After Guardians of the Galaxy, Daryun and Arslan were back in the lobby of the theater. Daryun was looking at posters of other movies being advertised.
"Hey, Ars, is there another movie you'd like to see?" Daryun asked.
"Are you sure? We did just see Guardians of the Galaxy," Arslan pointed out.
"I know," Daryun replied. "But it's your birthday, and I think that earns you two movies."
Arslan smiled and said, "Okay." He looked around and excitedly pointed to a poster. "How about this one? Shapur's brother's in it." The poster featured a young brunette guy wearing a fedora, looking like he was on some sort of adventure. The title read Arizona Strife and The Great Escape.
Daryun nodded approvingly at his friend's choice. "Great choice." He took out his wallet, pulled out a twenty dollar bill, and handed it to Arslan. "Here, why don't you go get us some snacks and drinks? I'll get us tickets."
"Thanks, Daryun," Arslan said happily, and went off to the snack counter.
While he was waiting in line to buy tickets for the Arizona Strife movie, he took out his phone and texted Farangis: Ars picked out another movie. This should buy you guys a couple more hours. After finally buying the tickets, Daryun went back inside, joining Arslan for Arizona Strife.
While Arslan and Daryun were just sitting down for the movie, everyone else was back at the Lair, still fixing everything Hermes and Xandes messed up. Elam and Alfreed were out buying groceries, while April and Farangis were out running another errand. While most everyone was cleaning up, Splinter was tending to an injured Donnie, occasionally shooting death glares at the two miscreants.
Jericho, Soren, and Musa had just gotten done cleaning up around the table, and had replaced the tablecloth. After their task was complete, all three of them shot glares in Hermes and Xandes' direction. The pranksters were just standing by the dojo entrance, shuffling their feet.
"Y'know, you two could help out with fixing this mess!" Jericho said. He, Musa, and Soren shook their heads in exasperation and walked away to help with something else.
Xandes turned to Hermes and nervously asked, "What do you think Raph has in mind for us?"
Hermes gulped and said, "I dunno, Xandes. But from the evil look on his face back in the kitchen, it doesn't sound good."
Mikey came up to them and chuckled like Pennywise the Dancing Clown, Leo at his side. "Oh, it's not good. Not at all. Not for you, anyway."
"So...I take it you know what he's got in mind for us?" Hermes asked.
"Oooh, yes we do," Leo said, a dark chuckle emitting from his throat. "Raph told us everything he has in mind."
"You sound like Jafar from Aladdin," Shireen said to her blue-masked buddy.
"I do not," Leo protested.
"Take it as a compliment, Leo," Donnie said to his brother. He was now up and about.
"You're doing better, D?" Mikey asked.
"Yup," said Donnie. "Just in time for the party, too. I can help set up if you like."
"That'd be great!" said Mikey.
As Donnie was getting ready to help everyone put everything back in order, he asked Leo and Mikey, "Hey, can you guys fill me in on what Raph has in mind for those two chuckleheads?" He gestured toward Hermes and Xandes.
"Well, since you asked..." Leo said. He was about to tell Donnie what their hotheaded brother had in mind, he caught the prankster duo trying to eavesdrop. He kicked the both of them right through the dojo screen, to which Splinter just sighed and shook his head. Then the eldest turtle leaned forward and whispered to Donnie what Raph's plan for Hermes and Xandes was.
Donnie couldn't help but laugh after hearing what Raph's plan was. "What?! Wow, that's gonna be great! But do you think Ars will like it? I mean, this is his birthday, after all."
"Of course he'll like it," Mikey said cheerfully. "Actually, our little buddy will love it!"
Hermes and Xandes stepped out of the dojo, brushing themselves off. They heard Donnie's laugh and became alarmed.
"Oh my God!" Xandes exclaimed and turned to Hermes. "He's going to have us do something embarrassing!"
Hermes saw Raph emerge from the laundry room and asked, "Hey, you're going to have us do something embarrassing, aren't you?!"
Raph smirked and said, "Embarrassing for you."
"Wait a minute..." Hermes said. "It's the hula dance from The Lion King, isn't it? You're gonna make us do the hula!"
"You wish," Raph replied.
"Actually, that wouldn't be very funny," said Donnie, trembling. "That would be disturbing."
"Yeah, and Arslan would have nightmares," said Mikey.
"Good," Xandes said with a sigh of relief, then became worried. "So, what are you gonna have us do?"
"Oh, you"ll see," said Raph. "You'll see, alright." Hermes and Xandes gulped at that final sentence.
At that moment, Elam and Alfreed finally returned with the food.
"Well, we're back," Alfreed said.
