Disclaimer – I claim no ownership to the characters used in this fan work. The characters rightfully belong to their creators such as Monty Oum and their other respective owners at Roosterteeth.

Professor Torchwick

Chapter 11: Detention

It was hard to believe, but just over a month had passed. The infamous criminal had suffered through more than thirty days of his bizarre captivity. Whether that was for better or worse, had yet to be decided.

This late afternoon, the white dressed thief had been left in charge of surveying the day's detention students. There were only two of them that needed to be reprimanded and punished, this probably why the chore had been passed off to the crook in particular. At the very least, this took place in a different classroom than the unenthusiastic thief was used to. Even if the room's makeup was near identical.

By mere happenstance, the two students in question were both from his morning course. While Roman lazed around his borrowed desk, he would occasionally glance over at his two students in the front row of the seating arrangement. The seats taken by the ginger haired and energetic Nora Valkyrie and her composed partner, Lie Ren.

"...and that's how I managed to accidentally send the vending machine flying out of the cafeteria and into the courtyard! It's not that it was like intentional or anything, even if it was like super fun!" The bubbly teen concluded in her colorful recount all smiles. Apparently going on for quite some time by dull look on her instructor's face.

Groggily, Torchwick released a practically exhausted yawn. He began roughly massaging his eyes to wake up. "Yeah, that was definitely... something else alright." The oldest in the room glossed over, most likely fading in and out of the youth's unwarranted explanation.

Turning to the other male in the room, the thief observed him momentarily. In contrast, the mellow student had an open class notebook and was reviewing some of the material to himself. Ren didn't seem interested in it in the slightest, perhaps it was just the most constructive way to pass time in the slow and dull empty room. Witnessing this, Roman raised a brow. "What about you? Why is such a straight-laced fellow like yourself stuck in here with the two of us?" The criminal asked with the bare minimum amount of curiosity.

At the remark, Ren looked up from his notebook. Staring forward with his magenta iris, he retrieved his small and quiet smile. "Hm? Oh, I don't have one." The black haired student openly admitted dully, as though there wasn't anything unusual about someone showing up to a detention session without an appropriate cause.

Blinking at the young man, it was at this point that Torchwick had become more invested. About to shrug his arms or shake his head in confusion, something about the two stood out to the infamous thief. They were both smiling, albeit in varying degrees, and seated directly next to one another despite having the whole classroom to themselves. "Now I get it." The criminal noted aloud at his observation. A single chuckle escaped him. "Decided to spend some quality time with your girlfriend in detention, huh? How chivalrous." His arms spreading wide as he teased the pair.

The war hammer wielding girl laughed playfully at this. Her wide smile stood unwavering, not even a hint of embarrassment or sign of faltering at the accusation. "No, it's not like that. Ren and I have just been together forever. And I don't mean together together. It's not that I don't think he isn't handsome, it's-"

Before the joyful eccentric could further delve into her rant of an explanation, her partner simply stared ahead unphazed. "We're just friends." The youth explained much more blatant and poignantly than his childhood companion.

At the male's brief account, Nora nodded. "Exactly!" Another bubbly laugh emerging from her.

With a mild grunting hum in acknowledgment, the thief sat more comfortably in his chair. Looking over at the clock, he kicked both his feet up.

After a moment of short experienced silence, the orange haired student shot up from her seat. "Restroom break!" She exclaimed before raising her hand overhead.

Clasping his hands together, Roman rested them over his waist. With a flicking motion of his head, he pointed her over to the door. "Go nuts."

Hopping over her desk with exuberance, the teen started her embankment to the ladies room. With a spring in her step, she started humming a melody vocally as she quite literally skipped out the door.

After both males watched the scene, Torchwick shrugged his shoulders. "I give up." He all of a sudden stated. This earning him a questionable stare from his sole remaining student. "If you and little miss hyper-active aren't a thing, than how and why would you put up with that? She loaded or something?" The crook suggested fairly callously.

