(LIMITLESS) CHAPTER THIRTY: A FRIEND

Taylor had meant to be alone.

After the meeting with Armsmaster, she had wandered the halls with no destination in mind, her thoughts too loud to settle. A small part of her expected someone to stop her; some security officer, a clipboard-wielding staffer, or anyone tasked with keeping track of her. But no one did. Either they didn’t care, or more likely, someone had told them to let her be.

She appreciated that. No longer being seen as a threat, or maybe, just being given space to breathe.

Eventually, her feet brought her to one of the upper-level terraces. Not one of the fancy ones used for press or patrol prep, but a weather-worn maintenance landing tucked behind a utility stairwell. A narrow slab of concrete, an old rust-proof bench, and a view of the bay. That was it.

The sun had dipped low, spilling orange and red over the water. Wind tugged lightly at her hair as Taylor pulled her knees up onto the bench, chin resting on them, and tried to empty her mind.

She didn’t know how long she’d been there when she heard the door open, and footsteps approaching her from behind. 

“You’re a hard person to track down,” Dean’s voice said.

She glanced over her shoulder.

He wasn’t in costume. Just jeans and a hoodie, his posture intentionally casual but alert. At that moment, he didn’t look like Gallant the hero. If anything, he looked like a boy who didn’t quite know how to talk to someone hurting, but was going to try anyway.

It ended up, unironically, making him seem more like a hero anyway.

Dean stopped a few feet away, hands in his pockets. “Can I sit?”

Taylor’s gaze drifted back to the bay, and he took that as a yes.

The silence that followed wasn't heavy, but it wasn't comfortable either. Filled only by the rhythmic lapping of water below. 

Eventually, Dean spoke: “You don’t have to talk. But if you want to… I’m here.”

It took a moment before Taylor realized she did want to speak. Not to confess, but… to hear how it sounded out loud.

“She was a Ward.”

Dean looked over at her. “Sophia Hess.”

“You knew?”

“I got the memo this morning,” he said. “She was my teammate.”

Taylor was quiet for a beat. “Armsmaster told me today. That she was involved in my trigger. That she was Shadow Stalker.” She exhaled, her hands clenched. “I haven’t thought about her in months. Haven’t thought about any of them. Emma, Madison… they were part of a different life. A different me. I thought I had left all that behind.”

“I didn’t know,” Dean said, head bowed. “I didn't know about what happened. If I had—”

“I know.” Her voice was soft, but she meant it. “I believe you.”

“She never talked much and kept to herself, more so than even Browbeat. We tried to include her, Clockblocker especially.” He smiled faintly at the memory. “But Sophia wasn’t… easy.”

That earned a short breath of laughter from Taylor. “That’s the understatement of the century.”

Dean glanced at her. “You know, I always thought it was just the job that made her like that. Or maybe even her home life. But now… I think she just didn’t like us very much.”

This time the laugh came easier. Hearing that helped, more than she’d expected it to. Hearing it out loud, and knowing it wasn’t just her being treated that way. “I used to think it was just me. That I’d done something in my past life to deserve how she treated me.”

“No,” Dean said with a quiet certainty. “She never let anyone in, and she didn't respect us. I don’t know if that’s just who she is, or if something broke in her a long time ago. But I know she definitely didn’t deserve to be a hero.”

Taylor didn’t speak for a long moment, and her hands had unclenched without her noticing.

Dean let the silence sit a little longer before he added, “I know you don’t owe us anything, least of all me. But if you’re open to it, I could introduce you to the rest of the Wards. They’re good people. And they never liked Sophia either, if that helps.”

Taylor’s mouth twitched into something that might’ve been a smile as she looked back out at the horizon.

She had joined the Wards with her guard raised, braced for red tape, disappointment, and betrayal. A part of her had been happy about the perpetually postponed orientation because she had feared the Wards would be Winslow 2.0, and she wanted to avoid that mess. But Piggot hadn’t given up on her. Armsmaster had gone out of his way to fight for her. Miss Militia gave her more trust than Taylor gave herself sometimes.

And now, this. 

If they hadn’t connected with Sophia, then maybe… maybe they were worth knowing.

She turned to Dean and gave a small, sincere nod. “Okay. Yeah. I think I’d like that.”

A small smile touched his lips. “Cool. I’ll set it up.”

As they sat together in silence, the sun finally dipped below the waterline, and the wind picked up. It felt nice.