"Thanks, guys, for getting everything cleaned up," Elam said after he and Alfreed surveyed the Lair. The both of them put the bags of groceries down on the kitchen counter, and started unloading.
Hermes and Xandes rushed over to Elam and Alfreed, nearly knocking them over and spilling the food.
"Guys!" Hermes said frantically. "Guys, please help us!"
"Raph is crazy!" Xandes put in. "All the turtles are crazy!"
"The turtles are crazy?" Alfreed asked, one eyebrow raised as she helped Elam make punch. "Enlighten us, amigos. How, exactly, are the Turtles crazy?"
"They want to make us do something embarrassing!" Xandes exclaimed. "Please, make them see reason!"
"Sorry, guys, but whatever the Turtles have in mind, you brought on yourselves," Elam said while he and Alfreed finished the punch and made snacks. Hermes and Xandes walked away in disappointment.
Alfreed noticed Donnie was now off the couch, helping get the Lair together for the party. "Hey, Donnie, you look like you're doing much better."
"I am, thanks," Donnie said while putting the banner back up. Estelle and Leo were holding the ladder steady.
Estelle noticed Hermes and Xandes sulking on the couch in front of the TV and rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you two. You can help as part of your atonement, maybe lessening your future predicament. Or you can continue sitting there, feeling sorry for yourselves. Or maybe we should ban you from the party."
Hermes and Xandes jumped up off the couch, shaking at Estelle's words.
"No, not banishment!" Hermes said. "Anything but that! We'll help, okay?!" He and Xandes rushed to help with another task.
Xandes saw that Gieve and Splinter were painting what looked like scenery. "What's that for?"
"Just a little something for the party," Splinter replied.
"When it's done, it's gonna look awesome!" Gieve said with a grin. "Thanks to Gieve the Great's amazing artistic skills." This last sentence earned the musician an eye roll from Splinter, who never rolled his eyes in his life.
"I still say I should've been in charge of the scenery," Narsus said. "After all, I'm a professional artist."
"Shut up and help Elam and Alfreed with the snacks," Gieve said. Narsus stuck his tongue out and walked away.
"Splinter," Hermes said to the ninja rat. "I need to ask you something. Why are you enabling your sons' behavior towards me and Xandes? Haven't we atoned enough? I mean, you're their dad. Why didn't you set some boundaries, for crying out loud?"
"I did," Splinter replied calmly as he continued painting. "I told them they were not to maim you."
"But they're gonna make us do something embarrassing!" Xandes whined.
Splinter smiled and put down his brush. He looked Hermes and Xandes in the eye. "That I will allow them to do. You brought it on yourselves." He picked up his brush and went back to finishing the scenery.
"Make way, props coming through!" Mikey announced and pushed Hermes and Xandes aside. He showed his father a cardboard box and asked, "Where should I put these, Sensei?"
"Give them to Raphael," Splinter replied and directed Mikey to where Raph was.
"'Kay," Mikey said excitedly and went to give the box to Raph.
Some time later, April and Farangis returned from their errand. Everyone took notice of the shopping bags in their hands.
April, like everybody else, noticed that Donnie was no longer lying on the couch. "Donnie, you're okay. Thank goodness."
"Yeah," Donnie agreed. "Glad to be on my feet again."
Raph went up to the girls and asked, "Did you get what I asked for?"
"Yes," Farangis said. She and April handed Raph three bags. "And it wasn't as hard as I initially thought to find that particular costume in your size."
Raph took a peek inside one of the bags and smiled. "Awesome! Thanks a million!"
"It was no problem at all," said April.
"Hey," Hermes said suspiciously. "What's in those bags?"
Raph grinned and handed the bags to Hermes and Xandes. "Here. This one's for you, and this one's for Xandes. These are what you'll be wearing."
Hermes and Xandes looked into their bags, and their jaws dropped in horror.
"Oh, no!" Xandes said and shook his head. "No, no, no, no, no! I am not wearing that!"
"And I'm not wearing mine!" Hermes agreed.
"Yes, you will," Estelle said, glaring daggers at the teens.
"Or else we'll ban you from the party faster than Ars can cut the cake!" Layla hissed.
Hermes and Xandes noticed the anger emitting from the two girls, and were visibly shaken.
"Okay, okay, we'll wear those stupid things!" Hermes said.
"But not yet," said Raph. He took the bags from the two pranksters and walked to another part of the Lair. "These will be saved for something else later."
After calming down, Layla surveyed the Lair and was satisfied at the job done. "Okay, since it looks like everything is set up, I'll let Daryun know." She got out her phone and sent Daryun a text.
It's Layla. Everything is ready now. Get Ars and head down to the Turtles' place. I'll give you directions.