At Blackpaw Manor, Anna Blackpaw met Nick and Judy on her lawn. "Blackpaw, you mind explaining why Bogo sent us here?" Nick asked.
"I'll show you... it's down in the basement." Anna said as she led the two officers into her home.
"Is it somehow related to that room-?"
"No, it's not related to that incident revolving around Wilde's ex-girlfriends, and Delphine." Anna said, cutting off Judy.
"Speaking of which, where is Delphine?" Judy asked.
"Apparently she's proving a tougher nut to crack then I believed. But that's not important right now, nor is it related to why I called for your aid specifically. No... In the short term, this is more important." Anna said as she led the two police officers into her homes basement.
"What exactly was stolen?" Judy asked.
"A mask." Anna said ominously as she lit a candelabra.
"Magic mask...?" Nick asked, as they descended into the poorly lit basement.
"Okay... is there a light switch somewhere?" Judy asked.
"Yes and no. For the purposes of getting to where the mask is held, the basement needs to be completely dark... and before you ask, a light source like this is an exception." Anna said as she opened a door.
"So is it some... kind of... YOU HAVE A POOL DOWN HERE?!" Judy said in surprise as the door opened to show an indoor pool, completely ignoring the animated skeletons that were cleaning it.
"Yes, it's all made by magic. And focus Judy! This is not about the basement pool." Anna said.
"Why are there skeletons-?"
"They require no conventional upkeep, now let's keep moving. You two are going to be seeing some other stuff as we get down to the artifact vault." Anna said, interrupting Nick as the three of them went down a flight of stairs into a wine cellar.
"These wine barrels and bottles are filled with blood aren't they?" Judy asked.
"Well of course they are. A good portion of these bottles were drawn from the prisoners at Isla Purgatory." Anna said as they navigated through the shelves and barrels.
"You drain blood from prisoners?!" Judy said in surprise.
"Are you really that surprised? Isla Purgatory was built specifically to hold the worst criminals on Earth... it just happens that the Unseen Eye, as well as a number of other Cabals uses it, and a number of other such facilities as Blood Vineyards." Anna said as the three of them exited the blood/wine cellar. Judy looked flabbergasted, while Nick just looked confused. "We pay for the blood! Gees!" Anna said in aggravation.
XXXX
"Okay, two questions... one, why isn't there some kind of teleportation system? And two... HOW did anyone manage to steal ANYTHING considering that only a Vampire can get into this magical sub-basement-dimension-whatever this cockamamie weirdness is?" Judy asked as they finally arrived at the artifact vault.
"First, there is... it's just that for whatever reason it's on the fritz. I think the thief somehow sabotaged it. Second, not just Vampires, but any kind of supernatural creature under the right circumstances can get in, even with the right kind of artifacts like the candelabra I brought can allow mortals in. And before you even ask Nick, this is the ritual that undoes the magical bindings that keep intruders out of the vault." Anna explained as she was doing the Macarena.
"I thought you were just getting antsy." Nick said.
"That's a bold face lie and you know it Nicholas. Now, the wards should be disabled for you two to enter safely." Anna said as she opened the door to the artifact vault. "Behold... in this room, lies some of the most dangerous artifacts to ever grace our world. Since the founding of Zootopia, and the construction of Blackpaw Mansion, I've been charged with hiding away magical artifacts too dangerous to risk allowing falling into mortal hands." Anna explained.
"And the mask itself... what exactly is it?" Judy asked as she and Nick looked over the shelves lined with old weapons, armor, and assorted brickabrack.
"It was here..." Anna said as she ominously opened up a case. "The Mask of Loki." Anna said, showing the empty case, with an imprint of a mask.
"Wait... you mean THE Loki? The fox-god?" Nick asked.
"No, Loki that guy at that sandwich place in Tundra Town with the Pink-Eye- Of course the god Loki!" Anna said.
"And what does the Mask itself do?" Judy asked.
"To put it simply, it's unpredictable... or more specifically. What its wearers do is unpredictable, and sometimes how its powers even work. But basically, the Mask grants its wearers powers akin to cartoon characters, and the general sanity to match" Anna explained.
"And let me guess, there was an incident in the 90's where a banker got his hands on this thing, and he wreaked havoc on the criminal element. That sound about right Blackpaw?" Nick asked.
