Chapter 2: The Mysterious Mansion
A week had gone by since Robyn and her dad Michael decided to adopt Tom and Jerry as for the most part it looked like Tom's original owner wasn't going to be coming back anytime soon for her cat. Safe to say, now that he had a new set of owners, plus a good friend (who he still considered to be his greatest rival), life was good for the feline and his unlikely rodent comrade in arms.
For five days a week Robyn would go to school. This, too, would be the same time Michael worked as an archaeologist. The only days that both would have off would be federal holidays, and any days that didn't require Michael to be out of town or in his office.
Whenever they had to wait for Robyn's return home, both Tom and Jerry would do a variety of things to keep themselves entertained, which included, but did not limit to: Read books, play games, listen to music, play sports, eat good food, watch movies and television, play board games, play video games, etc-etc. — and yes, just to answer the question right here, right now: they did those things also when they were all together as a family.
But on one particular day, when Robyn didn't have school, they would be going on what would be the first of many new adventures for them. What kind of adventure did life have in store for them this time compared to helping the young girl reunite with her father? Let's find out… shall we?
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One warm and sunny day, while exploring the town, both Tom Robyn and Jerry were out for a walk enjoying each other's company as per usual. Earlier, the three had a nice lunch at a local 50s diner named The Retro Malt.
Afterwards, they were on their way back home when they saw a group of older and tougher kids.
"Robyn," said Jerry, as he looked at the older kids. "Who's that group of rowdies?"
"The Cheetah Legion," replied Robyn.
"Funny," smirked Tom. "They don't look anything like wild cats."
Robyn then quietly explained that they were so named because of their strong muscular body build and fast running speeds, as well as the fact they prided themselves on cheating in every subject at school.
"Oh, now I get it."
What she never told Tom and Jerry, let alone her dad, was they were the school bullies who prided themselves on picking on the helpless, the meek, the geeks, the nerds, etc-etc. As such, Robyn often fell victim to their shenanigans.
"That's terrible," said Tom, who winced in disgust.
"Indeed," agreed Jerry, who nodded his head. "What do you suppose they're up to now?"
Ducking into an alley, the three hid themselves so as to not get caught.
"Now remember, gang," said their leader, who was a burly kid named Nikalus Munz, "once midnight arrives, we sneak out of our homes and check out the remains of the old Montgomery manor — no chickening out!"
"But, Nikalus," whined another member of the group, "that place is haunted. Do we have a choice?"
"I said "no chickening out", Horton," snapped Nikalus. "You want to go home and have night terrors? Then, be my guest." The sole whiner left. "Anyone else?"
"No-no, we're all good," confirmed the rest of the crew, who were obviously loyal and brave to their leader — they too, were not very bright.
Having heard enough about the bullies' plans, as well as having made a complete image by image recreation of the map to get there, both Tom, Robyn and Jerry then headed on their way back home — but not before Robyn stepped on an empty soda can, which gave away their position.
"Hey!" cried one member of the Cheetah Legion. "It's the rich girl!"
"And she's bought her pets," said a second one.
"Get her, you idiots!" snarled Niklaus.
A moment later; Tom, Robyn and Jerry got away safely.
"Maybe she went home," said a third member of the bullies.
"Ah, good riddance," said Nikalus. "Let's hope that she stays there."
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That night, when the coast was clear (and after dinner), that night, at eight sharp, the 9 year-old girl and her newfound friends and pets then set out on their way to get to Montgomery manor before the Cheetah Legion decided to do so a few hours later.
Upon their arrival, the three friends began trembling and shaking.
"Well," gulped Tom. "H-h-here we a-a-are."
"A-a-after y-y-you, Robyn," shook Jerry.
"Why me?" she asked, pointing to herself.
"B-b-because y-y-you're the one w-w-who w-w-wanted to investigate this p-p-place," answered Tom.
Robyn, at first, hesitated. But upon opening the door, she discovered the manor was open.
Turning on their flashlight, the three began looking around their surroundings — it was damp, dark and dusty… the place obviously needed a good cleaning.
"Huh," said the blonde-haired girl, who was surprised. "What do you know? No one's home."
