Chapter Text
Momentum stopped where he was, his breath catching in his throat as he watched his partner in the bright outdoor marketplace. Amidst all the people and colors, Renegade blended right into the crowd like he belonged there.
He moved through the crowd like the blade of his knife cut through flesh and muscle: smooth, sharp, uninterrupted. He stopped at a stall selling locally grown fruits and vegetables, taking a moment to chat with the stall owner.
There was no way that Momentum could hear him over the din of the marketplace, but he imagined the sound of Renegade’s laughter as he clapped the stall owner on the shoulder like they were old friends. The stall owner’s wide returning smile and laughter proved that Renegade was still as charismatic as ever, even just before starting a job.
Momentum took a moment to just be there in the moment, to observe and admire his partner. He didn’t think he would ever get over how pretty Renegade was and how lucky he was to have Renegade as a partner.
If Master ever found out, the punishment for his distraction would be devastating. But the temptation to just watch Renegade when in his flow was too hard to beat.
“Constant Vigilance.” Renegade had once teased him – privately; always privately. Most of his interactions with Renegade were private.
There was no illusion that Master didn’t know the relationship the two had. Hell, he had even used their relationship against them as punishment more than a few times. But so long as they didn’t prove that it was a distraction, so long as they kept it private and quiet, Master let them be. A sort of on-going reward that Momentum couldn’t help but to be thankful for.
Especially since Renegade was Master’s favorite of the two. Renegade was always the one who made Master the happiest. Renegade was the apprentice Master wanted. Renegade was the one who was always tasked with the important aspect of their jobs: the job itself.
Momentum had been told enough times that the only reason he was around was to support Renegade. He was mere support. It was his job to make sure that Renegade made it back to Master. That Renegade was in top form and ready for whatever Master had planned.
And Momentum didn’t mind. His speed and own unique talents made him great at quickly neutralizing threats to Renegade. He liked being useful because if he wasn’t useful then Master would have no need for him. And if Master had no need for him, then he would be forced to leave Renegade. And he couldn’t leave Renegade alone. Not when Renegade needed him.
The corners of Momentum’s lips curled upwards as Renegade scanned through the marketplace, his gaze falling on him. Out of everyone present in the busy marketplace, only he could recognize that the smile he gave the stall owner was practiced. Renegade was hurting, but Momentum would take of that soon enough.
Renegade nodded to something that the stall owner said and then carefully pulled away to practically dance through the crowd in an evasive maneuver in case anyone other than Momentum was watching him. Renegade was always so sure of his movements. Every move he made looked natural and flawless; like fluid motion was something that was ingrained into his very DNA.
Whenever Master made them spar, it was always a task to hit Renegade despite Momentum’s advanced speed.
Momentum knew this song and dance from years of experience and met up with Renegade at the fringes of the marketplace.
“You watch me like you’re a man in the desert and I’m a bottle of water.” Renegade teased, knocking the back of his hand against Momentum’s chest twice in a playful gesture that would have gotten them both in trouble if Master were around to see.
“Just awed by your magic with people.” Momentum answered truthfully. “C’mon, I’ve already got us someplace to stay.”
That someplace to stay being one of their Master’s many, many safehouses. But it had always been Momentum’s job to stake out the safehouses first and ensure they were still secure for Master and Renegade.
He was expendable. Master and Renegade were not.
“Someplace nice?”
“It’s down by the river.”
Renegade wrinkled his nose and Momentum’s heart fluttered at the action. He always liked jobs where they were without their Master precisely for this exact reason. Renegade always seemed more human without Master looming over them.
Momentum collected every moment and held them close and dear in his heart and mind like they were gifts. It was proof that they were more than what Master made them. More than their empty memories and lost Befores.
Momentum directed them down an alley before spinning around to Renegade and cupping his cheek. “I know.” He idly played with a strand of Renegade’s raven dark hair. Renegade’s fake smile softened and eased into something real and believable as he turned into Momentum’s hand. He closed his eyes, his lashes thick against his tanned cheek just a few seconds too long to be blink. “Next time will be better.”
An empty promise, they both knew. There was no way for Momentum to guarantee what next time would bring.
“I don’t mind.” Renegade’s voice was a quiet murmur that was almost lost in the din of the marketplace they were not that far from. The sound of laughing children and stall owners shouting out their sales and wares was nothing more than a backdrop to the moment they were sharing. “As long as we’re together.”
Truth be told, Momentum had thought about leaving Master once or twice. Master had made it perfectly clear that Momentum was free to go at any time. Momentum was not wanted. But it was moments like this with Renegade that made Momentum stay.
