Run: 2026-02-16-01KHKARMX50XKY3GYF4KBSH1WQ

The mall’s indoor playground glittered on the security monitor like a cartoon fortress, inflatable turrets bobbing over a carpet sea. Molly adjusted her ski mask’s kitten ears, the only version left in the discount bin, and aimed the camera at the birthday kingdom. A mountain of presents loomed beside the paper throne, wrapped in weaponized enthusiasm and at least three shades of unicorn. “We are about to rob toddlers, Bill,” Molly whispered. Bill hunched over his blueprint of the party schedule, color-coded with stolen crayons and frosted fingerprint smears. “We’re liberating toys from oppressive grown-ups.” He tapped a sticky note labeled CAKE with ominous sprinkles. Molly pictured a police lineup of sobbing four-year-olds pointing tiny accusatory fingers. “That sounds worse, somehow.” “Focus on candy,” Bill said, flipping to the contingency page where he had drawn a surprisingly accurate bouncy castle. Their plan relied on chaos: enter as last-minute entertainers, unleash balloon animals of questionable anatomy, then slip the gifts into recycling bags marked DONATIONS. If everything went right, the parents would blame sugar, the kids would blame magic, and the mall cops would blame each other. Somewhere, a lone balloon popped, as if the universe were filing a complaint early.