Chapter 25: Darn It, The Power of the Cat!
As Jerry was about to climb the first step of the hallway, he suddenly felt a shiver run through his body, as if something ominous was about to happen. He discreetly turned his head, closing his left eye and peering with his right eye. There, he saw a large cat crouched, ready to pounce at any moment—it was Tom!
Terrified, Jerry jumped up in surprise, and upon landing, without hesitation, he prepared to sprint forward. However, just like before, the same situation repeated itself. In his panic to run, Jerry found himself slipping and skidding in place, as if he were on a treadmill.
Just as Jerry was about to dash out, Tom also leaped forward, extending his claws toward Jerry's location. But in that split second, Tom miscalculated, and his claws closed in empty air. Instead, his face met the ground at a 45-degree angle, skidding for a good three meters before coming to a halt.
With a quick recovery, Tom sprang back up, his head miraculously flattening out as if it were an iron. Tom shook his head vigorously, and his skull regained its original shape, as if it were a medical marvel. Annoyed, Tom glared at Jerry, who had already run a considerable distance and was now standing on the side, watching the spectacle and laughing at him.
Seeing Tom rise again and preparing to continue the chase, Jerry quickly turned around and resumed his escape. He had just made it inside, and there was no way he would accept being thrown into the trash bin halfway through. No, this wouldn't do. Jerry was determined to return home no matter what. He absolutely refused to spend the night outside!
With the cat-and-mouse game reignited, Tom and Jerry resumed their chase inside the house, with the mischievous Bai Song watching from the coffee table. Bai Song was now certain that this particular mouse was indeed Jerry. No other mouse could walk straight and execute such cunning moves to trick Tom's attacks.
After all, if it were one of Jerry's relatives, they wouldn't need to escape but rather confront Tom head-on. With limited options, Bai Song could only sit there and enjoy the show. He knew he wouldn't have a chance to catch the mouse himself, and using a spell to catch Jerry would be a waste. It would be like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. Despite Tom's lackluster performance compared to his previous swift capture of Jerry, Bai Song believed this chase would be the end of it.
During the pursuit, Jerry attempted several times to sneak into his mouse hole, but each time, Tom intercepted him, leaving Jerry to dart around the living room in a haphazard frenzy.
During the chase, Jerry attempted several times to seize the opportunity and dive into his mouse hole, but each time, Tom intercepted him, leaving Jerry to scramble aimlessly in the living room.
Finally, Jerry made it to the top of the open kitchen cabinet and began launching a frenzy of projectiles as an attack. "Bang! Crack!" Tom narrowly dodged the plates and spatulas thrown by Jerry, his face filled with anger as he prepared to charge forward. However, he froze in his tracks, maintaining his charging position, his gaze fixed on the spatula Jerry had thrown.
With a wicked grin, Tom picked up the spatula Jerry had thrown and turned his eyes toward Jerry. In an instant, Jerry's heart sank—he had accidentally armed his adversary!
Now feeling a bit reluctant to continue teasing Tom, Jerry quickly jumped down from the open kitchen cabinet, intending to return directly to his own home. It seemed like things were getting out of hand this time. Almost as Jerry landed, Tom dashed toward him like a cannonball, catching up to Jerry's stride within a few breaths.
"Crack!" As soon as Tom caught up with Jerry, he swung the spatula in his hand, aiming to flatten him. However, unlike before, Jerry didn't blindly run with his eyes closed. Instead, he remained vigilant about Tom's position behind him.
Seeing Tom swinging the spatula, Jerry reacted instantly, launching himself over 30 centimeters into the air, flawlessly dodging Tom's attack.
Realizing that his first strike had no effect whatsoever, Tom frowned. He then followed up with a second, third, fourth, fifth swing... and all of them missed completely without even the slightest margin of error.
"Crack!" Evading another strike, Jerry saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. After dodging Tom's attack, Jerry executed a mid-air turn to the left, stuck out his tongue at Tom, and began taunting him with a cheeky expression, saying, "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah~~~ !"
Seeing Jerry's audacious move, Tom's eyes lit up. He couldn't let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away. Seizing the fact that Jerry would be suspended in the air for a longer period of time during his taunting, Tom began charging up power with the spatula held in his right hand. Then, with a forceful sideways swing...
"Crack!!!" Jerry held his buttocks, the impact having struck him. He was sent flying through the air, howling in pain, "Aow↘aow↗! Aowww! Aowwwww!!"
"Bang!" Finally, Jerry crashed into a corner of the wall, bringing his flight to a halt. He landed on his knees, with his head pressed against the ground, clutching his sore buttocks in both hands.
At this moment, from both Tom's and Bai's perspectives, Jerry's buttocks were glowing red and shimmering. If someone unaware saw it, their first reaction might be that someone had turned a smoke alarm into a mouse-like shape.
Tom laughed heartily, his tongue hanging out, as he placed his left hand on his forehead, watching Jerry being perfectly flung into the corner by himself. He didn't give up the opportunity; instead, he chose to follow up with a combo!
After reaching the corner of the wall, Tom swung the spatula in his hand for another strike. Jerry, who was still clutching his buttocks, noticed that Tom was coming again and was so scared that he quickly let go of his behind and launched himself into the air, narrowly evading the swing.
However, Tom wasn't done with just one swing. After completing the swing, he saw Jerry jumping into the air... right in front of him. Without missing a beat, Tom casually threw the spatula aside, stretched out his hands, and effortlessly caught Jerry.
"Heh heh hahaha!" Holding onto Jerry, Tom widened his mouth and grinned wickedly, bringing his face closer. "Be in power~!" he exclaimed.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Tom continued with his demonic laughter, combining it with his eerie smile. "Heh heh heh hahaha!!"
Seeing the enormous and eerie cat face in front of him, Jerry's small face turned pale. He knew he had messed up again. The second mission of the investigation outside the wall had failed!