The Price of Honor
Chapter 6
"This match has brought the Muscle League on par with the Legacy of Doom with two wins each. It will now be up to their final tag teams to decide the victor-"
"What's this? Doc Nakano, Kevin is down!"
"What? How did that happen?"
"I don't know… but it looks serious."
Anything else the announcers had to say was lost in Kid Muscle's mind as he knelt down by his fallen tag team partner. What in the world happened? Kevin defeated both Terrance and Scorpion almost effortlessly. This certainly was not the toughest fight the prince had ever seen him involved in. He knew the Englishman could take much more than what had been dished out during the match.
So why was he laying so limply?
"Great kid, you killed him," Dik Dik's voice emitted from behind him.
"I didn't kill him!" Kid defended, panic beginning to set in. "I didn't make him fight that match by himself! He could have tagged me in if he wanted to!"
"It sure is strange…" Meat murmured as he climbed into the ring and knelt by Kid and Kevin. "Kevin doesn't look injured, and I didn't see him sustain any kind of heavy damage in the match."
Checkmate turned his head and out of the corner of his eye watched as Terrance half-crawled out of the ring. A weakened Scorpion followed. Executioner, Poltergeist and Vampure didn't lift a finger to help their injured comrades. Mech made a weak effort by grabbing onto Scorpion's arm as he slid out of the ring beneath the ropes. "Perhaps they hath poisoned him somehow?"
Meat shook his head. "I doubt it. They didn't know that Kevin was going to be here. For all they knew, they had this match won. Besides, if they were going to try something like that they probably would have made sure Kevin wouldn't last through the match. Otherwise, what point would it make?"
Kid looked at his small friend. "Then…what happened?"
"I don't know, kiddo," the trainer could only shake his head. "I really don't know…"
Croe's heart pounded in his chest not from exhaustion but the overwhelming worry on Kevin's behalf. He had a bad feeling. Kevin was a strong fighter, but he could also be extremely rash at times. The diagnosis might have sent him over the edge and compelled him to do something irrational that could have serious consequences. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of running, he arrived at the arena. Rushing in, he looked through the crowds and bright lights to the ring with the hopes of finding a match still in progress, with a healthy albeit tired Kevin standing at the sidelines.
Hopes were quickly dashed as he found the horde of Muscle Leaguers huddling around what appeared to be a fallen chojin. Even from far away, Croe knew who it was.
"Kevin!" Within seconds the distance between them was covered. In one swift motion he slid in under the ropes. The group parted so that he could get through. Without even looking at them, he pushed himself to a kneeling position by his fallen companion's side. Gently he placed his hands on Kevin's shoulders and gave him a shake. "Kevin!"
There was no response. Croe leaned back and looked over him. Although he had few obvious injuries, the young chojin's breaths came in short gasps and his limbs trembled slightly, as if adrenaline was still coursing through his veins.
Meat had remained where he had knelt, and looked over at Croe who had taken Kid's previous position. "Do you want me to call an ambulance?"
He shook his head, turning to regard the manager as if just now realizing his existence. "No…he's already been to the hospital and they found nothing…"
"What?!" Kid cried.
Jeager and Checkmate looked at each other.
"So zat meins Kevin's sick?" The German asked.
Croe didn't answer. Instead he placed his hands on either side of his friend's covered face and looked into the black void where his golden eyes normally glowed. "Kevin, can you hear me?"
Still no response.
"Good going, Kid. Kevin was sick and now you killed him," Dik Dik stated.
"I didn't know Kevin was sick!" The prince waved his hands frantically. "You guys didn't know either! It wasn't like it was obvious!"
"Do not fret, Kevin hath no intentions of tagging you in," Checkmate said comfortingly. "So it doth not matter anyway."
"How could ze doctors find neithing wrong? Look at 'im, zere is obviously somezing wrong…" Jeager shook his head.
As if tending an infant, Croe gingerly gathered his friend up in his arms and lifted him up. "Your concern is much appreciated but no longer a necessity. I will attend to the situation."
Dik Dik tilted his head slightly. "What are you going to do?"
