Death City
The later Kid is defined by an environment of PvP danger, automated systems, Dr. Lockage, Five and the question of how a child navigates a world whose rules are simultaneously explicit and unreliable.
A repeated role, not a recovered identity
The recurrence of “Kid” is interesting precisely because it is generic. The 2022 work already knows there have “been a lot of Kids.” The later character therefore belongs with recurring youth/childhood structures without becoming a secret sequel protagonist by editorial fiat.