"I can see that," Tom said with sarcasm as he yawned and stretched. "Well, we've had our fun. Let's go home."
"But we can't go home, Tom," protested Robyn, "we just got here. If we leave, the Cheetah Legion will beat us to whatever lies inside the place." Tom didn't buy it. "Besides Tom, it could be worse."
Knowing full well how these scenarios go down, Tom didn't dare to ask "how?" — instead, he said, "Go on."
"The front door could lock us in," said Jerry.
Sure enough, as if on cue that is precisely what happened.
Giving his mouse comrade a dirty look, Tom said, "You just had to say it, didn't you?"
"Hey," squeaked Jerry, "at least I didn't say "it could be raining"."
Funnily, that's exactly what began to happen outside.
"Okay, okay," snapped the cat, "no more jinxing our predicament. Let's explore this place and then get out of here."
"And hope that the rain stops," agreed Jerry.
"Hopefully," nodded Robyn.
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Meanwhile, back at their clubhouse, the Cheetah Legion decided it would be best for them to wait for the rain to let up — only then and then would they investigate the place and try to solve its untold puzzles and riches they heard rumors about.
They were making this decision when something hit them…
"What about the Starling girl and her pets?" asked one member.
"Yeah," nodded another. "They overheard our plans."
To which, Nikalus, their leader answered, "Maybe if we're lucky, they'll get lost and never find their way around the mansion."
"Maybe," agreed a third. "For all we know, they'll stay and their bones will turn to dust."
They all cackled menacingly.
"Godspeed, rich kid," sneered Nikalus.
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Back inside Montgomery manor, our friends had come across the library, it too, was crawling with spiderwebs and dust, obviously indicating that it (like the rest of the manor) had seen better days.
Gazing up at a portrait of who was the last owner of the place, Tom saw that the previous owner was a man named Jack Montgomery.
"Jack Montgomery," he read out loud. "Hmm, I wonder how long he owned this place before he kicked the bucket?"
It's quite clear his question was reserved for Robyn and Jerry when he couldn't find an answer next to the portrait.
"Search me," shrugged Jerry.
"Okay," said Tom, who began a thorough search on the brown mouse's person.
"What do you think that you're doing, Tom?" Jerry frowned.
"You said to "search" you, so…" Tom shrugged.
"That isn't what I meant," said Jerry, who rolled his eyes and slapped Tom's paws.
"Knock it off, guys," said Robyn, who was exploring the library's books for any information that could be found to tell the three some possible history or anything else related to the mansion.
Eventually, she came across a book that had a message inside.
"Tom, Jerry," she called to her friends. "Look at this…" Her animal friends looked at the book with her. "It's a journal, and look, there's a message."
"What does it say?" ask Jerry.
To which Tom playfully remarked, "It doesn't "say" anything, you gotta read it." He laughed at his joke. "Get it?"
"Oh, shut up," said the mouse, who, with an agitation in his voice, crushed Tom's head in one of the books.
"Okay," said the cat, as he inflated his head back to normal. "I deserved that…" To his owner and friend, he said, "Continue, Robyn."
The message, as three discovered, was a tip to whoever read the journal would be led to a buried treasure of sorts.
"Attention," read Robyn, "all those who read upon these sacred words: buried treasure awaits you in this very house." She paused. "If you are of a pure and nobel heart, venture forth, for riches and many more items await you somewhere in this old house."
"That doesn't sound so bad," said Tom, who smiled.
"But be warned," continued the 9 year-old girl. "If you are of an arrogant and sinful heart, then venture no further, the treasure will bring a curse on you and those whom you care about most."
"On second thought…" hesitated the cat, who turned to leave, "let's get out of here."
"Not a chance, Tom," said Jerry, who grabbed his friend by the collar. "We wanted to explore this place, so let's get cracking."
"Where do we start?" Tom asked with a heavy sigh.
"Here," replied Robyn, who pointed to another passage in the book. "To find the treasure, you must solve three following riddles while exploring this house. The first one I leave for you to unravel now, the other two you must find and decipher on your own."
