A/N: It's been a little bit since "To Those Fortunate Enough" ended, and after careful consideration (and formal outlining), we are back with a proper sequel! Big things lie ahead for the Hellers and the people that surround them! Buckle in and enjoy the ride!
"Did you make it there in one piece?"
A gentle breeze kissed Dex's face as he approached the double-door entrance. He looked upwards, taking in the archaic build of the academy exterior: brown stone, carved inlets, tall windows with sleek, clean glass. Groups of people passed him by, ages of all kinds present, as he stood a foot or two away from the short staircase.
"Yes, I did," he answered, his eyes darting from one window pane to another.
"Do you have everything you need?"
"Yes," he shifted his attention to his clothing: a form-fitting black track jacket free of any pin or label, form-fitting leggings with the same dark shade, and dark gray lace-up boots. The straps of his matching dark gray backpack rested perfectly on his shoulders, "Are you going to ask me if I packed a lunch next?"
"Don't give me lip," Irina's voice was sharp yet chipper, "I'm just doing my job."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"You're forgiven…but did you pack one?"
"Mom!"
"I'm just messing with you," she laughed, "I know you're prepared."
"It's one of the few things I took away from working for Dad. At least, I'd like to think I did," the young man watched as men and women in similar gear rushed up the stairs, "...I can't believe I'm here."
"I'm proud of you, baby," Irina cooed, "truly. You deserve this opportunity, and I'm glad my brother was able to give it to you."
"I'll be sure to give Uncle Valentin my undying gratitude," Dex snorted gently, "but yeah, this is thanks to him."
"Be careful in there, okay? Work hard, study, and please take care of yourself."
"I will, Mom, I promise," he began to approach the staircase, "...I should get going."
"Okay, Dexter, I'll talk to you later. I love you."
"I love you too," he hung up, slipping his cell phone into a nearby pocket on his backpack. He casually strolled into the building, electing to stand in a line off to the right. The sound of talking sat at full volume, filling the room with indistinct chatter and giggles. Students move one-by-one slowly, receiving an assortment of tools and goods from the staff seated in front of another set of double-doors. His focus proceeded to drift and blur at the edges the closer he got to the respective staff member at the front of the line. She looked him up and down once he stood a few inches away.
"Name, please," her voice was aged, hoarse. Dex blinked rapidly, snapping back into some sense of reality.
"Dexter Heller," he replied, stammering a bit. She ducked her head down, scanning a roster full of names, using a pink highlighter to cross his off. She dug through boxes that sat under the table, pulling out a lanyard and a few plastic cards. He noticed one with an image, a photo of him taken a week before, while the other was a clean, white rectangle.
"Here's your ID," she slid the lanyard his way, "Make sure you have it on you at all times while walking the academy grounds. The guards won't let you in anywhere without it," she then passed him the white card, "and here is your keycard to get around the academy. It can open all general purpose rooms as well as your dorm."
Dex stared at the firm plastic card in wonder, rubbing the material with his thumb. He donned the lanyard immediately, noting the navy blue fabric as it slinked around his neck. His picture was clear and present along with his full name and student ranking, noting him as a first-year. He nodded at the staff member before walking past her, opening the double doors and stepping outside.
His eyes grew wide almost immediately as he took in his surroundings. Tall trees stood upright in perfect succession next to one another, the leaves chopped and curved to make large raindrop shapes. Bushes rested in between each tree, each one displaying a single color different from the rest. Pinks and blues sat across from one another, followed by purples and oranges, and then reds and yellows, the cycle repeating itself throughout the entire courtyard. As he walked down the cobblestone pathway, he observed the architecture that rose above the foliage: chapel-like structures, sleek black roof tiles, spears that cut into the clouds in the blue sky. It felt like something out of a movie, and it caused Dex to drift off once again: Look at you. You're your own man now.
That dream-like trance stopped when he suddenly collided with a short yet firm obstacle in front of him.
"Ow…" his eyes focused on the young woman in front of him, noting her long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, hazel eyes, and rounded face. She rubbed the top of her head, the area that made impact with the young man, and he internally kicked himself, knowing full well that both Anna and Valentin will give him an earful later.
