"Today is another day full of hope!" Voss hummed as he slipped on his familiar clown mask.
Tom and Jerry were just as energized; yesterday's success had them eager for today's show.
Last night, after they got home, Voss had racked his brain for new ideas. Then it hit him—magic tricks. When he asked Tom and Jerry if they could pull it off, they confidently said yes.
That was all the confirmation he needed. Voss spent most of their earnings on magic props for today's big reveal.
Jerry had even groomed his fur to perfection, while Tom practiced new sleight-of-hand moves.
"Alright, partners, let's go! Today we're going to earn enough for rent!" Voss said, hoisting the bag of props as the three set out for Times Square.
But when they reached the spot they had used yesterday, Voss froze in disbelief.
"What the… What is going on?!"
The once-open corner was now crammed with hundreds of people, packed three layers deep. The buzz of voices filled the air.
Voss's stomach dropped. Oh no. Don't tell me someone died here. With this many people gathered, it's gotta be something serious.
Tom stood on tiptoes to peek over the crowd, while Jerry climbed onto his head for a better look.
"Forget it," Voss sighed, tugging at their arms. "We'll have to change spots today. No way we're getting in there."
Just as he turned to leave, someone in the crowd shouted:
"It's them! The guy with the mask and the animals!"
"Yeah, it's really them! They're the ones from yesterday's video!"
"Look! Tom and Jerry!"
Voss blinked. "Wait—what video?"
The sea of people suddenly shifted, parting like a living wave to make room for them.
"Come on in!"
"Right to the middle, we've been waiting!"
"Everyone's here for you!"
Flustered, Voss led Tom and Jerry through the path. At the center, he spotted several phones on the ground, replaying clips of their performance from the day before.
No way… It went viral overnight?
A young man in glasses stepped forward. "Dude, your video blew up! It's already got over two million views!"
A middle-aged man shouted, "Some people online said it was all CGI, so we came here to see for ourselves!"
"Yeah! Prove it's real!" another chimed in.
Voss finally understood: their act had been recorded, uploaded, and had taken the internet by storm.
He cleared his throat. "Well… since everyone's so excited to see us, it'd be rude not to deliver!"
Cheers and applause erupted instantly.
Tom and Jerry glanced at each other, eyes sparkling with anticipation. To be this expected, this celebrated—it was a first for both of them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today we bring you… a magic show!" Voss announced.
Tom pulled a tiny magician's top hat from the bag and perched it on his head, while Jerry hopped onto his shoulder as the perfect assistant.
"The first trick—something from nothing!"
Tom flipped the hat upside down to show it was empty, then set it on the ground and waved his paws dramatically.
"Prepare to witness a miracle!" Voss boomed.
Tom lifted the hat—and out popped a live white rabbit.
"Whoa!" the crowd gasped.
Before the shock wore off, the rabbit let out a puff of smoke and transformed into a bouquet of flowers.
"It's real!"
"I'm standing right here—it's not special effects!"
"This is insane!"
Tom bowed deeply, and Jerry threw up a triumphant peace sign.
"The second trick!" Voss declared.
Tom produced a sealed glass bottle, holding it up for everyone to see. Jerry strutted around, then suddenly leapt forward—passing straight through the glass wall and landing inside the bottle.
The crowd went wild.
"No way!"
"The bottle's sealed! I saw it!"
Jerry spun in circles inside the bottle, then hopped right back out, dusted himself off, and waved proudly.
Thunderous applause followed.
Just then, a van with the Daily Bugle logo nosed through the crowd. A blonde reporter hopped out, mic in hand.
"This is the Daily Bugle. I'm Sarah O'Malley, reporting live from Times Square, where an incredible street performance is unfolding before hundreds of witnesses."
She gestured to the cameraman. "A cat and a mouse are performing real magic tricks—and it's no illusion."
With the camera now on them, Tom and Jerry doubled their energy, hamming it up for the broadcast.
"The third trick—teleportation!" Voss announced.
Tom produced a large cardboard box. Jerry climbed inside, and Tom sealed it with dramatic flair.
"Three… two… one!" Voss counted down.
Tom lifted the box—it was empty. Jerry had vanished.
"Over there!" someone shouted.
Sure enough, Jerry was waving from atop a trash can fifty feet away.
"He was just in the box!"
"This is impossible!"
Jerry zipped back through the crowd, rejoining Tom. They bowed in perfect unison.
Sarah turned back to the camera, her voice trembling with excitement. "Viewers, I've been reporting for a decade, and I've never seen anything like this. I can confirm—we are live, and this is no special effect."
She approached Voss. "Sir, may I ask your name?"
Caught off guard, Voss stammered, "Uh… My name is… Mr. Cat-Mouse Man."
"Mr. Cat-Mouse Man," Sarah pressed, "how on earth did you train these animals? Their skills are beyond anything we've seen."
Voss scratched his head. "Honestly, they're just naturally talented. I didn't train them—I just gave them a stage."
Tom and Jerry glanced at him, their eyes soft with gratitude.
"Will you keep performing here?" Sarah asked.
"Of course!" Voss puffed his chest. "As long as people want to see us, we'll be here every day!"
The crowd cheered wildly.
After the show, Voss counted the overflowing hat. His hands trembled. "One, two, three… One thousand, eight hundred, and seventy-five dollars! Holy smokes!"
Tom and Jerry gasped—it was ten times yesterday's haul.
"We're rich!" Voss shouted, nearly jumping for joy. "Rent's not just covered—we can actually live comfortably now!"
Looking around at the applauding crowd, Voss felt something stirring inside him.
For the first time since arriving in this strange world, he felt they'd found more than just survival.
They'd found their stage.