"Let's hear it," said Jerry, who began to rub his hands in excitement as his owner and friend read the first riddle.
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" read the blonde-haired girl.
There was a long pause, but not too long before Tom snapped his fingers — it was quite clear he knew the answer.
"Because Poe wrote on both of them," he answered.
"Now how on Earth did you know that one, Tom?" Jerry asked, looking at his partner in crime incredulously.
"When you've been finding other ways to keep yourself occupied outside of chasing you," Tom replied, as he beamed with pride, "it just comes naturally."
"Fair enough."
Robyn, who had been drawing up some maps of where they needed to go to find the treasure, nodded.
"Okay," she said. "That was an easy one, I can only imagine that the other two riddles will be harder."
"I guess we'll find out as we go along," shrugged the mouse.
"What about your dad?" asked Tom. "Don't worry, I've come up with a perfect foolproof idea, should he enter my room."
"Does he know about you having your own adventures?" wondered Jerry.
"Well," replied Robyn, "seeing as he's an archaeologist, I'd imagine that he probably does."
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Meanwhile, back home, Michael came upstairs to check on his daughter — surprisingly, outside of the countless times she ran away from her "Aunt" Figg, he knew about her own adventures.
"Robyn," he said, knocking on her door. "I've come to bid you goodnight."
No answer, he tried again. But when he did, he came into his daughter's bed to check in on her.
It was only when he entered Robyn's room and discovered that she had used a mannequin to pose as her, as well as use recordings of her voice to fool her dad, he left his daughter's bedroom.
Shaking his head warmly, Michael sighed.
"That daughter of mine," he said, "always adventurous, hoping to follow in my footsteps." Entering his bedroom to get some shuteye, he let out a warm sigh. "I suppose if anything, I'll talk to her in the morning. I just hope that wherever she is, Tom and Jerry are with her."
Rest assured, sir… they are.
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Back at the Montgomery mansion: Tom, Robyn and Jerry were walking down a darkened hallway, flashlight in hand.
As they strolled down, they couldn't help but wonder what kind of treasures and whatnot would await them once they found it and solved the riddles.
"I'll bet it's jewels and gold," said Tom, who rubbed his hands in delight. "Most treasures usually turn out to be that exactly."
"I don't know," said Jerry, who scratched his chin. "I suspect that it's something else. Offhand, I'm not 100% sure as to what… yet."
"Well," said Robyn, who beamed. "I'll bet whatever it is, it should be something most enlightening."
The three friends continued to discuss things over until at last, they came across a hallway of doors. To say that there were too many to choose from, would be a gross understatement.
"Great," groaned the cat. "So many doors…"
"… so little time," concluded his mouse companion.
"Let's find our next riddle and get going," suggested the 9 year-old girl.
"But which one do we know which door has it?" asked Tom.
"Tom's right Robyn," agreed Jerry as he analyzed the situation. "There are way too many doors, where do we start?"
Robyn then suggested that as there were 9 doors total, it would be best to split them evenly — she would take doors 2, 5 and 8; Tom would take doors 1, 4 and 7, and Jerry would take doors 3, 6 and 9.
"All right best of luck to us all," said the cat.
The instant the three friends split up, they started exploring every nook and cranny inside each of the 9 rooms.
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In room 1, Tom found nothing, it was just a plain and simple ordinary bedroom.
The only thing that was peculiar about room 4 was the fact that it had a ghost dog inside, who was asleep in the room. Not daring to take any chances to wake it up, Tom quietly closed the door.
Why a ghost would keep a ghost dog is beyond me, the domestic tuxedo feline uttered under his breath. Oh well, nothing in this house makes sense so far.
It was that in room 7, he found part of a message that was in ruins, he couldn't make heads or tails of what it read.
"Either the handwriting is very sloppy," Tom said to himself, scratching his head in confusion, "or there are many other parts that go with this message." He shrugged, "either way, one room of mine down, two to —"
The cat was then interrupted by a very loud and ominous "ooooooooh" sound.
