"Another day full of hope." Vos hummed as he slid on his familiar Joker mask.
Tom and Jerry were in great spirits too. Yesterday's little triumph had them itching for more. After they got home, Vos had spent half the night thinking about their next act. A sudden idea hit him, and he asked Tom and Jerry if they could do magic. After receiving an affirmative answer, That was all he needed.
He blew almost all of yesterday's earnings on magic props. Jerry even groomed his fur like he was prepping for a photo shoot, and Tom practiced new gestures with an intensity usually reserved for martial arts masters.
"Alright, team," Vos said, hoisting the bag of props. "Today we earn the rent."
They headed back toward Times Square. But as soon as their old corner came into view, Vos stopped dead.
"What… what is this?"
The once-open space was jammed. Hundreds of people packed together shoulder to shoulder. Three layers deep. Voices buzzing.
Vos's stomach dropped. "No way. Someone better not be dead in there."
Tom stretched up as far as he could. Jerry climbed onto Tom's head like a scout.
Vos tugged them back. "Forget it. No performing here today. We'll go somewhere else."
He turned, disappointed. "Looks like the police will have to clear this up first."
Then someone shouted from the crowd:
"It's them! The guy with the mask and the two animals!"
"It really is! The ones from yesterday's video!"
"Look, it's Tom and Jerry!"
Vos blinked. "What video?"
The crowd shifted, and suddenly it was like Moses parting the Red Sea. People stepped aside and formed a clear path.
"Come in!"
"We've been waiting!"
"Hurry, the show's starting!"
Vos froze for a beat, then let the crowd sweep them inward. Tom and Jerry followed, equally confused.
At the center, Vos finally saw what all the fuss was about. Several phones lay on the ground, replaying a video of yesterday's performance.
Vos stared. No way. We went viral overnight?
A guy with glasses stepped up. "Dude, you blew up online. Two hundred thousand views already."
A middle-aged man shouted, "Some folks say it's special effects. We're here to see if it's real!"
"Yeah! Prove it!" someone echoed.
Vos took a breath. "Well… since everyone's here… we won't keep you waiting."
Cheers exploded around them.
Tom and Jerry exchanged a look. Excitement. Nerves. Maybe a little pride. They stepped forward.
"Today's show," Vos announced, "is magic."
Tom pulled out a tiny top hat and placed it on his head. Instantly, he had real magician energy. Jerry hopped onto his shoulder like a seasoned assistant.
"First trick," Vos said, "something out of nothing."
Tom showed the hat was empty, flipped it over, waved his paws dramatically, and lifted it.
A white rabbit sat inside.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Then the rabbit suddenly popped into a bouquet of flowers.
"Impossible."
"That's real. I'm right here. No special effects."
Tom bowed like a pro. Jerry flashed a victory sign.
"Second trick," Vos said. "Crossing magic."
Tom took out a clear glass bottle, sealed tight. Jerry stood outside, puffed up theatrically, then leaped. He phased straight through the glass and landed inside.
People screamed.
Jerry spun inside the bottle like he was showing off. Then he hopped back out the same impossible way, brushed imaginary dust from his fur, and waved.
The applause hit like a shockwave.
Before Vos could continue, a van squeezed in. The Daily Bugle. A blonde reporter stepped out with a mic.
"This is the Daily Bugle. I'm Sarah O'Malley, live from Times Square. Behind me, a cat and a mouse are performing real magic in front of hundreds of witnesses."
The camera zoomed in on Tom and Jerry. Instead of freezing up, they turned into tiny divas and performed even harder.
"Third trick," Vos announced. "Spatial teleportation."
Tom brought out a cardboard box. Jerry climbed inside. Tom slapped a few talisman-like papers on the surface and made overly mysterious gestures.
"Three, two, one!"
Tom opened the box. Empty.
Someone in the back shouted, "He's over there!"
Jerry stood on a trash can fifty meters away, waving proudly.
"That's not possible."
"He was in the box!"
Jerry zipped back through the crowd and rejoined Tom. They bowed together, perfectly timed.
Sarah looked stunned as she faced the camera. "I've been a reporter for ten years. I've never seen anything like this. And to be clear, this is live. There is no special effects."
She approached Vos. "Sir, may I have your name?"
Vos stiffened. First media interview. "I'm… Mr.Cat-Mouse Man"
"Mr.Cat-Mouse Man, how did you train these two? Their abilities go beyond anything we understand."
Vos scratched his head. "Honestly… I didn't train them. They were already incredible. I just give them a stage."
Tom and Jerry looked up at him with genuine appreciation.
"Will you keep performing here?" Sarah asked.
"Of course," Vos said. "If people enjoy it, we'll be here every day."
Cheers erupted again.
After the crowd settled, Vos checked the hat. It was overflowing with cash. Actual checks mixed in.
He counted with shaking hands. "One thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars. No way…"
Tom and Jerry gawked.
"We're rich!" Vos shouted. "Rent, upgrades, everything!"
He looked up at the crowd that still hadn't left. For the first time since arriving in this universe, he felt a real sense of accomplishment.
Maybe being an ordinary guy in the Marvel world wasn't so bad.
At least for today, it felt pretty amazing.