"I'm sorry," he said sheepishly, "I wasn't paying attention."
"Clearly," she huffed, staring at him, "...Oh."
"Oh?"
"I know you, or, I know of you."
"Do you now?" Dex snorted, "Well, right back at you."
"Is that so?" the young woman looked Dex up and down, "My grandmother told me you get caught up in trouble. I just didn't expect that trouble to be so…simple and self-inflicted."
"I wouldn't classify observation as 'trouble,' but okay."
She extended a hand out to him, "Emma Drake."
"Dex Heller."
"You didn't change your last name?"
"No? Why would I do that?"
"...Because you're a Cassadine."
"And? My…aunt? Cousin? She's one of the two, but I'm sure you know who Alexis Davis is-"
"Fair point," Emma scuffed her boot against the ground, "I was just curious."
"...Uh huh."
She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she attempted to keep the conversation going, "So what prompted you to want to join the WSB?"
"Long story short, I needed a change. What about you?"
"Just following in my grandmother's footsteps."
"Because you want to or because you'll be disowned otherwise?"
"Because I want to," she rolled her eyes again, "Do you have this much snark when you speak to anyone else?"
Dex shrugged, opting not to give her a full answer. Emma's eyes darted around his face and body, studying him intently. Her remark left her mouth absent-mindedly, "...You look a lot like your uncle."
"I sure hope I do."
"Yeah, it's a little uncanny…and unfortunate."
"Unfortunate? What's that supposed to mean?" Dex made a sour face.
"…I was just making an observation, that's all," Emma let out a rough sigh, immediately fixating on a nearby open bench. She pointed her head in its direction, walking over. Dex looked between her and the rest of the courtyard before rushing to her side, "and it's not about your looks, just in case you're wondering."
"Then what is it about?"
"You really want to know?"
"I don't think it's wise to backtrack after freely offering that kind of information."
"...Okay," she took a heavy breath, "well, Grandma told me that you were kept away from the Cassadines for a long time."
"Correct."
"So I presume you're not on the up-and-up with their history?"
"Not completely. I don't know all the historical lore or anything. I do know that my grandmother was pure evil."
"We can only hope none of her worst traits are ingrained in your DNA," Emma giggled, and Dex forced a laugh in response. She caught onto it, sucking in her lips, "The Cassadines…they have this…jaded darkness to them."
Dex doesn't comment, averting his eyes, "I don't think we're all that bad…"
"I know. Spencer's one of my childhood friends, for one, and it seems like every member is, at minimum, a halfway decent person…but that darkness is still there."
"...Why are you telling me this, exactly?"
Emma gave him a reserved look, brightness in her pupils. Dex's breath hitched in his throat, and part of him wasn't sure why. The sound of heels against stone snapped him out of his haze, and he watched as a few groups of students walked past them, heading towards the back of the courtyard. The pair exchanged looks before melting in with an approaching group, going towards a wide open stage and a number of white plastic chairs. Dex and Emma took their seats somewhere in the middle on the left, watching as a number of older men and women in crisp suits appeared onstage. One lone man stood in the middle, hovering over the podium in his ash gray suit and crisp eyes.
"Welcome to the World Security Bureau Academy!" he bellowed, his Australian accent thick, "It is my pleasure to greet you all and take in the potential new faces that will join the ranks."
"That's not…?" Emma muttered loud enough for Dex to hear, prompting him to raise an eyebrow.
"I'm sure some of you are wondering why Frisco Jones is not standing before you today, as he was the director of the Bureau," the man cleared his throat, "There has been quite a bit of…turnover recently, and he has left the Bureau altogether. I, Jack Brennan, as the new director, promise that the education you receive this year will be top-notch. I will also make sure that everyone's well-being will be properly maintained."
"My grandmother never mentioned this…" Emma spoke up again, her voice still low, and Dex turned his head in response, "What the hell?"
"Big things lie ahead for each and every one of you. Some of you hail from Geneva, the lovely home of the academy itself, some of you come from neighboring lands, and some of you are overseas attendees. Some of you got in on your own merit, and others had a bit of a leg-up in admissions. Regardless of where you're from, how you got in, or why you're here, you'll all be working towards the same goal. It'll only be a matter of time before you'll graduate and rightfully earn your 'agent' title."