"…go?" he asked nervously as he looked from side to side, "Jerry, is that you?" No answer. "Remember, I have a strong stomach and a very weak heart, so quit messing with me…" The cat gulped heavily and smiled sheepishly, "please?"
The only response he got in return was a foreboding, "GEEEET OOOOOOUT!"
Scared stiff, he ran out of the room, screaming. It only got worse when Tom was soon chased by the ghost dog from room 4.
"Sick 'im, Sampson," said the same ghostly voice.
The ghost dog then took off chasing after Tom.
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In room 2, Robyn (like Tom before her) had found a message similar to what her cat found, it was also in ruins and looked like it had rather messy handwriting, and without two other parts that were needed to decipher it, she couldn't figure out what it meant.
"I'll look for the other parts and try to figure it out later," she said, tucking the message away in a pocket of hers.
The 9 year-old found nothing of value in room 5, so she left to go to room 8.
Meanwhile, Jerry was quick to discover that the only life inside of room 3 was a few mousetraps, some which were layered with cheese, others had a few olives. Grabbing them as quick as a flash, the mouse ate his snack in no time flat.
Room 6 was barren and deserted, so nothing that stood out of the ordinary to him.
But to his surprise, room 9 had a message similar to what Tom found, its message was also in ruins, it looked like it had rather messy handwriting, and without two other parts that were needed, he couldn't figure it out.
Just as he put the message away in a pocket of his, Tom came running inside — his heart was beating so fast that Jerry didn't know it yet, but his companion was running away from the ghost dog that he inadvertently woke up.
"Tom?" he asked.
No answer, the cat had hid himself in the bed, pale as a sheet.
"Hey, Tom!" repeated his friend. "What's the matter with you?"
"He… is going… to EAT ME!" bellowed Tom, who lowered the covers from his face.
"Who?" asked an intrigued Jerry.
"Him!"
Tom pointed to the door and the ghostly image of the ghost dog came running inside. Upon seeing it, the cat screamed and hid back under the covers, scared stiff.
"GAAAAAAAHHH!" the mouse also screamed.
Huddled together inside the covers, Tom and Jerry trembled with fear hoping that the ghost dog would go eventually away.
"Maybe he didn't hear us," gulped the rodent. "Maybe he'll get tired and go away."
Peeking into the covers, the dog ghost spotted the strangers to his ex-owners mansion and started chasing them once more.
"Then again, maybe not," the feline yelped.
Eventually, Tom and Jerry now huddled together in a corner, very scared, as the ghost dog was getting closer to them.
"What do we do now, Tom?" asked Jerry.
"Call Robyn's name and see if she saves us?" suggested the cat.
"It's a long shot, but it'll have to do." shrugged his friend.
"ROBYN," they cried in agony, "SAVE US!"
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Robyn, who had been exploring room 8, heard their cries and exited the bedroom.
"Tom, Jerry?" she asked, looking around the hall room. "Where are you, guys?"
"In door 9!" came one reply.
"A ghost dog is trying to eat us!" came the other.
"I'll try to find something to calm it down," the little girl nodded.
"You do that," said Jerry.
"And Robyn, one more thing," said Tom.
"What?" inquired the 9 year-old.
"HURRY!" the cat and mouse duo screamed in unison.
The Starling daughter entered room 4 and found two things that would tame the dog, a ghostly bone and a used, but still good conditioned violin. She also came across a note that contained one word: Sampson.
Must be the name of the dog, thought to herself.
After playing a few strings, and hearing the violin still worked fine, Robyn approached door 9 and started to play the violin, more specifically "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ".
Upon luring Sampson out and giving him his ghostly bone, Robyn approached door 9 and went in to recover her pets and friends.
Upon expressing their relief and what not, the 3 friends sat down in room 8 to discuss things over.
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"I don't get it, guys," said Robyn, "why in the world would a ghost keep a ghost dog?"
"Don't look at me," Tom shrugged. "Personally, I'm beginning to think that nothing in this house makes sense so far."
"Did you find any clues at least?" asked the girl.
"Yeah," nodded the cat, who showed his human friend the message he saved. "Now that you mention it, I found a broken sheet of paper."
