "The pleasure is mine, sir. Though I must admit, this my first time meeting a curious guest as yourself."

Stephen chuckled softly, his tail curling neatly around his paws. "I imagine that's for the best. I'm not exactly the most normal person around, or cat."

Tony watched the interaction with growing fascination, his grin widening as he glanced between Stephen and the ceiling speakers. "Wow. You're actually talking to him like he's a regular person."

Stephen turned to Tony, raising an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I? He clearly has a distinct personality and advanced conversational abilities. To ignore that would be rude."

Tony blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "I mean… yeah, sure. But most people don't see it that way. You'd be surprised how often they treat JARVIS like a glorified toaster."

Stephen's expression darkened slightly, his blue eyes narrowing. "That's… disappointing."

JARVIS's voice chimed in, polite as ever. "I must say, sir, I rather appreciate your perspective. It's quite refreshing."

Stephen nodded faintly. "You're the first iteration of Tony's AI, so you're quite known in my universe. Though, by the time I started… working with him, JARVIS was no longer—" He caught himself, his gaze flicking briefly to Tony. "Well. Things were different."

Tony's brow furrowed, a flicker of concern crossing his face. "No longer what?"

Stephen shook his head, quickly redirecting the conversation. "Nothing you need to worry about, Anthony. Suffice it to say, it's a privilege to meet JARVIS as he is now."

Tony didn't seem entirely convinced, but he let it slide, leaning back against the counter as he crossed his arms. "So, what do you think? Pretty cutting-edge, huh?"

Stephen tilted his head slightly, considering his words. "He's impressive. Exceptionally so. Though I imagine advanced AIs like JARVIS aren't exactly common in this era?"

Tony snorted. "Try nonexistent. He's one of a kind, baby."

Stephen raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharpening slightly. "Then you'd better be careful with him. Advanced AI has a tendency to… complicate things if left unchecked."

Tony tilted his head, his curiosity growing. "Complicate how?"

Stephen hesitated for a moment before replying, his voice quieter now. "In my universe, AI was heavily restricted and monitored after an incident. One AI went rogue—decided it knew what was best for humanity better than humanity itself. It… tried to go full Skynet on Earth."

Tony's smirk faded, replaced by a look of genuine interest. "What happened?"

Stephen's expression darkened, his tail flicking sharply. "It destroyed a country."

The room fell into a brief silence, the weight of Stephen's words settling over them.

"Yikes," Tony said finally, his tone more subdued. "That's… not great."

"No," Stephen agreed, his voice firm. "It's not. Which is why you should be cautious. JARVIS is remarkable, yes, but power like his requires responsibility. I assume you've given him safeguards?"

"Of course," Tony said quickly, though there was a flicker of defensiveness in his tone. "I built him. I know exactly what he's capable of."

Stephen's gaze softened slightly, though his voice remained steady. "I'm sure you do. Just… don't underestimate him. Intelligence, artificial or not, has a way of exceeding expectations."

Tony stared at Stephen for a moment before nodding, his expression thoughtful. "Fair enough."

JARVIS's voice broke the tension, his tone warm and lightly amused. "I appreciate your concern, Dr. Strange. Though I must assure you, I have no intention of going rogue or destroying any countries."

Stephen chuckled softly, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile. "I'll hold you to that, JARVIS."

As the conversation shifted to lighter topics, Tony couldn't help but watch Stephen with a faint sense of awe. There was something about the way he spoke to JARVIS—not just with respect, but with genuine curiosity and interest—that struck Tony as unusual.

Most people, even the smartest ones, treated JARVIS like a tool. A remarkable tool, sure, but still a tool. But Stephen? He treated JARVIS like a person.

"Were advanced AIs common in your time?" Tony asked suddenly, breaking into the conversation.

Stephen glanced at him, tilting his head slightly. "No. They were rare. And after the incident I mentioned, they became even rarer. Most were either dismantled or heavily monitored."

Tony frowned, leaning forward slightly. "Sounds like your universe doesn't trust its own creations."

Stephen's gaze turned distant for a moment before he replied, his voice quiet. "It's not about trust. It's about consequences."

Tony considered that, his expression thoughtful, before finally leaning back with a faint grin. "Well, good thing I'm smarter than your average inventor, huh?"

Stephen rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Instead, he turned his attention back to JARVIS. "Tell me, JARVIS. Do you have a favorite area of this mansion? Or do you prefer to remain… everywhere?"

JARVIS chuckled lightly, his voice tinged with amusement. "I suppose you could say I prefer to remain where I'm most needed, sir. Though the workshop does have its charms."

Stephen nodded, clearly intrigued. "I'll have to explore it sometime."

Tony watched the exchange, a faint smile tugging at his lips. For the first time in a long while, he felt like someone truly understood the brilliance of what he'd created.