"Yes... if you mean the 1390's... poor fool nearly burnt Oslo to the ground, all the while babbling about lutfisk... I wasn't actually there for it I just heard about it from Sir Scath. Amway, the Mask has passed from owner to owner. Until eventually, I was appointed by Thor Ulricson himself to safeguard it. Now, some soon to be a dead mammal has it. Good news is, so far it doesn't seem that it's been used. I have a special artifact that can track its usage... not where it is, just when it's been used." Anna explained.
"And the bad news beyond that it can turn mammals into insane cartoon characters?" Judy asked.
"Well... just by telling you that the mask is gone. Word is already spreading that it's gone..." Anna said anxiously.
"...how?" Nick and Judy asked. Then without warning, in a torrent of blinding colors emerged a red colored bear. Wielding a hammer in his paw, and clad in armor inscribed with ancient runes, he rose to his feet, and pointed his hammer at Anna.
"Annabeth of the Anglo-Saxon rabbits, Treasure Master of the Cabal of the Unseen Eye... you were charged with the keeping of the Mask of Loki, to keep its power safe from a world that little by little descends into madness. Yet I have heard that you have lost this most dangerous of artifacts." The bear boomed.
"King Thor! I-I-I'm sorry, but not to worry. They can find the Mask before it falls into the wrong hands!" Anna said as she fell to her knee's, begging for mercy and pointing in Nick and Judy's direction.
"Hmm... Nickolas Piberius Wilde and Judith Laverne Hopps, I have heard much of you from my late father's ravens, and from Horndalls vigil. Your exploits have earned you great fame in Middengard." Thor said, his voice booming.
"Well... that's great... I guess?" Nick said, just as confused as his partner.
"So... are you an actual god, or are you some kind of really powerful alien?" Judy asked.
"The latter actually, but that's beside the point." Anna whispered. "King Thor... these brave enforcers of the law have volunteered to recover the Mask of Loki, and punish the fool that purloined it!" Anna said.
"WHAT?!" Nick and Judy said in unison.
"Hmm... this is sound, now stay vigil-" Thor then began loudly coughing, falling to his knees. "Sorry, I've had a frog in my throat for months. At any rate, you must stay vigilant, and keep a close eye for the Mask. It has been worn by some of the most infamous mammals in this world's history. No I must go, I have pressing business in Middengard to attend to." Thor said as he left in the same portal that brought him to the mortal world in the first place.
Suffice it to say, Nick and Judy were not happy.
"I just have one real question... if I were to give you a black eye. Would it actually be a black eye considering your fur tone around your face?" Judy said, looking absolutely lived, as she subtly donned a pair of silver knuckles.
"Judy, just calm down and let me-" Anna was interrupted as Judy's silver knuckles made contact with her left eye. "OW! JUDY! I was trying to say, that Davies is having trouble with a co-worker at Blackpaw Publishing. And I want to focus on helping him... GAH! I think you got bits of silver in my eye! Seriously?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU LATELY?!" Anna yelled as she grasped at her eye.
XXXX
"Well... that could have gone better. Buy me a romantic dinner, and I might not even remember to tell Buffalo Butt that you assaulted a civilian." Nick said as the two drove in the cruiser. Judy looked depressed.
"I gave her back the silver knuckles, what more do you want?" Judy said anxiously.
"Next time, you volunteer to give her blood. Seriously, for months now you've acting antsy for no apparent reason, and what's worse you're not telling me about-" Nick was interrupted as a fox ran into the street looking panicked.
"Sir! What's wrong?" Judy asked.
"Oh thank goodness, officers, I need your help! Quick, come with me!" The fox said, without really thinking about it. Nick and Judy followed him into the alley.
"You mind telling us what's going on?" Nick asked, then without warning, the unknown fox whacked Judy over the head with a shovel.
"Well you see Officer Wilde... things are not as they might seem." The unknown fox said as his clothes changed into a fur coat. "For you and your sister-in-arms. Have gained the undivided attention of the god of mischief, rejoice Nickolas for I rarely show myself to mortals like this... not even to my own kind." Loki said as he revealed the stolen Mask.
"What... what did you do to Judy?!" Nick said in shock.
"I believe. I conked her over the head." Loki said nonchalantly as his shovel turned into a wooden staff. "Now hold still... it's been centuries since I lost this thing. And I dearly miss using this thing to wreak chaos in Mamgard. Giving you mortals my power... and the sheer madness that consumes your little minds, and the mayhem that follows." Loki said as he magically conjured snakes to hold Nick down, including one functioning as a gag.