He wanted to pull Renegade in close. To rest his cheek against Renegade’s head and reassure him that they would always be together.
Instead, he pulled away with a soft smile. “C’mon. The place I found isn’t that bad.”
And it wasn’t. It looked more rundown than it actually was. There was no way that Master would ever allow for absolutely subpar safehouses. He was above that, even if the safehouse in question was being used for his measly apprentices.
It met all the bare functionality. A coffee table that Renegade immediately dropped his duffle bag onto to, a kitchen table in the small but serviceable kitchen, and a futon.
“Extraction is in 44 hours.” Momentum dutifully informed as he checked the door’s locks and the security system for the umpteenth time.
“Target should be handled within the next 24 hours.” Renegade replied as he started going through his duffle bag and checking his weapons. “Master already briefed me. Your job is to—”
“Cause a distraction for the local law enforcement so their attention is split. Client wanted a high profile takedown.”
Renegade paused, his twin swords unsheathed and gleaming in his hands. “Gonna steal some gems for me?”
Momentum hummed. He wanted to move, to rock back onto his heels and toes to dispel the built up energy inside; but Master had broken him of that habit ages ago. He wasn’t keen to relearn that lesson. Master’s lessons were always worse when he had to reteach them.
“Was thinking about it.” He admitted after a moment. “Why, in the mood for something else? I’ll get you whatever you want.”
“You’re the one who likes souvenirs.” Renegade laughed, and the sound made Momentum’s stomach perform flips. He hummed as he thought, his gaze returning back to his twin blades as he checked them over, his hand gliding carefully but confidently down the one of the blades. “Get me something different. Something you think I’ll like. I trust you.”
Those last words sent warmth through Momentum’s body. His mind raced as he pondered what to get Renegade. He could always get him a nice knife. Master was a firm believer that one could never have too many and Renegade had always been fonder of bladed weapons over firearms.
If the gift was functional, Master might actually allow Renegade to keep it this time. That a lie he had told himself too many times at this point.
Renegade finished up his first of many weapons’ check and packed them all back up. He’d do another gear check before going to bed, and then again in the morning, and then a last time before the actual job.
He stood up from the futon and walked around it to Momentum.
“What should we do with all that free time in between?” Renegade asked as he came to a stop in front of Momentum. One of his hands was resting on Momentum’s shoulder and chest; and Momentum swore he could feel the heat from it even through the gloves Renegade wore and Momentum’s clothes.
Master would want them to train; to prepare for the next day’s events. Or, he supposed they could meditate. Neither of them were as good at it as Master, but Renegade was getting better at it.
Or…
Or he could lean down and wrap his arms around Renegade, lifting him easily despite Renegade’s adorable squeak and put him back down on the small kitchen’s counters. He fit almost perfectly between Renegade’s thighs. One of his hands slid up Renegade’s back to cup the back of his neck. He stroked the soft hair there and smiled when Renegade shivered.
“I’m sure we could think of a few things.” Momentum answered.
Doubtlessly, the safehouse had internal cameras that Master would check, but they were long past the point of caring about things like privacy. Master would be disappointed in them, yes, but he wouldn’t punish them for this during their ‘free time’. Not when they’d successfully completed their tasks thus far.
Renegade draped his arms over Momentum’s shoulders and offered a sharp but genuine smile. His bright blue eyes seemed to twinkle with mischief. “Oh yeah? Like what?” One of his hand tugged idly at Momentum’s curly hair.
Momentum returned Renegade’s sharp smile with one of his own as he leaned forward and lightly mouthed at Renegade’s jawline. Renegade hummed and dropped his head back, bearing his neck for Momentum to move down to.
Renegade liked it when Momentum messed with his neck, liked it when Momentum left bruises and bites. Momentum couldn’t say that he minded either way. It was nice to see his marks on Renegade, but at the same vein, he hated hurting Renegade in any capacity – even if that capacity was pleasure.
But in the long run, it didn’t matter what Renegade or Momentum wanted and liked because it was Master who didn’t like any marks he didn’t make on Renegade.
Keeping that in mind, Momentum kept his kisses and bites light and gentle, even as Renegade tugged at his hair in a bid to make him bite down harder. Momentum got down to the collar of Renegade’s civilian shirt and then worked his way slowly back up.
“Ren,” He breathed in Renegade’s ear, and was treated to another full body shudder. “You know I can’t.”
Renegade released the loudest noise of frustration. “They’ll fade.” He tried to reason. Momentum shook his head and tried to stop the protests with a deep kiss. He should have known that wouldn’t keep the protests down because Renegade immediately continued with, “We have 43 hours,” once they broke the kiss off.
