Published July 14, 2020
"Actions Louder Than Words"
Shadowsan had no qualms about splitting off from Carmen and the Bostonian siblings for separate simultaneous missions. The youngsters had proven their capabilities in Dubai.
Nevertheless, he appreciated Player's efforts to keep them all connected, with regular check-ins and status updates. It seemed as though the boy never slept, keeping himself awake to help "Team Carmen" in whatever time zones its members happened to be in.
But midway through the two missions—one in Malaysia, the other in Sweden—when Shadowsan checked in, Player reported that Carmen and Ivy were both unresponsive.
"I told Zack to go after Ivy instead of Carmen. Was that wrong? I figured Carmen has more experience, so Ivy might need the help more."
Player sounded less certain than Shadowsan had ever heard him. Shadowsan had initially thought that this work was too much for a teenager to handle. He had changed his mind after getting to know Player and learning about his methods. But now he was reminded that, for all his intelligence and maturity, Player was still a child, and he carried a great weight of responsibility as the coordinator of so many of Carmen's plans.
"I think you reasoned well," Shadowsan said. "But please let me know as soon as you have news."
"Will do."
It was another few hours before Player called. "Shadowsan?"
"What is it?"
"Got an update from the others. Carmen had a run-in with A.C.M.E., while Ivy ran into V.I.L.E. sympathizers. Long story short, Ivy got away with the package, but Carmen spent most of the night stranded in the Swedish wilderness. Zack and Ivy just found her and are bringing her to a local hospital."
Shadowsan hardly knew whether he felt relief or dread. Carmen had never even seen snow or felt frozen temperatures until she escaped V.I.L.E. Island. She must have been utterly unequipped for such an extreme environment. But it sounded as though everything that could be done for her was already being done.
Still, he needed to be there for her. "Book me a flight," he told Player.
"Already on it."
When Shadowsan reached the hospital, he found Zack and Ivy sitting by Carmen's bedside while a nurse read her vitals.
"It's past visiting hours," the nurse said when they saw him enter.
"It's okay," Zack intervened. "He's …" He trailed off, wondering how to explain Shadowsan's relationship to Carmen.
"Family," Ivy finished, her worried expression softening into a smile.
Shadowsan came up to the bed. "I came as quickly as I could." Up close, he saw that Carmen's eyes were open. She did not move, but she met his gaze and smiled weakly. Shadowsan smiled back, glad that his presence made a difference to her.
Once the nurse left, Zack and Ivy shared all the details of their Swedish adventure: how Carmen had gone off the grid; how Ivy had been captured and managed to escape with the nuclear codes (Shadowsan could tell they were glossing over that story for brevity's sake); how Carmen had almost insisted on not going to the hospital, until she heard that the mission had been accomplished.
Shadowsan felt a pang of pride mixed with sorrow and gratitude. Of course Carmen would put other people's lives before her own. She was, without a doubt, the most selfless person he knew.
"You did the right thing bringing her here," Shadowsan said.
Zack's serious expression disappeared, and for a moment he looked like his usual, lighthearted self. "Is that a word of approval from the master?"
Normally such a comment would annoy Shadowsan, but instead of scowling, he bowed his head slightly. "On V.I.L.E. Island, my colleagues and students were people of singular talent and excellence. Even the most … eccentric operatives … had a degree of professionalism that made them invaluable."
Ivy frowned suspiciously. "Is this some roundabout way of dissing us?"
"What I am trying to say is … I may be more used to professionals than …
"Amateurs?" Ivy guessed.
"… apprentices. But I now see your commitment and resourcefulness." He smiled and bowed fully. "Carmen is lucky to have you."
Now Ivy blushed. "Aw. Thanks, Shadowsan."
Zack looked close to tears. "That may be the nicest thing I've ever heard you say."
"I know we can be a loud, obnoxious handful," Ivy said apologetically. "I think our sense of humor's how we stop stress from getting to us."
They had to halt their conversation when the nurse came in to check on Carmen, who had fallen asleep again. Once they were alone again, Shadowsan said, "We need to move her before they find out who she is."
They quickly formed and executed an extraction plan. To everyone's great relief, it went as smoothly as they could have wished. Player arranged for their transportation, and Carmen slept through almost the entire journey back to San Diego.
Shadowsan was glad they now had a permanent headquarters, which provided a secure place for Carmen to convalesce. Since their individual bedrooms were not yet ready, they set up one of the couches as a bed for Carmen in the central room of the warehouse. This allowed them to watch over her even while they were doing other activities.
The siblings immediately began fixing up the place. They turned out to be competent at building, fixing, and decorating, things Shadowsan knew little about.
"I want it to be done by the time Carmen's better," Ivy said.
Player still maintained regular contact with the group. However, he was reluctant to share his latest intelligence of V.I.L.E.'s activities when Carmen was still out of commission.
"What would Red want us to do?" he asked, using his nickname for Carmen.
Shadowsan looked over at the couch where Carmen was sleeping. He thought about waking her to consult her, but he knew that if he did, she would feel it was her responsibility to go on this mission—unless someone else she trusted, who was competent enough to succeed, was already taking care of it.
"I will handle it," Shadowsan told Player. He stood and left before the boy could question or argue with him.
Somehow it seemed Shadowsan had reached a point of understanding with Carmen's young associates. They trusted him with the missions, and he trusted them with taking care of Carmen. He was not, in any way, taking over as the leader, but rather acting on her behalf, doing what she would have wanted.
When he was not on missions, Shadowsan took his turns caring for Carmen so the siblings could continue their renovations. She still slept most of the time. When she was awake, Ivy accompanied her to the bathroom to clean and relieve herself, and Zack tried to coax some food into her.
She did not eat much, until one day when she woke to find Shadowsan had set the table with traditional Japanese utensils. "I made you tea," he said by way of greeting.
"Authentic Japanese tea? I guess I can't turn that down." Carmen rolled onto her side and tried to push herself up into a sitting position, but her arm trembled under her weight. Shadowsan reached out one arm, a silent offer. Carmen sighed and allowed him to help her sit up.
"I feel like a little kid again," Carmen muttered as she accepted a cup of tea. "Whenever I was sick, either Coach Brunt or one of my nannies would be there taking care of me."
Shadowsan said nothing, but he thought of his brother, who had taken care of him when he was sick when he was growing up.
"It's funny," Carmen reflected. "You never seemed like the parental type. But all along, out of all the teachers, you were the one who really cared."
When she had finished two cups of tea, Shadowsan asked, "Is there anything else you need?"
Carmen settled back against her pillows and said, "Tell me again about how Japan was made from a spear."
After a moment Shadowsan smiled and nodded. "According to legend …"