Emma stopped in her tracks, her voice low in her throat as she scanned the cafeteria, "Goddamnit."
Dex barely heard her mutter as he followed her gaze, looking around at all the different groups perched around their respective tables. He raised an eyebrow at what she claimed to see, unsure of where to put his focus on.
"What?" he finally asked out loud.
"Come on," she pulled the young man to a table closer to the front right corner, small enough to exclusively host them.
"What's the problem?" Dex repeated himself.
"Stay here," Emma snapped, leaving him alone. He let out a sigh as she walked off towards the lunchline, roughly grabbing a tray and assimilating herself at the end. Dex rolled his eyes before digging into his backpack, searching for any work he could do to pass the time. It wasn't long before a familiar presence loomed over him, tapping his fingers against the lunch table.
"Dexter Heller," Brennan donned a smirk as the young man met his eyes, "Hard at work, I see."
"D-Director," Dex dropped his pencil, "Hi."
"I hope I'm not bothering you."
"No…no," the young man shook his head just as Emma looked his way, eyebrows high on her head as she watched their interaction, "I was just…getting ahead of some studying."
"Oh, well, don't let me interfere with that," Brennan grabbed an empty chair at a nearby table, pulling close to Dex, "I just wanted to inform you that the trainer who put his hands on you is no longer with this organization. I don't tolerate anyone who dares assault a student, and I certainly don't tolerate anyone harming you."
"Oh, uh, thank you. That's…that's good news."
"But?"
"There's no 'but,'" Dex replied, his tone more assured, "He was an ass."
"Good boy," Brennan kept his smirk in place, "I'm making sure that the next trainer assigned to you will not only be an expert in cardiovascular care, but will listen to you and respect that you know your limits."
"You haven't found anyone yet?"
"Unfortunately, no, but rest assured that I have been searching and I will not rest until I find the perfect match for you."
"I appreciate that, sir."
"I'm glad! I need you healthy," Brennan looked the young man over.
"You do?" Dex fronted a sense of confidence.
"You possess some strong genetics from both of your parents. I want nothing more than to see you reach the potential deep within you."
"It sounds like you've been reading my file. Are you stalking me?"
"Well, someone's got a mouth on him, doesn't he?" Brennan got in Dex's face, and all Dex could do was flinch, "...I like that. And for the record, I don't call it 'stalking.' I'm keeping tabs on the students that I think will go far in this academy, students who will make excellent agents. It's one of the few things the former director did that I decided to keep. You should feel quite special, young man."
"You've been visiting other students like this? Not just me?"
"Correct."
"Right…" Dex nodded slowly, prompting Emma to scowl. A flash of familiar dirty blonde curls was caught in her peripheral vision, and the reason for her hasty behavior came back to her in an instant.
"I didn't know Director Brennan socialized with the student body like this," the student snorted, "Whoever he's talking to must be a big deal."
"You could say that," Emma turned around, formally collecting a few sweet rolls and mashed potatoes.
"Do you know him?"
"Unfortunately."
"Who is he?"
"Dex Heller."
"Uh huh," the girl looked at Dex, "interesting…"
"Don't get too excited," Emma rolled her eyes, "You and I both know how you feel about nepotism."
"He's a nepo baby?"
"His uncle was an agent: Valentin Cassadine."
"He's a Cassadine?" the student's face soured, "And he was let in with you?"
"Sorry to burst your bubble, y'know, just in case you still found him attractive," Emma collected the last of her lunch, an apple and cuts of grilled chicken, before walking off.
The girl followed her with a similarly-built tray, "He's definitely got a pretty face, but that doesn't fix everything else."
"Excuse me?" Dex raised an eyebrow as he and Brennan noted the women approaching them.
"I'm so sorry to interrupt, Director Brennan," the girl frowned before she turned to the young man, "Dex Heller, right?"
"Yes. Who are you?"
"An annoying thorn in my side," Emma muttered as she took a seat across from Dex.
"I don't mean to question you or your authority, sir," the student remarked to Brennan, "but I was curious as to why exactly you allowed nepotism to take root in the WSB Academy."
"What do you mean?" the elder man asked.
"Emma Drake is a Scorpio and a Devane, and Dex Heller is a Cassadine. I have concerns that their family ties gave them spots in the academy that more deserving applications should've had."
"While I'm under no obligation to reveal how and why this student body was put together," Brennan stood up, leering over the student, "I find it rather unfair that you would look at your fellow peers and think they didn't earn their admissions from the merit they possess. The WSB doesn't deal in cutting corners or free rides, certainly not where the academy is concerned."
"You also know as well as I do that a Cassadine shouldn't be here, not after everything that family's put the world through-"
"Dexter here is not a representative of his family's past," Brennan gestured at the young man, "and for you to insinuate that, well, I find that quite insulting. You earned your spot the same way that Emma and Dexter did, and if I were you, young lady, I'd be grateful that I'm here rather than running my mouth as slickly as you have."
"I…"
"Now, I imagine you'd like to keep yourself in the academy, no? I suggest you run along before things escalate."
The girl looked from the man to Emma and Dex, shooting daggers at the former before marching off. Brennan didn't respond, turning to take in the students below him, his eyes lingering on Dex before he exited the cafeteria.
