Molly paced back and forth in the dimly lit basement, her fingers tapping nervously against her thigh. Bill lounged on a tattered sofa, his feet propped up on a cardboard box filled with various tools. "Are you sure about this, Bill?" Molly asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty. Bill sighed, rolling his eyes. "For the hundredth time, yes. It's foolproof." "But it's a children's party," Molly protested. "Doesn't that seem a bit... I don't know, wrong?" "Wrong?" Bill scoffed. "What's wrong is those spoiled brats getting more presents than they need. We're doing society a favor." Molly paused her pacing, fixing Bill with a skeptical look. "A favor? How do you figure that?" "Simple," Bill replied, sitting up straight. "We're teaching them a valuable life lesson about loss and disappointment. It's character building." "Character building," Molly repeated, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable." Bill grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "I prefer to think of myself as a visionary." "More like delusional," Molly muttered under her breath. "What was that?" Bill asked, cupping his ear dramatically. "Nothing," Molly said quickly. "So, walk me through the plan again." Bill stood up, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "Alright, pay attention this time. We arrive at the party disguised as clowns-" "Clowns?" Molly interrupted. "I thought we were going as magicians." "Change of plans," Bill explained. "Clowns are more believable. Now, as I was saying, we arrive as clowns. While I distract the kids with my juggling act-" "You can juggle?" Molly asked, incredulous. Bill waved dismissively. "How hard can it be? Anyway, while I'm juggling, you sneak into the gift room and start filling our special party bags with presents." "And how exactly am I supposed to carry all these presents out without anyone noticing?" Molly questioned. "That's the beauty of it," Bill said, grinning. "You'll be dressed as a clown. No one questions a clown with a bunch of colorful bags." Molly pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. "This is insane." "Insanely brilliant," Bill corrected. "What if someone recognizes us?" Molly asked. Bill scoffed. "In full clown makeup? Not a chance. Plus, we'll be using our stage names." "Stage names?" Molly echoed. "Of course," Bill replied. "I'll be Giggles, and you'll be Bubbles." Molly stared at him in disbelief. "Bubbles? You can't be serious." "As a heart attack," Bill said solemnly. "Now, any more questions?" "Just one," Molly sighed. "How did I let you talk me into this?" Bill grinned, slinging an arm around Molly's shoulders. "Because, my dear Bubbles, you know deep down that this is going to be the heist of the century." Molly shrugged off his arm, rolling her eyes. "More like the mistake of the century." "That's the spirit!" Bill exclaimed, completely missing her sarcasm. "Now, let's go try on our clown suits. The party starts in three hours, and we need to perfect our acts." As Bill bounded up the basement stairs, Molly couldn't help but wonder how she'd ended up with such an eccentric partner in crime. But despite her reservations, she found herself following him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. After all, if they were going to rob a children's party, they might as well do it in style.