Nick struggled... but it was no use. The Mask fused with Nick, turning his face completely green. "SOMEBODY STOP ME!" Nick shouted as the snakes let him go, he then turned into a tornado and caused massive chaos up the streets of Zootopia, throwing cars and mammals alike into the air.
"Now... to figure you out, little bunny." Loki said with a satisfied look on his face.
XXXX
A cape-buffalo wearing a police uniform pushed open a pair of massive doors, leading into the throne room of Thor Ulricson. "Why are you wearing that peculiar garb Horndall?" Thor asked of the godly buffalo.
"Apologizes my liege. I was at a costume party, and I forgot to change." Horndall said as he changed his outfit to a set of leather armor. "But the situation with the Mask of Loki has only grown worse... Loki was its thief. What's worse, he has already used it upon the fox, Nickolas Wilde, and his partner Judith Hopps has been subdued." Horndall said, Thor rose from his throne, bearing his hammer.
"What is the extent of the Mask's mayhem thus?" Thor asked, baring his teeth in anger.
"Well it seems as though... it has flooded the city of Zootopia with blueberries. That is what it has been doing over the last day at least." Horndall explained, showing that Zootopia was indeed flooded with blueberries in a crystal ball.
"Has it done anything else?" Thor asked.
"No... but knowing the Mask, it will not be long before the Mask engages in far more destructive behavior. Might I suggest that you send out the Einharejar?" Horndall said.
"No... I will deal with this matter myself. Before that monster can inflict further damage... who knows what manner of horrors it could inflict on the innocents of Mamgard." Thor said ominously.
XXXX
On a gondola on the blueberry flooded streets of Zootpoia. Nick, still under the control of the Mask, was piloting the small boat. His passengers, Anna Blackpaw, and Davies Hopps, the Mask was singing badly in Italian... not that the singing itself was bad, it's just that his Italian actually translates to complete gibberish.
"So... it's a nice moon out." Anna said, trying to make small talk with Davies.
"Ms. Blackpaw... Anna... we've been at the mercy of this lunatic since he flooded the city. I'm tired, I'm scarred... and frankly I know enough Italian to know this guy is just spouting disconnected non-sequiturs." Davies said, breathing heavily in anxiety, and not recognizing that the Mask was Nick.
"So am I... it's going to be alright Davies. I swear, no harm will come to you." Anna said reassuringly. "Now... now please eat SOMETHING. The loon made all this food. You should at least do our... our host that much." Anna said, as she took Davies paw.
"Well... it does look tasty... some of it anyway. Don't think I'd like the calamari-"
"Mama mia! I-a slaved over a hot-a stove for this a meal-a!" The Mask said, transforming into and sounding like a stereotypical Italian grandmother. "All-a for you, and your bella signora!" The Mask said.
"Then why is there so much garlic in this? Seriously, I'd be hard for me NOT to smell it... it's actually, kind of overwhelming." Anna said, as she took a quick drink from a pouch.
"If I get to eating, will you at least stop with the bad accent...? Maybe explain WHAT you are and how you flooded the city like this?" Davies said.
"Well of course... but FIRST, you have to tell Davies your secret!" The Mask said, now in the form of a game show host, podium included.
"How is this gondola not sinking?" Davies said, noting both the Mask's costume change, and the pillar of Italian food that was before him.
Anna just took a deep breath. "Davies Hopps... I am... Iamattractedtoyou." Anna said quickly, completely avoiding the truth that she's a Vampire.
"What?" Davies asked.
"I... look; I think that... in addition to being very cute, and handsome. You're also a very kind, very wise... and a very funny bunny. But... but I was nervous to say anything before now, because of our different social standings. You grew up on a farm... and I'm basically the most powerful rabbit in the world. I... I assumed that would intimidate you... maybe even make you scarred of me." Anna said anxiously.
"Anna... NOTHING could make me afraid of you. You're the most beautiful women I have ever met... and I wish for the chance to make it something more... if you want, of course." Davies said adamantly.
"Aw... that's so sweat. BUT while that was a secret, that wasn't the secret we we're... looking." The Mask said as the two bunnies completely ignored him. As they kissed each other, beneath the glow of the full moon. "Oh... can this night get ANY WORSE!?" The Mask said in irritation.
