Chapter 20: A Daring Rescue Amidst a Frenzy of Masks
Lois Einhorn held the shimmering pink mask in her hands, her eyes glinting with malicious glee. As she put it on, the atmosphere inside the warehouse grew tense, a low rumble echoing through the cavernous space as a storm of pink energy began to manifest. Thunder cracked, and swirling pink smoke enveloped Lois, her silhouette fading into the chaos as the transformation took hold.
When the smoke finally cleared, Lois emerged, clad in an extravagant pink dress that sparkled under the flickering warehouse lights. A long, flowing cape trailed behind her, billowing as though caught in an invisible breeze. Her hands were poised on her hips, evoking a dramatic, heroic pose reminiscent of Wonder Woman. But the effect was immediately undone when her face came into view. The mask had reshaped her features into a grotesque, manly, troll-like visage with exaggerated, sharp cheekbones, pointy ears, and wild, spiked pink hair.
Ace Ventura, still tied to a chair nearby, looked on in horror. "Oh, dear God! I guess the mask really does reveal your true self. Hideous!" he quipped, his voice dripping with mockery.
Lois grinned wickedly, her transformation complete. Her long, snake-like tongue slithered out, flicking grotesquely before she leaned in and licked the side of Ace's face. He recoiled, sputtering. "Ack! Someone call pest control! I've been slimed!"
Her grin turned into a scowl. Without warning, she backhanded Ace across the face with such force that he and the chair toppled over, skidding across the floor. Ace groaned, pretending to slip into unconsciousness as Lois stalked toward him.
"You're weak," Lois sneered, her voice deepened by the mask's magic. "Just like everyone in this city. Soon, they'll all bow to us. They'll have no choice but to eat out of the palms of our hands."
Meanwhile, high above on a catwalk, Stanley Ipkiss and Tina Carlyle had found their way into the warehouse. Stanley had donned one of the nondescript masks scattered around the building, and Tina had found a loose, baggy black outfit to help her blend in with Dorian's crew. Both of them crept down to the main floor, slipping in among the other masked henchmen. They shuffled cautiously to the edges of the group as Dorian Tyrell began to address his assembled goons.
"Gentlemen," Dorian announced, gesturing dramatically toward a large crate in the center of the room. "Within this crate lie ancient, magical masks—artifacts of unimaginable power. They will grant us strength beyond anything this city has ever seen. Serve me, and you will rise to positions of power unlike any you've dreamed of."
Ace, still feigning unconsciousness, kept his eyes barely open, observing the scene. Dorian's deep, commanding voice carried across the room as he continued. Lois joined him, her towering figure radiating menace. She turned to the crowd and declared, "Stay in line, or face a punishment worse than death. And if you need an example, I'll be happy to demonstrate with this pathetic excuse for a detective." She gestured toward Ace.
Turning back to the crowd, Lois barked, "You two! Grab those crowbars and open this crate!" She pointed at two individuals in the group—unbeknownst to her, it was Stanley and Tina. Ace grimaced, still feeling the pain on the back of his head after being hit by one of those crowbars back at his place.
Stanley and Tina froze, realizing they had been singled out. Trying to remain inconspicuous, they stepped forward, grabbed the crowbars, and pried the lid off the crate. A cloud of ancient dust erupted, swirling into the air. Tina instinctively turned her head away, but the dust irritated her nose. She tried to stifle a sneeze, but the effort only made it louder.
"ACHOO!" The sound of a womanly sneeze echoed through the warehouse.
Dorian's head snapped toward her, his eyes narrowing, knowing there shouldn't be a woman amongst the group. "Take off your mask," he demanded, suspicion evident in his tone.
Realizing their cover was blown, Stanley reacted quickly, shoving the crate over and sending the masks tumbling to the floor. The chaos gave them a split-second advantage. "Run!" Stanley shouted, grabbing Tina's hand. The two bolted for the exit as Dorian bellowed, "Get them!"
The room erupted into chaos as the goons gave chase. Amid the commotion, Milo, Stanley's clever Jack Russell Terrier, slipped into the warehouse unnoticed. He zigzagged through the fray, dodging stomping feet and discarded masks until he reached Ace. With a few quick tugs, Milo used his teeth to free the ropes binding Ace's hands.
"Good boy, Milo," Ace whispered. "Daddy's little hero."
Suddenly, Dorian, distracted by the noise, found himself tackled to the ground by Ace, the mask being knocked out of his hands. The two men wrestled, their hands scrambling for the mask Dorian had dropped. Punches flew, and grunts of effort echoed in the warehouse as they rolled across the floor.
Lois, seeing the commotion, moved to intervene, but Milo sprang into action. The tiny dog made it to the mask that Ace and Dorian struggled over and planted his face down into it. An eruption of doggy madness unfolded as the mask took hold. Within seconds, Milo emerged as a magical beast. He then lunged, sinking his larger-than-life canines into Lois's grotesque troll face, attempting to yank the mask off. She howled in rage, grabbing Milo and hurling him across the room. He landed near Ace and Dorian, uninjured but dazed.
As Dorian tried to gain the upperhand, Milo regained his composure and retaliated in true canine fashion—by hiking his leg and urinating directly into Dorian's face. Dorian sputtered and gagged, spitting doggy pee from out of his mouth, giving Ace the upper hand. With a final burst of strength, Ace grabbed Milo and sprinted for the exit. On his way out, he scooped up two of the magical masks that had spilled onto the floor earlier.
Outside, Ace spotted Tina and Stanley cornered by the goons. "Heads up!" he shouted, tossing the masks to them. "Put these on!"
Tina and Stanley caught the masks and slipped them on just as the goons closed in. Tornadoes of color erupted around them, their transformations triggering an explosion of energy. Ace, clutching Milo, pulled the mask off the magical mutt and put it on himself. The storm of magic swirled around the trio, but when the dust settled, Ace's eyes widened in shock. Back in the warehouse, the remaining goons had donned masks of their own, their monstrous forms glowing with otherworldly power.
Realizing they were outnumbered, Ace turned to Tina and Stanley. "Let's make like a banana and split! We'll regroup and come back with an even crazier plan. Trust me—I specialize in crazy!"
To be continued...