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Max Rose liked to think himself as a patient, and understanding teacher who was nurturing and uplifting with his students regardless if they were teenagers who started college early or elderly adults finally giving college a try. As well as it didn't matter if the student was Mobian, Human, or whatever. But the man found himself at his wits end with his latest student. The student in question is a human male who clearly was from old money and probably never heard of the word 'no'. He showed up not long after 2017X transferred into his class. For the most part, Max could handle his attitude, since he wasn't the first or last to act up in his class. Today, however, was much different from the young man's usual brand of pompous and entitlement.
Dark teal head quills splay over to one side as the man cocks his head in confusion. "What exactly is going on?" Lord X asks with an arched eyebrow not understanding what he walked into upon showing up to pick up his brother from what was supposed to be Max's class having wrapped up for the day.
The younger man lets out an exhausted sigh while trying to shrug as best as he can with the fire extinguisher in both his hands. "You finally caught me, Lord X." Dark hair quills sway from side to side as he shakes his head. "I'm a fraud. A sexy fraud!" He bemoans dramatically, causing the older man to narrow his eyes in disbelief. "I was lying about your brother not being able to cook so I could get in your pants! But one student saw through my facade!" His head nudges over towards a human standing close by.
A gloved hand points to the fire extinguisher in his grasp. "And what's with that then?" Lord X looks hardly amused by Max's dramatic display.
"To convince you further with my lie, obviously." He looks just as much done with this whole scenario as the man himself.
The human looks thoroughly pissed at Max. "You make fun of me, but I'm onto you! When the final person shows up I can prove it!!"
Upon looking over past Max does Lord X notice with the annoyed human almost all of the Khaos University board and another human that resembled the young man but older looking. Crimson eyes scan the classroom to see all of Max's students looking worried while his brother stands at his workstation looking just as concerned as everyone else. Burly arms cross over his chest with one of his ears flicking in irritation. "You know I have proof to back up his claims, right?" He mentions with his eyes narrowing.
His words receive a baffled expression. "Wait. So you've seduced him to let you brother do practically nothing in his class??"
One of his massive hands slaps his forehead in frustration. "No one is seducing anyone!!"
That's when the classroom door slams open startling everyone. Shambling in on his cane is none other than All Father.
Emerald green eyes shimmer and ears perk up upon seeing the elderly hedgehog. The pink male rushes over to the blue one. "Oh thank God you're here All Father.~" Max greets him excitably with a gleeful smile. "I know you know about X's inability to cook with fire. So can you please let them know for me?~"
A crooked toothy smirk appears at the corner of his wrinkly muzzle as the elderly hedgehog snickers. "Oh no, I won't be doing that. I'm here for the entertainment.~"
Max's face falls in shock before he sneers down at the old man. "You little asshole!!" He seethes in irritation. "I have barely saved the oven that X has to use to prove what he's incapable of. I'd rather not lose it because you've got nothing better to do then cause chaos!" His voice is a loud whisper as he gets onto his senior.
Lord X is quite surprised to see Max as pissed as he is. Usually he'd grit his teeth smiling at any problem or attitude directed at him.
All Father gives him a hefty pat onto one of his thin shoulders upon laughing a little louder. Max almost falls over due to how much stronger than he looks. "You wound me, Sport! Have a little faith in me.~"
When he shambles in Lord X's direction he stops right before him eyeing him up and down. "Really, this one?" He asks over his shoulder at the younger man then makes his way over towards the other important people.
If Max hadn't been utterly annoyed by the ridiculous situation he was in, Lord X's incredulous response would have had him rolling. "Clearly you've lost your eye sight in your deteriorating age!"
The human claps his hands together upon All Father joining them. "Now that someone decided to show up!~"
"Get off my back, whippersnapper, I'm old!"
"Anyway!" He glares down at his elder. "I've asked you all here today because I believe Chef Rose has collaborated with another student to allow Chef Rose's student/the student's brother to not participate in half the assignments so he could have an easy time in the classroom."
Both Max and Lord X give each other a look that says 'you've got to be kidding me!'.
"So I wanted said student to disprove this elaborate lie so Chef Rose (and by association the student(s)) can be held accountable and punished for his fraudulent behavior." It's annoying how smug he is about it.
"Chef Rose…!" Pink ears perk upon hearing the pleading beckon from his student. He carries the fire extinguisher over with him to check on him.
"Yes X?"
Blue ears are pinned back while his lips scowl anxiously along his scruffy muzzle. "I really don't want to do this. I know this oven is on its last leg, and you've done your best to keep it alive after I almost accidentally killed it…!"
It is rare that the younger man was willingly vulnerable around others. Max sets the item in his hands onto the closest counter before placing hands along the younger man's biceps. He rubs the area comfortingly as he tries to give him his best encouraging smile. "I know. I appreciate that, I really do, but we have no choice at this rate…" He lets out a sigh. "Honestly, if you're able to use the oven and not cause a fire or kill it, then I'd be willing to take whatever punishment they'll give me." That has X looking upset for him. "But if you end up doing what you normally do, well, we'll get through this. We'll figure out how to raise the money for a replacement." His hands give the younger hedgehog's biceps one last comforting pat. "Do your best and what I've taught you. I'll support you no matter what.~" He reassures him with a wink upon picking the fire extinguisher back up.
