Run: 2026-03-25-01KMJ8Y7GESVPYMJ3T8DJGXBZH

Molly crouched behind a bush, binoculars fogging as she surveyed the brightly decorated house. Bill, dressed as a sentient basket of floppy animals, wiggled his “clown” leg to no one’s amusement. “Are you sure about this?” he hissed, his voice muffled by a neon-green mustache. “Breaking into a *birthday party*? The perp sheet says ‘toddler zone.’” “Relax,” Molly muttered, adjusting her own balloon hat, which immediately deflated. “It’s not *breaking in* if we’re invited. We’re ‘entertainment.’ See?” She nodded to the flyer in his hand: **“Magical Balloon Wizard & Sidekick!!”** Bill squinted. “I’m not a wizard. I once set a tent on fire at a summer camp.” “Exactly. Kids love chaos. Now, remember the plan: we mingle, scope the gift table, vanish before cake. No actual magic required.” The door swung open, and a wave of shrieking children stormed outside. Molly straightened, gripping her “prop” bag of balloons—really a high-tech lockpick kit. Bill tripped over his own tail and nearly face-planted into a piñata. “Start talking,” Molly hissed. “Say something… festive.” Bill rallied, juggling three rubber chickens. “Hi, little peoples! I’m Bill the… uh… Bouncy Chicken Man!” A tyke in a dinosaur onesie clapped. “I wike you!” Molly scanned the room, eyes locking on the gift-laden table. “Distraction,” she whispered. “On it!” Bill declared, then lobbed a rubber chicken at a helium balloon. The balloon yanked him into a bush. “Bill!” “Sorry!” He emerged, leaves in his hair. “Phase two: I’ll hypnotize them with… this!” He yanked free a glow stick from his pocket and bit it. The kids gasped. Molly facepalmed. *Idiot.* Backtracking toward the gifts, she nearly collided with a parent holding a walkie-talkie. “You two the new clowns?” “Yep!” Molly chirped, saluting with a balloon. “Wizard’s hat? It’s… *magical*.” The man blinked. “The Wizard was supposed to be *purple*.” “He’s *evolving*,” Bill blurted, juggling the walkie-talkie. “Ew, is that *pickled carrots*?” Molly slipped past, snagging a remote-controlled truck from the table. A toddler chased her, beeping it at her head. “Distraction over!” Bill whooshed by, trailing streamers. “I’m stealing the *real* treasure—the pinata!” “No! The gifts!” “*Two* treasure goals!” A toddler dumped a piñata ball on Molly’s head. Candies spilled like confetti. “Bill!” “On it!” He vaulted over a table, but his mustache caught on a balloon. The piñata’s stick twirled toward him— *Smack.* “Darn!” Bill groaned, staggered, and tripped into a cake. Molly grabbed his arm as the alarm blared. “Time to vanish!” They bolted, balloons and frosting flying. Outside, Molly dumped the loot into the van. “Well?” Bill said, licking cake off his finger. Molly glared at the pile. “We missed the main gift—the *custom* LEGO set.” Bill shrugged. “But I got a free balloon animal tutorial from a kid. Also, I think I’ve been cursed.” He held up a tiny plush llama. “It’s a *good* curse,” Molly said, peeling frosting from her hair. “Now let’s go before they call the police… or the parents.” “Seconded.” Bill shifted, then yelped as the plush llama started spitting candy. “Next time,” Molly said, driving off, “we hit a *teen* party. Less screaming, more electronics.” “Psh. You’d fail at *cool*.” “Would not. I’d steal their Spotify playlists.” Bill snorted. “You’d get arrested for *song selection*.” “Maybe,” she said, grinning. “But at least I’d have *style*.” The van squeaked away, chased by a very determined plush llama.