Work Text:
Kevin stood next to Riko, smiling his press smile and keeping still as their photo was taken. It was for a sports magazine, an article about promising youth players.
Kevin and Riko were better than any other exy players their age, and many players older than them, too. They were the sons of exy, Kevin the child of one of the founders and Riko the nephew of the other.
"We're done! Thanks for being so good about me being late." The photographer was half-addressing the two boys and half-addressing Tetsuji Moriyama, stood off to the side.
"It happens. Riko, Kevin, thank Miss Harriet for her time."
Kevin grinned at her. "Thank you!"
His face went blank as they left the building, entering the car and sitting next to Riko. The two of them were inseparable, connected by their shared love for the sport. They'd grown up together after Kayleigh Day's tragic demise, and trained hard until they were as good as they were now.
...At least, that's the story the media were told.
Kevin was asked about Kayleigh sometimes, and he had all the answers memorised.
Do you miss her? Of course, but she lives on in the heart of every exy player.
What kind of mother was she? Busy, but she always had time to play exy with me.
Why did she keep you a secret for so long? ...
Kevin always told them it was to protect his privacy as a young child, but the truth of the matter was that there had been no son to hide. Kevin was no more Kayleigh Day's son than he was the child of every scientist responsible for borrowing her DNA and creating him in the lab.
They exited the car, walking through the familiar white doors. Kevin stayed at Riko's side as long as he could, until they were separated for whatever tests the scientists wanted to do that day.
Tetsuji spoke to the head scientist for a moment before leaving, only interested in them when they had a match or a media appearance. If Kevin didn't know better, he wouldn't know that Riko was practically the man's clone, for the sheer lack of emotion when he looked at him.
Kevin sat on the medical table, keeping his arm still as the scientist took a blood sample. He wasn't gentle about it, but Kevin had gotten used to the harsh grip and rough stab of the needle a long time ago.
"Where's the subject's data from last week?" Another scientist asked.
"Should be in the cabinet."
As usual, they didn't expect any input from Kevin as they worked. After the blood test, Kevin was taken to the gym, to test his performance. One scientist stood next to him as he ran on the treadmill, and then moved on to other equipment, issuing commands and making sure Kevin didn't slow down. Another scientist stood next to the machines, monitoring Kevin's heartrate and other vitals.
Once he was done, Kevin's legs felt like lead, chest heaving as he tried to stay standing. He always had to keep going until he was at his limit, but he hadn't actually fainted in a few years. The scientists had gotten good at knowing when to stop.
"Subject is improving at the expected rate. Physical stats are significantly above average for its age." The scientist waved his hand dismissively, permission for Kevin to sit down, and he knees lit up with pain as they hit the floor, kneeling and desperately trying to get his breath back.
"At a certain point, won't people get suspicious?"
"The schedule accounts for that. Speaking of..." The scientist walked over to the other side of the room, glass and metal clinking. Dread settled in Kevin's gut. He squeezed his eyes shut, hands shaking.
"Subject KD-S. Remain still." Unyielding hands gripped his shoulder, not giving him an inch to pull away even if he tried to. Not that he would. Kevin knew better.
The pain of the needle paled in comparison to the fire that followed, spreading through his arm and into his chest. As soon as he was released, Kevin's body went limp, collapsing onto the ground.
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. Kevin whined, trying to keep quiet and failing. His skin felt clammy even against the cold tile, and he could barely move any of his limbs, heavy and locked up and it hurt.
Some of what enhanced Kevin's abilities was genetic modification, and some of it was chemical. Like this liquid agony, administered regularly.
Kevin's vision blurred, tears dampening his face and mind unable to focus on anything. He thought that maybe he could hear footsteps, the scientists leaving. Kevin's fingers twitched against the ground, aching to curl himself up into a ball, but unable.
Instead, Kevin laid sprawled on the floor for several hours, until his body finally gave in and he passed out.