"Same here, Robyn," added Jerry, who showed his ripped message as well. "We couldn't make the handwriting out, maybe you can?"
"Sure."
Robyn took out her sheet of paper and began to analyze all three. But because of the being ripped, taking out some tape from her pocket, she pieced the papers back together. After analyzing it, she spoke at last.
"It's another riddle!" she cried in amazement.
"What's it say?" Tom asked eagerly. "What's it say?"
"I am something that grows with age," Robyn read, "but never reaches a final stage. I am power, I am might, and with me, you can win any fight. What am I?"
They all took a moment to pause and think, but in the end, both Tom and Jerry were stumped… safe to say, this riddle was a doozy.
"Beats me," shrugged Jerry, who guessed. "Willpower? Heart?"
"Bravery?" asked Tom, who also had no clue. "No… courage?"
They continued to think 'til Robyn snapped her fingers, obviously, she knew the answer.
"Knowledge," she said.
Facepalming themselves, the cat and mouse duo then started laughing.
"Of course," chuckled Tom.
"It was so obvious," beamed Jerry.
"There's something else," added Robyn. She then showed her friends a scroll containing a code of sorts. "I'm not sure what it means, but I guess we'll figure it out as we go along."
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Eventually, the three explored the mansion some more. While taking a breather, Robyn looked at her watch: it was now 9:55 PM
"Who'd have thought treasure hunting could be this exhausting?" Tom asked his pals.
"Didn't have a clue," replied Jerry, who yawned. "If we don't find it soon, daddy will surely begin to worry and I may need to find a bed to rest in."
"We've come so far," nodded Robyn. "But we need to see this thing to the end."
"Right," both cat and mouse chorused in unison.
Gradually, they found a scroll which contained a map, which in turn, would lead the three to the master bedroom — it was upon their arrival (it was now 10:20 PM) that they saw a bookshelf of sorts.
Looking once more at the scroll, Robyn read it, "Put the books in order, solve the riddle and the treasure will be yours. But remember: If you are of a pure and nobel heart, venture forth, for riches and many more items await you beyond this bookshelf — if you are of an arrogant and sinful heart, then venture no further, the treasure will bring a curse on you and those whom you care about most."
Analyzing the diagram on the scroll, the three friends saw that there were a total of 13 books total that they had to sort.
"This might take forever," groaned Tom. "But it'll be worth it."
So they set to work, and the following among the books, were all of the following titles:
1) The Bible, 2) From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming, 3) The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 4) Moby Dick by Herman Melville, 5) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, 6) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, 7) A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle, 8) Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, 9) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, 10) Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie, 11) Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, 12) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and 13) As a Man Thinketh by James Allen.
They sorted all the books in alphabetical order, but nothing happened.
"I don't get it," said Robyn, who was a little tuckered out. "We sorted the books, but nothing happened."
"Was there something we missed?" asked a disappointed Jerry.
No one said a word until there was the snapping of some fingers coming from Tom, who quickly grabbed the scroll.
"I got it," he said to his owner and friend. "I think I've got it." The other two gazed at him. "We're not supposed to sort in alphabetical order, if anything, we have to sort these books in order by year of release."
"Tom, that's brilliant!" said an impressed Jerry.
"How'd you figure that one out?" asked Robyn.
"Notice how the Good Book is the first one on the list?" his friends nodded, seeing his point. "That was a hint as to how old each book is. So let's try again, I'll bet if we follow that pattern, only then and then will we get the last riddle, as well as see the treasure… if any."
So they all set to work once more and did as Tom suggested, and to their amazement, it worked.
"I say, Tom, good thinking on your part," said a new voice. "Good show, you smarty cat."
"Thanks," the cat beamed with pride, but not before he did a double take. "Who said that?"
"I did," came the reply.
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The voice then appeared out of the blue, and to their amazement, our friends immediately recognized him exactly as the previous owner of the man who appeared as he looked in his portrait.
"You," said Jerry, a little surprised. "You're the ghost of…"
"Jack Montgomery," replied the ghost, who nodded. "In spirit. You've solved all my riddles, got past all my traps for anyone who wanted to tear down my house, I'm impressed."
