Hi guys! My laptop broke! *sadface* So I'm stuck using my old computer in the family room while it's in for repairs, but I had to write something! So I ended up with this. If you want a fic that makes sense... look somewhere else, you guys should know that about me by now. Otherwise, enjoy.

I own nothing.

Unexpected Help

This had the potential to go very wrong, a young Aodhan thought.

Well, ninety-nine percent of the things Illium did had the potential to go very wrong. But this had the potential to go very, very wrong.

Crouched under the table, hidden behind the cloth, Illium very carefully rolled the canister filled with smelly liquids towards the Archangel of Persia's chair. Aodhan wasn't one hundred percent sure what he'd done with it, that was Illium's area of expertise, not his, but it was rigged to explode shortly, kind of like what would, hundreds of years in the future, be known as a stink bomb. But Aodhan didn't know that part. Obviously.

But then disaster! The canister rolled away from the Archangel of Persia's chair and under the Archangel of India's chair. Thankfully it didn't go off there.

The Archangel Neha, Aodhan knew her name because her daughter Anoushka was close in age to Illium and himself, regarded the can by her foot with a cool, regal gaze before her eyes followed its path right back to them.

Illium and Aodhan froze, terrified.

Holding their gazes with her own Neha discreetly used her foot to roll the canister back to them before looking back to the other Archangels in the room and, just as discreetly, placed her hand behind her back so Illium and Aodhan could see it but the other Archangels in the informal Archangel meeting room couldn't.

Then, on the tip of her finger she conjured a tiny amount of green fire.

Turning her head ever so slightly, Neha looked back at them and winked.

Aodhan's mouth fell open.

Illium's widened in understanding. He'd forgotten to light the fuse!

Seeing they understood, Neha turned back to answer a question Uram posed to her.

Pulling out some fire making tools he'd nicked from God-knows-where, Illium quickly lit the fuse and then rolled the canister back to Neha.

Their Archangelic new co-conspirator quickly nudged it under the Archangel of Persia's chair where they had been aiming it originally and subtly leaned away, folding her leg over her other leg, keeping herself as far from the blast range as she could without giving away that she knew something was up.

Three... two... one... SPLAT!

A horrible stink filled the room, Alexander, his legs covered in... muck, leapt up with an outraged cry as Neha, faster than a striking snake, rolled the canister under her sari with her foot where Alexander couldn't see it.

"Who the Hell is responsible for this?!" He yelled, outraged.

Neha regarded him with the cool gaze of the Queen she was, "Alexander, if you cannot control your own bodily functions that is your business, do not seek to blame the rest of us."

Astaad was quick enough to disguise his laugh as a cough and hide his smile behind the rim of his cup as he took a sip, the smell seeming not to bother him, but Titus wasn't so quick, chuckling, despite the fact that he was also gagging from the smell.

Alexander's metallic silver gaze swung to him.

And then it was on five of the most powerful beings in the universe dissolving into squabbling children.

During the fuss Neha caught Aodhan's eye again –Illium was doubled over laughing- and jerked her head towards the door, telling them to leave now so they wouldn't be caught, their prank successful –Alexander was now scooping the muck up off the floor and hurling it at Titus because this was more fun that declaring war or incinerating someone and he wasn't really sure who he was supposed to be declaring war on or incinerating anyway-

Watching them, Illium was laughing so hard he was turning purple in the face as he fought to remain silent but Aodhan was too amazed to laugh, he was pretty sure he was kind of in love with the Archangel of India just then, she was awesome.

Grabbing Illium's hand he yanked the other boy out of the room, they ran down the hall and yanked open the door to the outside...

Only to crash into Raphael.

The older angel caught them both by the scruffs of their shirts and held them up to his eye level the way a mama lioness would her cubs, the dangerous blue of his eyes saying he knew exactly what they'd done...

And speaking of mama lionesses...

"Just wait until the Hummingbird hears about this," he said softly.

Illium, mirth instantly gone, immediately began to squirm in his grip, "no Raphael! Not my mother! Pleeeeeese! I'll do anything!"

But Raphael's grip was firm as he carried them back to Illium's house, the gravity of just how dangerous the Cadre of Ten really was needed to be impressed on the two youngsters and the Hummingbird was fair better at doing 'strict parent' than he was.

Listening to the other boy whine and beg Aodhan thought Illium would rather be explaining to Alexander that he was the one who pranked him than facing his mother.

But still...

Aodhan smiled. They pranked an Archangel! And another Archangel helped them!

Totally worth it.

This would never happen for so many reasons but... I dunno, it amused me. And I like to think maybe the Archangel's could take a joke when they were younger and not so scary/old.

Young Illium and Aodhan had nerves made out of f*cking steel.

One of the things I enjoy about this series so much is that virtually everybody knows, might know, or could know in the future, virtually everybody else so I can write fanfics about anyone. Do any of you have a one-shot of two characters interacting you'd like to see written? Cuz I'd like to write it!

Hope you enjoyed, bye guys!