There was a slight pause. "Doctors have not been able to find anything and Kevin is too weak for long distance transportation. I will…find something."
"How about we all chip in for a hotel where you two can stay until Kevin's strong enough?" Meat suggested.
Kid Muscle blanched. "All of us?! How much would that cost?! I don't have a very high allowance…"
Croe stood in silence, cradling his enervated friend.
"It's the least we could do. If Kevin hadn't helped us, I don't know what we would have done," Meat pressed.
"Alright."
Stepping into the living quarters of a rather large and luxurious hotel suite, Croe gently laid his friend on the soft cushioning of a massive couch. Afterwards, he turned to look at Meat and Kid Muscle, who had accompanied him to this point. The others had run off to accompany Wally with visiting Terry in the hospital.
"This is quite large… Are you sure?" Croe turned to face them. Being a bit of a vagabond left the older man with little in the way of pocket money. Until that moment, being one that cared little for material wealth he had no need for high sums of money. Never would he had been able to rent a suite like this.
Meat smiled. "Yeah, it's the least we can do. Feel free to stay as long as you need to."
"Thank you," Croe said with a nod, indicating his appreciation. With that said, the prince and his less elevated manager departed. Once they had left, he knelt down and tried to make his weakened companion more comfortable. Kevin had still not yet awakened despite Croe's urging, and his lack of any kind of response caused the older man increased worry. With the gentleness of a mother tending a sick child, he removed the Englishman's chest armor. He had considered removing the cold, metal mask but finally opted to wait until Kevin could wake up and give his consent. It would not have been the first time Croe had seen his friend without it, but nevertheless he didn't want to shame or disrespect him by removing his symbol of honor.
After completing the task, he gently laid his fingers along Kevin's throat, noticing that his lymph nodes were swollen. The hollow sound of his breaths against the interior of his mask and the slow rising and falling of his bare chest were his only signs of life.
What's wrong with you, Kevin...?
The doctors had stated that the infliction was only in his mind…that could not be possible. There was just no possible way he could make something like this up. With that in mind, Croe couldn't help but wonder...
Perhaps his ailment was psychological stress manifesting itself into a physical form? Before this illness had first manifested itself, Kevin had regularly overworked and abused his body to exhaustion. Maybe his gross mistreatment could have weakened his immune system, allowing some new, undiscovered disease to take hold of him? Physicians didn't know everything, new ailment are reported on a regular basis.
Knowing this and listening to the hollow breaths of his dear friend, a new and terrible question entered his mind.
Was Kevin dying…?
Are you saying that there is something mentally wrong with my son?!
There is nothing medically wrong with him…
Chojins diagnosed with mental disorders were often highly looked down upon by society and each other as a symbol of weakness. With all of the torment most chojins are forced to endure, many do fall under the pressure. But for one of the Mask family…
Robin closed his eyes tightly. He sat alone in his small, dark hotel room accompanied only by scattered bottles of alcohol. The old chojin drank very seldom, and only under extremely stressful circumstances. Having only just begun, the liquid was not yet given a chance to take effect.
The only noise and light source in the room emitted from a moderate television set. The volume was turned low, so as to not disturb Robin's destructive train of thought.
Mental illnesses in general were often caused by severe childhood stress and abuse. What if…his tough and outright cruel method of training was the cause of Kevin's malady? His wife, as well as his old tag team partner Warsman, had left because they could no longer deal with him. Unfortunately, only many years later was Kevin able to escape his strict hand. Could the problems between them cause consequences this severe? At the same time…would his malady bring shame and ruin to the privileged Mask name? Finally…was honor really, really that important?
…despite what Kevin has said and done, he really does want you back in his life.
A sudden, flickering light on the television caught the old man's eye, and he turned his crimson gaze to the monitor. With a press of a button on the remote, he increased the volume to an audible level.
"-just in. After a match against the Legacy of Doom, heavyweight chojin Kevin Mask collapsed in the center of the ring."
Robin's blood ran cold. The monitor displayed the final five minutes of Kevin's match. The Englishman watched in a quiet mixture of pride, awe and horror as his son single-handedly defeated the tag team and his following collapse.