"But why?" asked Tom. "You gave us quite the scare."
"Because," replied Jack, who gloomily hung his head down, "I've been lonely in this house for decades and no one respects a bookworm and a renowned scholar, like me…" He let loose a sigh. "I loved my collection so much that he couldn't let it go even in death."
"I think you'll find as your last riddle suggested," smiled Robyn, "knowledge is a great treasure, something that can be passed down through the ages."
"Perhaps you're right," he nodded. "I promised you would see the treasure if you were pure of heart, and you've done so very well, but first, one last riddle: What is it that you can keep after giving it to someone else?"
Jerry figured that one out quickly.
"Your word," the mouse answered, "I oughta know because Tom used to break it several times in the past."
"That is correct," the ghost of the mansion.
They were all then led to a room that was well hidden in the attic, and inside, a collection of rare books and artifacts.
"Okay," said an impressed Tom, "I won't deny I did not see this kind of treasure coming."
"Me neither," agreed Robyn.
"Same," nodded Jerry.
"Now that you know," said Jack, "do I have your word that you promise to visit me from time to time and share any future adventures you may have?" All three agreed in unison that they would do so. "I'm glad to hear it."
A short while later, they were escorted to the front door of the manor and handed a key.
"Use this key to access the place, and if you do return, feel free to bring guests over if you like."
"Will do," all three friends promised.
"Oh, and Mr. Montgomery, —" began Robyn.
The mansion's ex-owner raised a hand, and smiled, "Please, Robyn, call me Jack."
"Right," nodded the 9 year-old girl. "Jack, could you do me a favor?"
"Shoot," replied the ghost.
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A day or two later as Robyn shared her and her pets incredible story with her other friends, the Cheetah Legion approached her.
"Move rich girl," commanded Niklaus, "this is our table."
"No can do," said Robyn, who held her ground.
"All right," sneered Niklaus, "you asked for it."
But before the leader of the Cheetah Legion and his goons could do anything, the ghost of Jack Montgomery appeared. Afraid, one by one, the hoodlums' faces all began to turn white as a bunch of bedsheets and towels.
"If you and your friends ever choose to come near my home and try to steal anything, or harm Robyn and her friends for that matter, I will see to it that all the remaining days in your life are filled with sorrow and torment! Do I make myself clear?"
Nodding scared stiff, the Cheetah Legion made their escape, but not before they swore never to do so again.
When she came home from school, Robyn told her dad everything that happened a few days ago. Ultimately, Michael agreed because his daughter had Tom and Jerry by her side that fateful night, her only punishment was a few extra chores, which was fair.
So where does our chapter end? It draws to close seeing Tom, Robyn and Jerry wrapping up the family laundry, mostly dry cleaning.
"Well, it was a unique adventure," said Tom.
"But the fun is only just beginning," nodded Jerry.
"What life has in store for us next, only time will tell," agreed Robyn.
And that's where I leave you, people — hungry for more adventures starring our favorite cat and mouse duo, plus the little girl who took them in as her pets, as well as very good friends.
Author's notes:
• So that was the second chapter of The New Tom, Robyn, and Jerry Adventures, and as always, please fill free to leave me your feedback.
• The Cheetah Legion was something I thought up on the top of my head as a group of bullies, plus, I wanted to make them very nasty pieces of work.
• The 50s diner where Tom, Robyn and Jerry eat at, or The Retro Malt, was heavily inspired by various 50s diners I've eaten at, which include, but do not limit to: Johnny Rockets, Cheeburger Cheeburger and Mel's Drive-In.
• Fill free also to leave your comments also who you want (at least for this story) to invision as the voice of voice of Jack Montgomery if this show existed in the 90s.
* As for me, here my top 5 picks: Jim Cummings, Mark Hamill, Tim Curry, Rob Paulsen and Tom Kenny.
• And finally: I own nothing in this fanfiction, as such: Tom, Jerry, plus everyone else have their rights and everything else are owned and © by Warner Brothers.
That said, until the next chapter, my fellow readers and Toons:
I'm M. R. Parkerson signing off…