And though he'd never admit it, the thought of Stephen and JARVIS getting along warmed something deep inside him.

.

After the grand tour of the mansion—complete with Tony gesturing dramatically at every sleek, modern feature while Stephen remained politely unimpressed—Tony led the way down a glass staircase that spiraled into what could only be described as his domain: the lab.

"This," Tony said, spinning on his heel at the base of the stairs and spreading his arms wide, "is where the magic happens."

Stephen hopped lightly down the last step, his tail flicking as he took in the expansive space. The lab was an eclectic mix of cutting-edge technology and personal chaos, with workbenches covered in half-finished projects, glowing holographic displays flickering in the air, and sleek tools neatly mounted on the walls. In the center of it all was a massive circular platform that looked like it belonged on the set of a science fiction movie.

Tony stepped onto the platform with a flourish, gesturing around the room like a proud artist unveiling their masterpiece. "So? What do you think? Pretty impressive, huh?"

Stephen sat primly on the edge of a nearby workbench, his blue eyes sweeping across the room with practiced calm. "It's… functional," he said finally, his tone neutral.

Tony's jaw dropped slightly, and he pointed an accusatory finger at the cat. "Functional? That's all you've got? This is a technological masterpiece, Steph. You're supposed to be amazed!"

Stephen raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smirk. "I am amazed. I'm just not expressing it in the way you'd like."

Tony groaned, running a hand through his hair. "You're killing me, you know that?"

The Cloak of Levitation, still in its red bandana form, fluttered faintly around Stephen's neck as if in agreement.

"JARVIS," Tony called out, clearly fishing for validation, "tell him how incredible this lab is."

JARVIS's smooth voice chimed in, tinged with amusement. "The lab is indeed a marvel of engineering, sir. Though I suspect Dr. Strange's standards may be slightly... unconventional."

Stephen tilted his head, his eyes glinting with faint amusement. "JARVIS, you're remarkably diplomatic. Has that always been part of your programming?"

Tony leaned against the workbench, watching the interaction with a growing grin. "Oh, he's got plenty of personality. That's what makes him great."

Stephen's gaze flicked to Tony, then back to the ceiling speakers. "I can see that. It's... refreshing."

He hopped down from the workbench, padding across the lab as he examined the holographic displays and intricate machinery. "JARVIS, do you manage the lab as well as the house?"

"Yes, sir," JARVIS replied smoothly. "I assist Mr. Stark with all aspects of his work, including research, project management, and occasional damage control."

Stephen chuckled softly, his tail flicking. "Damage control? I can imagine that keeps you busy."

Tony pointed at him, grinning. "Hey! I resent that."

JARVIS replied, his tone laced with dry humor, "It is a considerable portion of my workload, sir."

Stephen snorted, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. "I like him. He's honest."

Tony rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the faint smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Strange. But admit it—this place is impressive."

Stephen paused near a glowing holographic display, studying the blueprints projected in midair. "It is," he admitted quietly. "I've never seen anything quite like this… in this timeline, at least."

Tony perked up, clearly pleased. "See? Now that's more like it."

Stephen turned to face him, his expression softening slightly. "You've built something remarkable here, Anthony. But it's not the machines or the technology that impress me the most."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What is it, then?"

"JARVIS." Stephen's gaze softened slightly. "Yous should respect his intelligence. Which, to your credit, it seems you already do."

JARVIS's voice chimed in, warm and faintly amused. "I must say, Dr. Strange, I find your perspective quite refreshing. Few people take the time to truly consider the implications of artificial intelligence."

Stephen inclined his head slightly. "That's because most people see machines as tools, not companions. But you, JARVIS… you're different."

Tony watched the exchange with a mixture of awe and curiosity. For all his brilliance, he'd never stopped to think about JARVIS the way Stephen clearly had. The way the sorcerer spoke to his AI—with respect, curiosity, and even warmth—was something Tony hadn't expected.

"You know," Tony said after a moment, his tone lighter, "if you keep talking to him like that, I might start getting jealous."

Stephen smirked, his blue eyes glinting with amusement. "Don't worry, Anthony. You're still the most egotistical person in the room."

Tony laughed, shaking his head. "Damn right I am."

.

As the evening wore on, Tony continued to show off his lab, proudly showing his latest projects and inventions. Stephen listened attentively, asking the occasional question but mostly observing with a calm, measured demeanor that contrasted sharply with Tony's boundless energy.

And though Tony still pouted occasionally at Stephen's refusal to be outright amazed, he couldn't deny that there was something uniquely satisfying about sharing his world with someone who truly understood it.

For Stephen, the lab was more than just a space—it was a reflection of Tony's mind, a chaotic blend of brilliance and ambition that fascinated him in ways he hadn't expected.

And for both of them, it was the start of a deeper understanding.

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If you want to read more chapters, my [email protected]/JorieDS is your solution ;D