"Unlike Pikachu, who can speak human language fluently and even has a slight West Coast accent, Bat Cat simply meows. But those who have been to Cat City can understand him.
Seeing Clark stand in a stupor, Bat Cat calmly lay down on the sofa and said, 'I don't know how your other self put up with you. Can't you see that you're being watched?'
'What?' More than the fact that a cat was speaking, its words were what really astounded Clark. He asked, puzzled, 'What do you mean I'm being watched?'
'On your way here, the cigarette vendor at the train station, the hot dog man, the taxi driver, they were all stalkers - their target was you.'
'You didn't realize the cigarette vendor passed by you five times. However, based on your clothes and your behavior, it was clear that you don't smoke. These hawk-eyed vendors won't waste their time in this kind of situation.'
'The hot dog man kept trying to engage you in conversation. He said cats are cute but constantly appeared repulsed, even showing a disgusted expression from time to time. You just didn't notice.'
'The taxi driver who was chatting with you claimed that he was also a farmer from Kansas. He was just trying to get close to you. He had no idea about the farm machinery brand names you mentioned. When you got off, his expression in the rearview mirror turned icy.'
'You...' The torrent of words from Bat Cat left Clark speechless. He stood still for a moment then helplessly walked towards the sofa. Bat Cat tried to run but Clark grabbed him in one move.
He lifted Bat Cat up to his face and said, 'I didn't notice this before, but looking at you now, it doesn't look like your eyes are blue, but purple...'
'Wait a minute, are you that Joker cat? The one who got dyed and then faded? How did you end up here?'
Bat Cat covered his eyes with his paws. He forgot that besides Shiller, Bruce, and himself, almost nobody knew the full story. While Clark observed everything, he didn't listen to the discussions among the three and therefore didn't really understand the whole story.
Bat Cat briefly told Clark his story. Clark looked at him with great sympathy, which earned him a swipe from Bat Cat's paw.
And so, Bat Cat ended up sitting on the sofa, licking his broken claw, as Clark, stroking his head, said, 'I'm really sorry. You can't attack me, or you're sure to break your claw.'
Clark stretched out his hand and grasped one of Bat Cat's paws. Two of the claws from the paw that had scratched him were broken, one of them from the root, bleeding slightly.
Clark sighed, stood up and began to search the room for a first aid kit. But the first aid kit in the dormitory was meant for humans and Clark had never used it before or knew how to dress a cat's wounds. Finally, he resignedly shook his head, picked up Bat Cat, put him back in the carrier, and said,
'Let's go. We need to take you to the pet hospital. I've heard that if a cat's claw gets infected, it could lead to severe consequences, up to the point where they can't walk anymore. We must hurry and see a vet.'
As Clark lifted the carrier, Pikachu called out from behind,
'Hey! When I had acrophobia, you didn't take it this seriously! If you keep this up, I'll get angry!'
Clark sighed in resignation, about to turn around to pacify Pikachu, when Pikachu shouted in surprise, 'Huh? What's that? Is it a gaming console?'
'Oh my god! Such an old gaming console! Wait! Isn't this the one I saw in the fair last time? The original edition that was hugely expensive? Where are the game cassettes?'
Pikachu happily hopped over to the table, found the game cassettes, then waved at Clark, saying, 'You go. I'll keep an eye on the house.'
Clark clicked his tongue, shaking his head without saying anything, and turned to leave, this time holding the pet carrier in his arms so he could hear what the Bat Cat was meowing about.
'Now, the person at your eleven o'clock, every time he walks past, his gaze lingers on you for more than a few seconds. He's definitely watching you.'
'The taxi driver you're riding with is alright but the person who just got off this cab is also watching you.'
Clark felt a chill run down his spine as he asked Bat Cat in a lowered voice, 'Why are they watching me? What about me is worthy of their attention?'
'Who knows? They couldn't possibly be watching you because you're super strong, can fly, and your eyes shoot beams, right?'
Clark detected the note of mockery in Bat Cat's voice, as it continued to say: 'These people didn't just show up today. Clearly, they have been in their roles for a long time, which means, you've been under surveillance this entire time.'
Clark shivered and asked, 'What do I do now? How can I shake them off? I'm about to go on vacation. If this group follows me home, my parents could be in danger.'
'Stop staring at the cage, keep your composure, and carry on as usual. Evidently, your recent unusual pattern of movements caught their attention, causing them to follow you more relentlessly. If you return to your normal routine, they should withdraw some of their personnel. You can investigate further then.'
Obviously, with Bat Cat guiding him, Clark gave up thinking for himself and just acted instinctively. Even though this Bat Cat was actually a cat, any advice was good in his current situation. After all, people generally trust animals more than humans.
With, Bat Cat in tow, Clark planned to return directly to his dormitory after their visit to the vet. But when he opened the door to his dorm room, he was met with a sight that left him dumbstruck.
In his room lay two men, their bodies charred black, evidently a result of being tasered. Pikachu was standing on the sofa holding a video game controller. When he saw Clark come in, he said,
'These two snuck into your dorm while you were out. I took them down and found this on them.'
Pikachu leaped off the back of the sofa and fetched something from the sofa crack. When Clark took a look, he saw it was a medal with a sickle, hammer, and red flag emblem on it."