Wong's children: Stephen Strange, Cloakie, and a kitten named Minerva

Stephen Strange and the Stray Cat

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"No, Stephen, you can not keep it."

"Please Wong? I'll take care of her!" Minerva gave a tiny mew as if to prove Stephen's point.

Wong sighed. Was this what having kids was like? If so, he didn't want any. Not that he had that choice, what with Stephen, Cloakie, and a two-month-old kitten running around the place.

~~~~~~

"Stephen, no." Wong, former librarian of Kamar-Taj and next-in-line for the title of Sorcerer Supreme, said the moment he walked into the living room of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum.

Stephen Strange, master of said Sanctum and Sorcerer Supreme, was reading a book by the fire. The Cloak of Levitation -nicknamed Cloakie- was splayed across the sorcerers lap. On top of the cloak lay a content-looking kitten that Stephen was gently stroking. A loudly purring cat that Wong didn't remember ever agreeing to letting into the sanctum. "'No', what?" Stephen asked absentmindedly, absorbed in his book.

"No, we are not getting a cat." This time, Stephen looked up.

"What?"

"You heard me. Where did you even get that thing anyways?"

Stephen set down his book and scooped the kitten into his arms. It was tiny and so thin that Wong could see its ribs. It could have easily fit into the doctors large hands is he wished to carry it like that Instead, he picked it up and set it in the crook of his elbow, a large hand supporting it's fragile body. "First of all, Minerva isn't a 'thing', she's a living, breathing, feeling animal. Second of all, I found her in an alleyway a few blocks away. She was starving and didn't have a chip or a collar so I took her in."

Wong sighed. "You just can't help it, can you. You and your kindness." the librarian walked into the kitchen. Stephen stood up and followed, the cloak hovering near the cat. "What if you dropped her off at an animal shelter or something. Make sure she has a good family? We can't take care of her here, Stephen."

Stephen looked down at the cat. "I can't just give her up! Did you know that 3.4 million cats in shelters don't get adopted every year? And most shelters when no one wants to adopt a cat or they run out of space will euthanize it! And I can take care of a cat -- I can get hired... somewhere and I'll buy cat food and take care of a litter box and play with her..." Minerva gave a tiny (and frankly heart-melting, not that Wong would ever admit it) meow as if to prove Stephen's point.

Wong sighed. Was this what having kids was like? If so, he didn't want any. Not that he had a choice having Stephen, the Cloak of Levitation, and an 8-week old kitten around. The Asian sorcerer finally finished the tea he was making and took a reinforcing sip.

"Please, Wong?"

Letting out a huff of air, Wong turned to his friend. "Fine. You can keep her. But I want nothing to do with the infernal thing. She must stay in your room and I will not find any cat-related messes around the house. Understood?"

Stephen nodded, a large grin on his face. Wong shook his head. Stephen was such a child sometimes.

"D'you hear that, Minerva? Wong said I could keep you. Is that so exciting?!"

Tea halfway to his mouth, Wong froze. No way in the multiverse did the stoic, emotionless man he was known for in the medical field just baby talk a cat. "You're naming her Minerva?"

"Uh... yeah? Is that a problem?"

"After the Harry Potter teacher?" Wong asked in disbelief.

"Yeah? I'm a sorcerer and she can turn into a cat at will. Minerva even looks like Professor McGonagal's cat form." there was a pause. "wait -- you've read Harry Potter?"

Wong snorted. "Only the first book. A friend forced me to read it when it came out."

"Okay, slay. But you need to read the other books. They're awesome. I'm going to go shopping now that I can actually keep Minerva. Thanks again, Wong!"

Wong watched Stephen leave, his cloak fluttering about behind the man like a worried mother. "Okay..." he breathed. "We have a cat now. I'm not going to like this, am I?" then he frowned. Where did the word 'slay' come from? Wasn't it used as a synonym of killing people? Sighing again, he shook his head and drank his tea. Knowing Stephen, Minerva was bound to get out and Wong would have to take care of her. This was going to be a long couple of weeks before the cat was fully grown.