Published October 22, 2023
Dedication: For my dear friend and fellow fangirl Rapunzella, in honor of her wedding anniversary yesterday.
"Sendoff"
Rather than sending out messages with invitations, Carmen and Graham decided to deliver the news in person. It would require a lot of travel, and in some cases, some slightly awkward conversations, but it would be safer than transmitting information that could be intercepted by any V.I.L.E. operatives or allies still at large.
Today, Carmen was glad to be in Japan a second time, with a much happier motive than on the first visit. She and Shadowsan had not been together in person since they parted ways, as he returned to Hideo and she reunited with Carlotta. They checked in once or twice a year, with Player often serving as a middleman to keep their communication secure.
Hideo was the one who found her browsing Matsumodo Castle's museum exhibit. When she asked after his brother, he immediately brought her up to their apartment. Shadowsan was visibly pleased to see her, yet seemed rather unsurprised by her arrival. He received her with as much warmth as could be expected from him, and prepared tea for the two of them.
Carmen waited until they had both finished a cup before she broke the news. "I'm getting married."
"So you said yes." Shadowsan took a leisurely sip of tea, taking his time to savor the taste and swallow, before he explained, "Graham came to see me a few weeks ago."
This was news to Carmen. "He told you he was going to propose?"
"He knew that marrying you would mean having me in his life, and wanted to make sure we were on good footing. I assured him that if you trust him now, then so will I."
"Well, I guess it's appropriate. I have my mother now, and he asked her for her blessing, but you are the closest thing I have to a father." She waited until Shadowsan had set his teacup down before continuing, "And that's why … I was wondering if you would give me away."
Shadowsan blinked, his lips parting in surprise.
Carmen looked at him with a soft expression. "You're the one person who has known me and cared about me my whole life. You watched me grow up. You helped me get on the right path. And now I'm taking a new one with Gray. I'd like you to be there to see me off."
Shadowsan's eyes filled with tears. He bowed to her across the table. "It would be my greatest honor."
Carmen smiled gratefully. Then she nodded to the doorway where Hideo had gone out. "Guests can bring a plus one. You can bring Hideo if you want. And there will be A.C.M.E. agents—a few as guests, others as security."
"I assume Ivy and Zack will be among them?" Shadowsan had heard that they were now working for A.C.M.E.
"Of course. There's no one else I could ask to be maid of honor and best man. And Player is going to be there, in person, to organize everything. Team Red will have one more caper together."
Carmen and Graham asked that those in the wedding party and security detail gather with her and Graham the night before the ceremony, so they could meet each other properly and confirm plans for the next day.
The wedding was to take place in the church that Carmen's mother, Carlotta Valdez, usually attended. The reception would be held in the adjoining parish hall. That was where they gathered, a few people at a time, the night before the wedding.
Hideo was surprised to find that he knew some of the A.C.M.E. agents already. "I recognize the Frenchman. He came to the museum in Venice to provide extra security."
Shadowsan also recognized a few of them, particularly the two that had been in Morocco the night Carmen regained her true memories.
The leader of A.C.M.E., Tamara Fraser, was also there, making a rare in-person appearance. She nodded in greeting as the two brothers approached the group of agents. "Shadowsan."
"Chief. Agents Devineaux and Argent. May I present my brother, Hideo-san."
Hideo bowed politely. "Madam."
"Charmed, I'm sure," Chief said, returning the gesture.
Suddenly a loud voice with a thick Boston accent rang out across the hall. "Oh my GOSH SENSEI!"
Shadowsan smiled with a mixture of nostalgia and tolerance as he turned to see Zack and Ivy, both in A.C.M.E. uniforms, running over to him.
"You came!" Zack exclaimed, overjoyed.
He raised a brow at the two siblings. "Did you think I would not be here?"
"Well, we didn't know if you'd just walk in, or drop in from a window or something," Zack quipped.
"It's good to see you, Shadowsan," Ivy said, her tone more serious than he remembered it, but her smile was still a little cheeky.
"Likewise."
While they all waited and exchanged small talk, Shadowsan kept glancing at the door. Though his face was a blank mask as usual, his eyes betrayed his apprehension. "I suppose Carmen will introduce us to her mother at last," he said.