Without even a meager scoffing smile, the accusingly straight-laced individual returned to his notes. "I guess I've just learned to cherish our friendship because of it's quirks rather than in spite of them." The younger of the two admitted in suggestion. A fond expression resting on his face, something finally shifting the student's features.

This response earned a hearty and condescending chuckle from the instructor. "Ah, to be young and so ignorantly naïve again." The man patronized.

Looking up from his notes, the youth returned with the beginnings of subtle glare. His tranquil gaze returning, he instead simply shirked off the snobbish comment. "Wouldn't that imply that you were once that way, Mr. Torchwick? That's surprising." A smug look flashing upon him for a second before receding.

Not shy of wearing a scowl, Roman stared down the student across the room. His eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Listen kid, hate to disillusion you, but some people are just born a certain way. Good and bad. Like me, for instance." The man's words icing over by the end.

Earnestly, Ren remained vigil and expressionless in his forward gaze. "I disagree." Was all he intended to say. Unbeknownst to him, this sole comment would be the start of an unwanted debate.

Grinning almost maliciously, the thief in white sat up straight, stomping his feet back onto the floor. "Oh really?" The orange haired criminal questioned. Leaning forward in his chair, he held his cane in front of him as he rested his chin over it. "Take a moment now, humor me, and try to guess my blood type." The criminal stuck teacher instructed, perhaps in growing boredom.

Not entirely certain of the situation the two had found themselves in, the pink streaked student seemed content with his monotone body language. "O Negative." The youth responded complacently and without interest.

"Wrong!" The thief shouted despite their empty room. "Not even close." His grin as prominent as ever. "AB. Get it yet? It means I'm the universal receiver. I can take blood from anyone, and it's very particular about who I give it out to." Pulling the skin down a bit from under his left eye with one of his hands, the crook attempted to highlight the organ. "See these eyes? Naturally jade. Green with envy even at birth." With an accomplished demeanor and coupled with a pompous gaze, Roman Torchwick went on even more for one more statement. "Understand it yet? It means that even on a biological level, I'm greedy."

Unfazed by the man's egregious words, Ren remained calm and collected. "So?" Was all that left his mouth.

This was all it took to cause the egocentric's expression to wither. This was either from aggravation or disappointment at the response befitting a toddler. "What's your angle, kid?" The man asked in lackluster fashion.

The younger's composed but smug demeanor returned at this. "Your whole argument hinges on the fact that greed is a bad thing." After Ren's retort, the fond smile he wore when Nora was around overtook him once more. "The desire to have friends. The devotion we put into protecting them from harm. Even the at times transparent wanting of happiness. Wouldn't someone with these wishes also be considered greedy to some extent?" This wasn't by any means some kind of resentful scolding. This was honest and truly the beliefs of someone who saw the world in a way that Roman could never see, or plainly refused to.

Feeling that the situation had become exacerbated, the thief leaned back in his chair. Kicking his feet back up, he stared vacantly up at the ceiling. With an exhausted and disgruntled sigh, he tilted his feathered cap over his eyes. "This is why I hate kids. You're all idealists, every single one of 'em."

Yet again returning to his studies, the long haired male allowed his smirk to begin to pull back. "Wouldn't that imply that you were once that way too, Mr. Torchwick?" Ren repeated, once again throwing his instructor's words back at him.

As the captive criminal stayed silent at this, Nora reentered the classroom, emerging from the hall. Singing a different tune, she flung herself over the desk and plopped down in her seat from before. As soon as she touched down, she began telling Ren an eccentric and partially fawning story of something that happened to her while she was in the halls. While at first wearing an indifferent expression, the other teen eventually warmed up to it as a pleasant smile grew to fit his face.

Tilting his cap up just enough, Roman watched the pair across the room. Sighing in contempt, he shortly after slid his hat back down. "Oh, grow up already." The thief mumbled under his breath. Criticizing them bitterly to himself in a defeat tone.

Author's Notes:

The people wanted JNPR, they got JNPR. Expect a Jaune chapter next honestly.

I feel as though I made Ren a bit too philosophical in this, but oh well.