The three of them finished their meal, and Vos leaned back with a satisfied sigh, rubbing his stomach like he'd just come back from the dead.
Tom and Jerry looked equally content. Jerry even let out a tiny hic that sounded suspiciously proud of itself.
"Alright," Vos said, pulling out the sad little stack of bills in his pocket, "time for real problems. We've got three days to make rent or we're sleeping on the sidewalk."
Tom tilted his head and tapped his chin with a paw, as if asking if Vos had a plan.
"I can't do anything useful, and writing a novel isn't something that pays in twenty-four hours," Vos muttered. "There's got to be a quick way to earn cash…"
He stopped talking.
Tom was quietly folding napkins into neat little flower sculptures like a bored artist. Jerry was flipping across the tabletop with perfect form, sticking each landing like an Olympic gymnast.
"Wait." Vos slapped the table. Whack. "I've got it. Street performance!"
Tom and Jerry froze for a moment, then looked up at him.
"Think about it," Vos said, excitement rising. "Smart animals like you two would draw a crowd instantly. Tom, you've got talent for days. And Jerry, you're basically an acrobat. If we combine forces, we can definitely make money."
Tom nodded, then glanced at Jerry. Jerry's eyes lit up and he hopped in place, gesturing wildly to show he was onboard.
"Great! Let's get ready." Vos stood and waved them toward the door.
They headed to a nearby discount supermarket. Vos needed to disguise himself in case the gang from before recognized him.
Inside, he picked up a black baseball cap, a simple Joker mask, and a handful of props: colorful balls, a jump rope, a small bell.
The cashier eyed the strange assortment. "Uh… sir, are you sure you want the mask?"
"Yes," Vos said casually, "I like this mask."
They left the store, and Vos put on the cap, letting the mask hang from his neck.
"Next stop," he said, "the busiest place in all of New York. Times Square."
An hour later, they reached the edge of the neon jungle. Screens flashed giant ads. Music and chatter blended into a constant roar. Street performers showed off their acts, each trying to grab a slice of attention.
"Competition looks tough," Vos said, eyeing a magician nearby performing to an audience of three.
He found a relatively empty corner, took a breath, put on the Joker mask, and raised his voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Over here! Look over here! Today you will witness the most unbelievable performance in the world. A cat and a mouse… who can perform!"
"Come take a look! Don't miss out! You'll regret it for life!"
His voice cracked a bit from shouting. A few people stopped. Most kept walking.
"Alright, Tom, Jerry. Showtime."
Tom grabbed the colorful balls and started juggling. First simple tosses, then smooth transitions into three balls, then four, then five. The arcs were crisp and perfect.
Jerry grabbed the jump rope and launched into a fancy routine. Single-leg hops, crossovers, double-unders—even a mid-air backflip while the rope spun beneath him.
"Oh my goodness," a woman gasped. "That cat is juggling!"
"Mom! The mouse is amazing! He's more agile than the monkeys at the circus!" a little boy cried.
More people slowed down. The small circle around them began to grow.
Encouraged, Tom pushed further. While the balls still spun in perfect motion, he suddenly produced a tiny violin and began playing a charming melody, multitasking like it was nothing.
"This can't be real," someone whispered.
"How can a cat do all that?"
Tom, the king of all trades—except catching the Jerry family—kept performing like it was second nature.
Jerry wasn't about to be upstaged. He scrambled onto Tom's head and the two broke into a balancing act. Jerry did poses and flips while Tom kept a steady stance, violin still playing smoothly.
"Incredible!"
"Are they robots?!"
"Record this! It'll go viral!"
The crowd swelled. Phones came out. Coins clinked into the hat at Vos's feet.
"Thank you, everyone!" Vos called out, his voice shaking with excitement. "Next up is an even more spectacular act!"
Tom and Jerry exchanged a look. Game time.
Tom suddenly made a dramatic grab toward Jerry. Jerry let out a cartoonish squeak and bolted. The audience cheered, expecting a classic chase.
What they got instead was a choreographed acrobatic routine disguised as chaos.
Jerry rolled and flipped through the air with perfect timing. Tom leaped after him, springing from the pavement like he had springs in his paws.
Then Jerry pulled out a tiny hammer from nowhere and bonked Tom right on the head. Tonk.
Tom collapsed, flattening into a two-dimensional pancake. The crowd screamed. Tom then puffed back to life with a foomp, shook off the dust, and stood up good as new.
"Woooaaah!"
The crowd exploded. Nothing like this existed in the real world.
"This is magic!"
"This is insane! I'm sending this to everyone I know!"
"This is better than Broadway!"
Coins and bills piled into the hat as the performance went on for nearly an hour. Tom and Jerry showed off everything they had: Tom's endless talents, Jerry's wild agility, and their perfect chemistry.
Finally, Vos lifted his hands.
"Ladies and gentlemen, that's today's show! Thank you so much! If you want to see Tom and Jerry again, we'll be right here tomorrow, same time, same place!"
The crowd slowly dispersed, still buzzing with excitement.
Vos crouched and counted the money. His eyes went wide.
"One… two… three… one hundred eighty-seven dollars!? In just two hours?!"
Tom and Jerry rushed over, their faces glowing with pride.
"You two are incredible!" Vos scooped them into a hug and planted a kiss on each cheek. "At this rate, rent won't be a problem."
Sure, the Marvel Universe is dangerous. But with Tom and Jerry around? Vos figured there wasn't a villain alive who could scare him now.