Chief glanced at him. "Why do you look nervous? You didn't kill her husband."
"I destroyed his home and took away their child."
"We both had a hand in events that night," she insisted.
"Yours were accidental. Mine were deliberate."
Ivy looked at him with some sympathy. "If you'd left Carmen behind, she might have grown up in an orphanage or foster homes. She might never have found out where she came from, or found her mother."
Finally, Carmen herself came in, accompanied by Carlotta, Graham, and Player. The young boy was nearing adulthood now.
Carmen hugged Ivy and Zack, and then led her mother over to meet them first. "Mamá, these are my old sidekicks, Ivy and Zack."
She smiled warmly as she shook their hands. "Bienvenidos. I have heard much."
"It's an honor to meet you, Senora Valdez," Ivy said sincerely.
"We know it means a lot to Carmen," Zack added.
Carmen gestured next to her former teacher. "And this is Suhara, alias Shadowsan."
To both women's surprise, he knelt on the floor and bowed low, prostrating himself. "Señora Valdez, I am deeply sorry for the harm I caused to your family. I ask your forgiveness."
Carlotta knelt and put her hand on his shoulder. "Esta bien, mi amigo. I know what you did, and what you did not do. I do not blame you." When he looked up at her she went on, "My daughter has told me all that you did for her. You brought her back to the light. You have my thanks."
Shadowsan nodded humbly, and she helped him to his feet.
Chief cleared her throat, and introduced herself before Carmen had the chance. "Señora Valdez, my name is Tamara Fraser."
"Ah." Carlotta nodded in understanding. "You are the 'chief' Carmen spoke about."
The two women regarded each other for a moment. Chief looked less sure of herself than anyone present had ever seen her.
"You know what I did," she said, somewhat haltingly. "It's haunted me ever since. My only defense is that I was new to my work, and I thought he was pulling out a weapon. I guess I have a habit of expecting the worst from people."
Carlotta's smile was sad, but understanding. "A hard way to live." She grasped Chief's hand and spoke earnestly. "I forgive you."
Chief nodded her thanks. "I promise we'll do everything we can to ensure that this wedding goes smoothly and safely."
While these reconciliations were happening, Ivy and Zack had subtly cut Graham off from Carmen, facing him down and looking every inch like the A.C.M.E. agents they now were.
"So you're the guy that Carmen knew in crime school," Zack remarked.
"And tried to kill her in Paris," Ivy added.
"And got her to steal a bunch of stuff for V.I.L.E."
"And brought her back in the end."
Graham's eyes darted between them, and off to the side, nervous and embarrassed. "Uh … guilty as charged."
The two siblings looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them; then they nodded in agreement.
"Carmen and Shadowsan trust you, so we've decided we're going to trust you too," Zack said.
"But if you ever hurt her, we will find out, and we will end you," Ivy promised.
Graham actually smiled. As Carmen came to rescue him, he said to her, "I'm glad to know you've got such good friends."
Carmen looked around the room at everyone there to support her, and said, "Me too."
Shadowsan had never actually been to a wedding before. Hideo, who had attending colleagues' weddings and even overseen such events in museums, had to help him figure out what to wear. Player assured them that it would be highly multicultural event, and that they could wear whatever they felt most comfortable in. The brothers both settled on a traditional hakama, appropriate for formal occasions.
Carmen's dress was exquisite, originally designer but with some alterations of her own. It was the only time anyone could remember seeing her in a mostly white outfit, with a white ribbon holding her hair in a bun. But there were also some touches of red: the sash at her waist, the flowers in her bouquet, the ribbon around the stems. Graham and Zack's neckties and boutonnieres were also red. Ivy's dress and Zack's suit were both a dark shade of blue, while Graham's suit was black.
Among the guests were various friends and allies Carmen had met during her travels: Lupe Peligro from Veracruz, still wearing her wrestling mask; Sonia from Mexico City, who was now training to join A.C.M.E.; and Xifeng from Beijing.
Everyone chatted amongst themselves until Chase Devineaux's loud, commanding voice rang out. "Mesdames et messieurs! Your attention please!"
Once everyone was silent, Julia Argent cleared her throat. "Will all guests please take their seats? The ceremony will begin in a few minutes."