“You’re gonna be the death of me.” Literally. One of these days Momentum was going to outlive his usefulness and then Master was either going to send him packing (unlikely) or put an end to him. He wouldn’t be surprised if marking up Ren too many times was his crime. “And if they don’t?”
Renegade squirmed on the counter, caught still in Momentum’s arms. “I’ll take the punishment.”
Momentum laughed and kissed Renegade again, squeezing the back of his neck with just enough pressure the way Renegade liked it. The sound Renegade let out was tantalizing.
“You won’t.” He murmured into Renegade’s cheek, lips brushing over the skin.
“I could.” Renegade squirmed again, scooting back on the counter to cup Momentum’s face. “I could,” he repeated.
“You can’t.” Momentum corrected. He sighed and started to pull away. “If you don’t want—"
“No.” Renegade whined, his hands dropping to grab at Momentum’s shirt at the same time he wrapped his legs around Momentum’s waist and locked his ankles. “Come back.”
Momentum dropped his hands down to Renegade’s waist. His thumbs slipped under the shirt and rubbed slow circles into the skin. This time the frustrated noise Renegade let out was a high-pitched whine.
Momentum hummed a long tone and then sucked on his teeth like he was actually thinking over whether to grant Renegade’s pleas. “We should probably train, or get food for dinner tonight.”
“Quit being responsible and kiss me.” Renegade huffed, tugging again at Momentum’s shirt.
“I have kissed you.” Momentum pointed out with a smile, just to be contrary and mean. “A few times now.”
He couldn’t help but to laugh at the pure petulant look that Renegade shot him, even as Renegade pushed him back hard enough for him to take a couple steps back. “Fine. Be that way.” He said as he hopped off the counter and moved to walk away.
“Ren,” Momentum caught his hand and pulled him back. The fact that he could is what told him Renegade wasn’t truly mad at him. He couldn’t make Renegade do something he didn’t want to do. “We can make out for ten minutes, but no marks. And then we do something that won’t get us in trouble.”
“Twenty and I get to mark you up.”
He could concede that. The only thing Renegade liked more than receiving marks was making marks. It wasn’t like Master particularly cared about Momentum and his appearance anyways. Momentum wasn’t meant to be seen. He was only support.
“Twelve and fine.”
“Fifteen.”
Well, it wasn’t like Momentum didn’t want to make out with Renegade. Fifteen minutes and no marks on Renegade should be well within Master’s range of acceptability. Momentum chuckled and leaned down to kiss Renegade again. “You have a deal.”
Renegade wasn’t one to waste time. That was one of the first things Master taught them: efficiency. Each of the three of them specialized in something different. Master was efficient. Renegade was grace. And Momentum was speed. Although Master had been trying to get them to be both their own trait and efficient.
Renegade didn’t always take to the training, but when it came to time limits and make outs, he took it seriously. He wrapped his arms securely around Momentum’s shoulders and hefted himself up, knowing that Momentum would automatically pick him up and hold him.
As they kissed again, Momentum put him back up on the counter. One of his hands slid from Renegade’s waist to under his thigh. He wished it was later so that they could be in their sleep clothes – or without clothes at all – so he could feel the skin under his palm. Instead, he had to make do with the feel of Renegade’s powerful thighs under his denim.
This time it was Renegade who broke off the kiss to mouth at Momentum’s jawline. He worked his way down, messily kissing and biting.
Momentum gasped every time Renegade’s teeth scrapped against his skin, arching into Renegade’s body. At one particularly sharp bite, his pressed the thumb of the hand still on Renegade’s waist into the divot in his hip, and listened to Renegade break off to keen into the air.
“You always make such pretty noises for me.” Momentum teased, pulling back just enough to duck down and pull Renegade into another kiss. Renegade licked into his mouth, almost hungrily. He sucked on Momentum’s bottom lip as they broke apart for air.
“Could make more if we had more time.” Renegade bargained before going right back to Momentum’s neck. Once more he gasped at the scrap of teeth against his skin. “Want your shirt off.” Renegade growled as Momentum once again pulled him into a kiss.
“No time.” Momentum replied. “Seven minutes left.”
“Fuck you.” Renegade’s reply was harsh, but there was little bite in it. Unless one counted the extra sharp bite right under Momentum’s ear. “Isn’t enough.”
“There’s always tonight.”
“That a promise?” Renegade tugged sharply and harshly at Momentum’s hair, making him drop his head back to allow Renegade better access to the bite under his ear.
“Mmm, you just want me to take you to pieces.” Momentum once again pressed his thumb into that divot in Renegade’s hip, and this time he held it. Renegade let out another keen, and tugged Momentum closer with his legs. “Take you apart until you can’t think about anything else but me.”