Max meets back up with Lord X keeping his backside facing where X is standing. Ears flatten as he sighs. There's a sullen expression on his face. He can't bear to watch the inevitable… When he feels a massive hand rest on his shoulder, he directs a saddened grin up at him.
There's a stillness in the air as everyone goes silent holding their breathes waiting in anticipation. Max closes his eyes whispering encouraging words to himself preparing himself for what's to come. The roar of the fire coming to life is what alerts the man, and as mostly everyone else screams and shouts in terror, Max is already on top of the fire quelling it down with the fire extinguisher he's been holding onto dearly. X's voice is in his ears cursing and apologizing, and he's pretty sure he hears his other students cheering and clapping. He looks so completely dejected upon staring down at the charred mess that is the oven.
The human student looks utterly bewildered from the experience finding himself tongue-tied. Lord X looks irritable feeling pissed for poor Max. All Father is the only person who looks downright gleeful afterwards.
In the blink of an eye, All Father ends up right beside Max snaking a bony old arm around him then flipping him around. "I think Mister Rose here deserves compensation for the emotional distress you put the boy through!~" He has this conniving toothy grin on his face, as with ease, strong arms the pink hedgehog over to the group of important people. "What do you think, Sport?~"
It dawns on the younger man. All Father didn't speak up for Max earlier to spite him. He didn't speak up for him to prove a point! Oh, how he could kiss him right now!~ "Actually, yes, I agree." Him agreeing causes the important people to sweat.
Bony old fingers press against each other splaying out as blood red sunken eyes peer over them with a twinkle shining in them. All of his teeth and gums are visible as his sinister grin widens ear to ear on his wrinkly muzzle. Max wonders why the man hadn't gotten a job as a lawyer instead of a college professor… In the flick of a wrist, he swings his cane up pointing it up in the human student's face. "First things first. I think we need to remove the root of the problem."
"What do you mean remove??" Balks the young man.
The elder hedgehog huffs out a chuckle at the audacity. "Clearly you keep trying to undermine Mister Rose's authority every chance you get, as shown today with your little stunt." An arm sweeps out showing off how the entire classroom is gawking at the young man.
"I tried to tell him. X and Sonic tried to tell him. The entirety of the classroom tried to tell him." Max mentions.
"Even myself, X's own brother, tried to tell him." Lord X speaks up with a glare directed at the student.
"And since you can't listen, especially from a room of people, you have two options, kid." Two gloved fingers are held up. "One: we kick you out of Mister Rose's class and fail you." One finger drops as he ignores the undignified yell of 'fail??'. "Or two: you aren't forced to fail and we'll send you to Chef Starved's class.~"
Oh, how he grins a little too gleefully when the student pales, throwing himself to his knees at All Father's feet. "Don't send me to Starved's class! I'll behave here from now on, promise!"
The handle of his cane hooks under the other man's chin directing his attention upward. "Clearly everyone in this room doubts it, kid."
He yanks the cane back causing the human to almost face plant onto the floor. The tapping of the cane hitting the floor as he starts to walk echoes off the walls. "Secondly, I think the university not only needs to replace the oven that was ruined due to the university's negligence, but I think the university should also look into upgrading a bit of the equipment, hm?" All Father leans a bit forward on his cane narrowing his eyes and smirking in a telling manner. The important ones squirm under his knowing stare.
"And thirdly-" The cane is flipped around again pointing in the face of the student's father. "I think a lump sum of money would alleviate some of the distress your boy gave him. Wouldn't you agree?~" There was that sinister gleam in his eye again. The other man grumbles, but doesn't stop from pulling out his checkbook.
"I think that covers about everything." All Father ends up back at Max's side in a matter of seconds. "…unless I've missed anything, Sport?"
Dark quills sway from side to side upon shaking his head in response.
He taps the bottom of his cane excitably. "Excellent!~"
Skinny arms throw themselves around the shorter hedgehog's shoulders. "Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you?~" His tone is sugary sweet as he gives those bony older shoulders an affectionate squeeze.
The taller man gets an amused smirk as a gloved hand pats one of the arms. "Didn't you call me an asshole earlier?"
Pink ears flatten and he lets out a nervous laugh. "I think you're hearings messing up in your old age and you're hearing things…"
The side of the cane lightly taps the side of one of Max's skinny legs to signal him to get off of him. "You know, name calling can be real hurtful, Sport!" All Father bemoans faking an obvious pained expression.
"I'll make it up to you.~" Max flashes him a cheeky smirk. "I'll make you the most gourmet and mushiest prune pudding you can gum with ease!~"
Both of them have a good laughing fit about that.
That's when the classroom door suddenly flies open slamming against the nearest wall causing everyone to jump from how loud the bang is! Rushing inside is none other than 2017X himself holding a fire extinguisher in his hands. "Have no fear, I, Sonic the Hedgehog, have come to save the day!~" He announces in a confident bravado. The poor man is absolutely flabbergasted when he finds an entire room of people stare him down with his cooking partner looking pretty much done with him, and their workstation oven a blackened smoking disaster!