Brennan scanned the crowd, hopping from student to student until he locked onto the specific area Dex and Emma sat, "Your purpose here is immense, and I seek to push you all to your highest level. I look forward to seeing which new recruits make the cut, and I hope you all have a studious, productive, and successful time at the academy. Thank you."
"What the hell," Emma swore as people dispersed around them. Dex remained with her, waiting for her to get to her feet. She eventually did, marching towards the closest bench she could see. She pulled out her phone, dialing ferociously. Dex slowly sat down on her left, waiting in muted anticipation, "What the actual hell…"
"What's the problem?" he asked.
"What's the problem?! You heard the guy: there's a new head of the Bureau!"
"And that's bad because…?" Dex dragged the word out before scowling at Emma's raised pointer finger. She held the phone against her ear as it rang, clicking after a few buzzes.
"Hello?" Anna's voice was crisp and clear through the static, "Emma?"
"Grandma," she responded, "what's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Frisco Jones left the WSB?!"
"...What?" Anna questioned, "How do you know that?"
"This guy gave an opening speech and said that he was the new director."
"Who?"
"Jack Brennan. Does that name ring a bell?"
"...It does."
"You used to work with him?"
"We were on a couple missions together, yes, but we hadn't connected in years."
"So you didn't know about this?"
"This is all brand new information to me. I certainly would've seen or heard something well before your first day."
"...I see."
"...Emma," Anna's voice was stern, "don't. Focus on your education and training."
"Is it bad that this guy is in charge?"
"Jack was quite the agent back then, so I have no doubt that the quality of your education will be top-notch."
"That didn't answer my question."
"Don't worry about this, okay? At least not now."
"...Okay, but if there's anything shady I should watch out for, please let me know."
"I will, and if there's anything shady going on, you tell me, and I'll handle it. For now, worry about your education," Anna replied, "I need to attend to some business, so I'll call you later, okay?"
"Okay, love you."
"Love you too," Emma hung up the moment the sentence left her grandmother's mouth. She let out a sigh as she faced Dex.
"So," he spoke up, "anything to report?"
"That's classified," she answered, pocketing her phone, "You'll learn what that means soon enough."
"Wow, rude," he scoffed, an astonished smirk on his face, "I know what 'classified' means, thank you."
"Good," she gave him a cheeky smile. They stood and stared at one another for a beat, waiting for something to break the ice. A buzz from Dex's jacket pocket managed to do so.
"Who is it?"
"Uh," Dex began to reply, fixated on Wallace's contact on his lock screen, "just…family."
"I guess I should leave you to it, then," the young woman approached him, reaching her hand out, "I'll see you around."
"Yeah," he hastily shook the appendage before marching off, leaving a confused and slightly flustered Emma behind. He rushed into the main building, walking towards the front staircases. Hiding underneath the steel steps, he opened his phone and read the message left for him.
From: Dad (10:59 AM)
Ich hoffe, dein erster Tag verläuft gut.
The young man inhaled sharply, shutting his eyes tight as he tried to keep the wave of emotion attempting to overtake him at bay. He slowly and shakily examined his phone, trying his best to formulate a response.
To: Dad (11:02 AM)
Die Dinge sind in Ordnung.
From: Dad (11:05 AM)
OK. Bitte pass auf dich auf. Wenn Sie etwas benötigen, kontaktieren Sie uns bitte.
Just as Dex was about to respond, a mix of voices latched onto his ear. He stole a few glances at the source, a crowd of older men and women surrounding the new director. Brennan managed to look back at Dex, a depth and gleam of determination and curiosity in his blue-green eyes. The young man felt a chill run down his spine, sending a response back before he made his exit, rushing up the stairs in search of his dorm room.
To: Dad (11:10 AM)
Wird tun.
"Ich hoffe, dein erster Tag verläuft gut." - Hope your first day's going well.
"Die Dinge sind in Ordnung." - Things are fine.
"OK. Bitte pass auf dich auf. Wenn Sie etwas benötigen, kontaktieren Sie uns bitte." - Okay. Take care of yourself, please. If you need anything, please reach out.
"Wird tun." - Will do.