"MASK!" Shouted Thor as he flew towards the Mask with his hammer drawn. "RELEASE YOUR PRISONER!" He bellowed as he grabbed the Mask and flew off with him.
"Did... did you just see that?" Davies asked in surprise.
"A bear in a funny helmet with a hammer flying off with a fox with a green face?... yes, I'm afraid I saw that as well." Anna said.
"I need to get more of my prescription... things were already weird enough without this fantastical brouhaha." Davies said.
XXXX
Thor flew with the Mask to the far outskirts of Zootopia. And with his brute strength, attempted to remove the Mask... only to go through a ridicules amount of other masks beneath that one... including at least one or two points Nick's face.
"Do not test my patience Mask!" Thor said in aggravation.
"Look... how about we work something out instead, of sealing me back up? I let Nick go... but he gets to keep me, and I get some help in finding Judy Hopps? That sound good to you hammer-time?" The Mask asked, Thor just glared angrily. "Look, if it sweetens the deal. Loki likely has her, we find her, you find Loki, and you can do ANYTHING you want to him. That sound good to you?" The Mask offered.
"...fine... you can't be taken back to Middengard as you were created in Mamgard anyway, nor can you be safely destroyed. For the only means to do so is the dragon Nidhogg, and he lives amidst the World Tree, and even I dare not face him. I accept this bargain." Thor said.
XXXX
Loki, and Judy were in a basement surrounded my computer monitors. "I knew I should have taken some kind of course in these blasted contraptions... I thought mortals had made these things so easy that complete and utter morons could use them without true difficulty." Loki muttered to himself as he slowly typed on a keyboard. "No matter... as soon as I get this device up and running. I'll know everything that you know little bunny." Loki said ominously to the unconscious Judy.
Eventually, after spending the entire day of the Mask's rampage trying to get his device to work. He had a cable plugged directly into Judy's spine... and had just finished reviewing her memories of her career since the Stampede of Doom. "I knew something was off... but I would have never imagined-"
Loki was interrupted as, without warning. The Mask burst into the room. "AVON CALLING!" The Mask bellowed as he was now, in the form of Robocop.
"You bargained with Thor didn't you?" Loki said in disbelief as Thor followed after the Mask. "I'll take his presence as a yes. King Thor, I know that all of this LOOKS bad but-"
"Be silent you forked tongued whelp!" Thor said as he threw his hammer at Loki.
"Loki Laufryson. You are under arrest, for attacking two officers of the law. And for being a stain on the otherwise good name of 'fox'... along with probably a VERY long list of charges that this guy probably knows about off hand. I am afraid I shall have to administer you a WEDGIE!" The Mask said as he grabbed at Loki... only to find that the fox god didn't wear underwear.
"I learned this one from the Oslo incident... now Thor please you must listen-"
"You have caused chaos in the mortal realm. You will speak only in the courts of Middengard, and answer for your crimes." Thor said as he grabbed Loki by the neck.
"But you don't understand! The rabbit is-" Loki couldn't get another word in before Thor transported the two of them back in Middengard.
"I can't believe it... I forgot to ask him if he's adopted! But FIRST... I should probably get rid of the blueberry flood." The Mask said, and then quickly he undid the damage he did in flooding the city in blueberries and returned to his previous position. "Lazy writing or I'm just that good? YOU make the call! Now... to wake up my princess... should probably let Nick take over." The Mask said as he took himself off. Finally turning Nick back to normal.
"Okay... only wear this thing as a last resort. Now... now to look into Judy." Nick said as he walked over to the unconscious Judy. "Judy... are you alright?" Nick said concern, slowly Judy's eyes fluttered open.
"Nick... what happened? Last thing I remember, we were following a fox-"
"Turns out that was Loki... and he gave me the Mask. And I... I suppose WE, flooded the city with blueberries, and forced your brother and Anna on a date." Nick said.
"What?" Judy said groggily as she tried to stand back up.
"Yeah... it didn't really pick up until just before Thor came along. Anna and Davies actually admitted they liked each other... might have been his first kiss not from a family member." Nick said as he helped Judy to her feet.
"Well... I'm hungry, and I've apparently been out for an entire day. Let's get out of here." Judy said as the two officers left the basement. "I have to ask... does Bogo know about-"
"No, NEITHER of us are going to tell him it was me, and unless Anna tells him. We're just going to say we got jumped before everything went nuts, and we only came around after the blueberries disappeared." Nick said