"Wow," Dex huffed, closing his textbook, "she was a bitch. Is that why you were in a mood when we got here?"
"Yeah. Hopefully she'll leave me alone now that Brennan snapped at her. If there's one thing I'll thank that bastard for, it'll be getting her off my back."
"Why are you so bothered by her saying you're a nepo baby? I mean, it's objectively true."
"I don't want me being here and becoming an agent to be all about who I'm related to. I earned my spot and I'm earning my badge because of the work that I put in."
"Okay, but you can do that and acknowledge that you have agents in your family. Getting defensive doesn't solve anything."
"How would you feel if someone got in your face and said you only got accepted here because of your uncle?"
"I wouldn't give a damn," Dex shrugged, "I know I got in on my own. Trying to change people's minds by refuting it makes them think it's that much more true."
"...Whatever," Emma took a bite of the potatoes, "Why was Brennan over here?"
"He told me that my trainer was gone."
"Do you have a new one?"
"Not yet, but he's been looking."
"He's been looking? Not the Board or someone beneath him?"
"That's what he said."
"And you're not worried?"
"I mean…no? He removed the other guy. Why should I think he'd hire someone who's worse?"
"Dex, this is the second time Brennan's been sniffing around you, and you're not even the slightest bit worried about why?"
The young man paused, a slight tinge of guilt on his face. Emma softened at the sight, "...Did he do something to you?"
"...No. At least…not yet-" he took a breath, "Look, I am a little concerned, okay? I haven't done anything to warrant his attention like this, and while he hasn't really crossed any lines yet…"
"You should tell someone. We can call Grandma and-"
"No."
"No?"
"Don't pull her into this. Don't pull any of them into this."
"What?" Emma's eyes were wide with a mix of shock and offense, "Why not?"
"We just got roped into helping them spy on the guy, right? They called us about it?"
"Yeah?"
"Let's stick to that."
"You could be in danger-"
"I've faced much worse."
"That doesn't mean anything."
"Emma," Dex's green eyes glowed with determination, "I'm a grown man; I can take care of myself. Let me handle whatever Brennan's deal is with me on my own, okay?"
"...Fine," Emma snapped, eating a sweet roll, "Speaking of, it seems like the only thing we can do to help is to spy on him."
"Which is fine," Dex shrugged, "They're better equipped to handle taking him down than we are."
"I suppose, but knowing how he got his foot in the door, on top of everything he's been doing now…" Emma tapped her chin, "It's just not enough for me."
"I get that, and maybe, eventually, you'll get a chance to be the one to put a bullet in his skull," Dex leaned over, taking her other sweet roll.
"You know you can get your own food, right?"
"I could, but that roll was begging to be eaten."
"God, you're annoying."
Dex stifled a laugh as he continued to eat the roll. Emma shot him a hard glare before attempting to pivot, "So, uh, I know I called Grandma back about the plan. Did you call Valentin back?"
"I did. He filled me in as well."
"That sounds pretty matter-of-fact."
"He was pretty matter-of-fact in his delivery, so…"
"Are you guys close?"
"Kind of. I'm closer to him than the rest of my family."
"Was that a deliberate choice or are things still a bit new?"
"Mm," Dex hummed, finishing the roll, "technically the former. He got close with my dad and sort of got 'close' to me as a result. I mean, if not for him, I likely wouldn't even consider trying to become a WSB agent."
"I mean, your mom is his sister on both sides, right?"
"Yes…" Dex paused to think his response over, "yes."
"So then what about the other Cassadines in Port Charles?"
"We were all so focused on taking my grandfather down that the 'bonding' stuff never actually happened. Nikolas and I butted heads, for one. I talked to Spencer and Charlotte once or twice, and that was pleasant."
"Everyone else is just…there?"
"Well, yeah. And before you ask," Dex raised a hand, "yes, if there's a chance I can get closer with them, I would…besides Nikolas."
"What about your dad's family?"
"What about them?"
"Really?" Emma raised an eyebrow, "Only the Cassadines matter?"
"Only the Cassadines exist."
"There's really no other Hellers roaming the Earth right now?"
"None related to me and my dad."
"...Oh," she quickly shut her mouth, stuffing her face.
"You didn't insult me," Dex laughed, "They all died way before I was born."
"You haven't even met your grandparents?"
"My dad never even met them. It's just him and me."
"I…can't imagine that," Emma shook her head, "I have Grandma and Grandpa, and my aunts and uncles all on my mom's side. Plus my dad's side too."
"Not every family is close-knit like yours is," Dex sighed, getting to his feet, "and for what it's worth, I'm pretty jealous of that."
"...Don't make me like you."
"Too late. I already like you."
Emma flinched as she caught Dex's confident smirk, watching him collect his materials and exit the cafeteria. She finished off what was left of her lunch in complete, pensive silence. Part of her wanted to pull Dex back in, part of her wanted to call her parents, and part of her wanted to rat Brennan out to her grandparents. She eyed her cellphone, fighting tooth and nail to keep quiet or spill her guts, and as another hair passed her by, she disposed of her tray and exited, the silence permeating the air around her until the day ultimately ended.