Everyone took their places. Player sent Red Drone up into the air above the pews to take pictures. Graham and the parish priest stood waiting in front of the altar.
When the music began, Ivy and Zack walked down the aisle together, each holding one of the wedding rings. Then, Carmen made her way down, walking arm in arm with Shadowsan. He looked more solemn than ever, but also peaceful, while she seemed to glow with pent-up excitement.
When they reached the altar, the priest asked the old-fashioned question, "Who gives this woman to this man?"
Shadowsan answered, "Her mother and I do." He removed Carmen's hand from his arm, but before they let go, Carmen turned her head toward him and kissed his cheek, murmuring "Thanks."
Shadowsan was still for a moment, watching her and Graham take each other's hand and move into position. Then he took his seat between Carlotta and Hideo in the front pew.
The ceremony itself was fairly short. The priest addressed Carmen and Graham by their full, true names as he guided them through the vows. They exchanged rings with red and blue gemstones. Finally, the priest pronounced them Mr. and Mrs. Calloway. Everyone applauded, though no one cheered as loudly as Ivy and Zack, who then wolf-whistled when the newlywed couple kissed.
Hideo smiled at Shadowsan, who smiled back before looking at Carlotta. She was crying as she applauded, and when their eyes met, she and Shadowsan shared a look of complete understanding. They had known Carmen at different times in her life, but they both felt the pride, joy, and loss of sending her on this new path.
The reception dinner was a multinational potluck: each guest had been invited to bring a dish from their home country to share. Lupe and Xifeng were wealthy enough that they were able to order catering, while others brought homemade or storebought food, like Zack's baked beans and Ivy's clam chowder.
When it was time to dance, Player provided a playlist of songs from a wide range of cultures and musical genres, and also took requests from the guests. The bride and groom's first dance was a tango.
"Wow, did they practice for this?" Ivy wondered aloud as they watched Carmen and Graham show off their moves.
When it was over, and the applause had died down, Player spoke into the microphone: "Time for the father-daughter and mother-son dances!"
Both the bride and groom were taken aback by this announcement.
"I don't have a mother," Graham stated.
But Carlotta took his arm and said, "You do now."
Carmen and Shadowsan looked at each other, understanding at the same moment. She shrugged, smiling as if to say, I don't get it either, but why not?
Shadowsan's smile was indulgent, and he bowed slightly before accompanying her onto the dancefloor.
The song was slow, sweet and pensive. As they swayed and turned slowly in a circle, Shadowsan spoke quietly to Carmen. "When you were a child, I thought V.I.L.E. would rob you of this day, this kind of road. I am glad you have it now."
Carmen smiled, her eyes moist. "Me too. I'm really glad you were here to do this."
"I vowed to be there to the end of the line."
"You have been, always. And now I'm at the start of a new one."
When the song slowed, approaching its end, Carmen hugged him—the first time she had ever done so. He was a little taken aback, but he held her just as tightly. As they let go, she spoke in her best Japanese. "Arigato, Otousan."
Tears stung Shadowsan's eyes, but he smiled. "Dōitashimashite, Musume." He kissed her forehead, something he had never done before, but which felt completely right.
The tender moment ended abruptly as the music changed: Zack and Ivy had requested the song "Shipping Off to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys, and were now attempting to show off their Irish step-dancing skills in time with the heavy metal music.
The rest of the night passed by in a stream of mild chaos and merriment. Zack scored a slow dance with Sonia, and Xifeng demonstrated some of her Peking opera training. Hideo and Julia got into a deep conversation about his museum work and her history courses. Carmen and Graham told stories about their shenanigans as students, which made everyone laugh; and even Shadowsan was persuaded to share some memories from Carmen's childhood.
When the night was almost over, Carmen tossed her bouquet from the choir loft, and Julia caught it, which made her blush furiously. Red Drone showered confetti on Carmen and Graham as they got on her red moped outside the church. Everyone stood in a line as they watched the couple depart, presumably to enjoy their honeymoon—their exact travel plans were unknown to anyone but themselves.
"Mission accomplished," Chief said with satisfaction, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Indeed," Shadowsan said, a distant look on his face as the couple drove off into the night.
Translation: Carmen and Shadowsan's last exchange is "Thank you, father." / "You're welcome, daughter."