"As of right now the reasons are unknown. As soon as his whereabouts and condition are reported we will keep you informed…"
The reporter began to babble about other matters, but her words did not reach Robin's ears. Kevin had fought that match valiantly, despite his fatigue, despite his illness.
…Kevin needs you more now than he ever had.
For once in the legend's life, honor was no longer a concern.
His first and only son needed him, and he was going to be there.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kevin's eyes slowly opened. It was only a minute victory, for although he was awake, he seemed to have absolutely no strength. He responded very little to any kind of stimulation, and didn't speak.
But he was awake, and for that Croe was thankful.
"Kevin...?" He sat down on the edge of the couch, looking down at his enervated comrade. The Englishman laid there limply, his dim golden eyes the only signal that he was, indeed, awake. Dressed only in pants with the pink x's along the legs, he was laying with his legs and head slightly elevated by pillows, with a blanket covering him up to his bare chest. One of his arms laid across his chest, the other by his side. Croe rested his fingertips on his friend's palm. "Can you squeeze my hand...?"
Slowly, Kevin's fingers closed around his hand. A sigh escaped the older man. Another small victory. Listening to his hollow breaths, muffled from the iron mask, Croe looked into his friend's half-closed eyes.
"Do you want your mask on or off?" No response. "...squeeze my hand once for no, and twice for yes..."
Slowly, his fingers gripped and released Croe's hand, twice. With a small nod, the older man reached forward and gingerly pulled his companion's mask off. Kevin's face was covered in sweat, his wet hair plastered to his skull and he looked up at his manager with glazed, half-closed eyes. It had been almost an entire day since his match, and his vigor had barely returned at all...
Gently he ran his fingers through the Englishman's damp, blonde hair. Kevin's eyes closed, apparently quietly enjoying the gesture. So strange it was...under normal conditions he was not an affectionate man. Kevin would regularly shrug off a hand on his shoulder or shy away from an embrace, as he often found them constraining and disarming. He allowed very few people to touch him without severe consequences. That knowledge made the simply motion especially intimate... This was a side to him that few would ever see.
"Are you thirsty...?" There was no response. Kevin had fallen back asleep. For now it was probably for the best. His strength had been completely and mysteriously sapped by that fight and from whatever ailment gripped him, and he could use all the rest he could get. Still...with him being so weak, Croe couldn't help but worry...
What if Kevin didn't wake up...?
Shaking his head to banish such forbidden thoughts, he pushed himself up off the couch and headed into the kitchen. It had been awhile since either of them had eaten. Opening the cabinets, the manager looked for soup or something along those lines. Unfortunately, suites don't stock themselves, so there were very few things inside. Most of them were not likely edible or digestible. With a sigh, he closed the cabinet. It was moments like these he dearly wished Robin Mask was here. Croe was afraid to go to the store and leave Kevin alone in his condition, and he was much too weak for travel. Finally, being in such a frail condition, the Englishman really did need his father for emotional support. Even if he was barely conscious, Croe had a feeling that his comrade knew on some level that his parent had abandoned him...
For now...how was he going to handle this lack of supplies? Truly, he should have thought of it sooner, but his worry for Kevin had outweighed any logic he may have had before. Even at that moment, anxiety still threatened to short circuit rational thoughts.
His mind continuously and rebelliously repeated the same horrible and frightening questions...
Could the doctors be wrong?
Could this ailment be some new disease that had not yet been discovered?
Was Kevin dying...?
A knock on the door pulled Croe from his dark thoughts. He made his way out of the kitchen and to the living room with an air of confusion.
Who in the world could that be?
He opened the door, his eyes widening as they took in the image before him.
"Hey..." Robin Mask said wearily. "...am I too late...?"
Author's Notes: I've heard some very interesting guesses as to what Kevin's illness could possibly be! They're all very good ones (even the pregnancy one, which isn't such a crazy speculation because _anything_ can happen in fan fiction! o.O ) You guys are still welcomed to guess if you think you know what it is! I hope you liked this chapter and I'll have the next one up as soon as I can.