“You’re good at that.” Renegade agreed. “So good at taking care of me.” He rolled his hips, gyrating against Momentum’s. “Fuck. I want—” He bit that spot again, and this time it was Momentum who finally gasped out a pitched noise. “—you,” Renegade continued, licking and sucking at the poor abused spot.
Well, wasn’t that a boost to Momentum’s ego. Not that he already knew that Renegade wanted him. It was one of the only reasons he was still around.
Renegade kissed the spot and then kissed Momentum – mouth closed this time – and then pushed him away. “Deals a deal. Fifteen minutes.”
“Sixteen.” Momentum backed up, giving Renegade a measured look. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the extra minute you snuck in.”
Renegade grinned, all sharp and toothy before letting out a breathless laugh. “Can’t get anything past you.”
“You get plenty by me. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have gotten that extra minute.”
Renegade licked his teeth and made a humming noise that Momentum knew meant he was agreeing with him. “Ready to head back out to market for dinner?”
“Now that you’ve marked me up?” Momentum scoffed. “I’m going to look like an abuse victim in the morning.”
Renegade hummed again. “Especially if you keep your promise about tonight.”
Renegade’s words did nothing to put out the simmer of heat that had stirred in his lower gut from their make out session, but rather than act on it, Momentum rolled his eyes. “You’re a brat.”
“You love it.” Renegade kicked the air once, twice, before hopping off the counter and landing with a bounce. “C’mon. There’s more than one marketplace in this city and I want to see as much as I can before we go.” Renegade said as he headed to the door.
Momentum closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and counted to ten to allow himself a moment to get himself back under control. Once finished, he followed Renegade out the door.
“You’ll be the death of me.” He repeated his statement from earlier. Renegade only grinned in response.
They separated once they found one of the other marketplaces that Renegade mentioned, but when they were supposed to meet back up, Renegade was suspiciously absent.
Unease prickled along his spine. It was his job to take care of Renegade. If anything happened to him— His gaze darted around the marketplace as he spun in place, the few items he had found and bought hitting up against his side.
When he didn’t see Renegade, he started walking towards the side of the market that Renegade had gone. He needed to find Renegade. If he was taken or hurt or anything then Master would…. He needed to find Renegade.
His heart was beating so heavily, he could hear it echoing in his ears. He needed to find—
There.
His gaze finally fell upon Renegade standing next to a stall that had a wall of postcards tacked up. The stall owner was talking animatedly, but it was clear to Momentum that Renegade wasn’t listening to him.
Renegade was somewhere else, a million miles away.
That wasn’t good. Renegade always aware of his surroundings; was always hyper aware and hyper vigilant. Something was Wrong.
Something was wrong and it was Momentum’s job to take care of Renegade, and he was going to be in so much trouble if Master ever found out about this or if he couldn’t fix this. So. Much. Trouble.
“Ren.” He called out as he approached. Renegade didn’t even so much as twitch at his name. “Ren,” he repeated once closer. He was tempted to reach out and touch Renegade, but his instincts told him that touching him was a stupid idea. Who knew how Renegade would react?
The last thing they needed was a scene to be caused. Master would be most displeased if that happened.
“Ren.” He repeated one more time. Renegade still did not respond. Well, that left only one thing to do. He took a deep breath and then said, “Little bird.”
Ren startled, finally, at Master’s name for Renegade, but that didn’t put Momentum at ease. If anything, it made the unease worse because Master had trained them out of startling years ago. Renegade looked at him for only a second before returning his glazed wide gaze to the wall of postcards.
Momentum was at a loss. In all his years of knowing Renegade, he had never known him to look so... lost. He was always so confident and secure in everything.
Slowly, Renegade reached out and plucked one of the postcards off the wall, holding onto the postcard like it was some holy fragile relic that would shatter if he dropped it.
“My son travels the world.” The stall owner that had been talking to Renegade was peering at them with something akin to concern, but there was pride beaming in his words. “He just sent me that one.”
“Gotham.” Renegade’s voice broke as he named the city that the city scape on the postcard belonged to.
“That’s right!” The stall owner perked up. “Have you ever been?”
Renegade ignored the stall owner to look up at Momentum. “Mo, I…” The hand holding the postcard was shaking. Renegade’s hands didn’t shake. Ruined the clean cut lines. But they were shaking now, holding that postcard. Renegade’s glazed gaze flickered back down to the postcard.
Momentum didn’t chew on his lip. He didn’t fidget with the seam of his pants, or bounce up and down on his toes and heels. He inhaled sharply and against better judgement looked at the stall owner. “How much for the postcard?”
The stall owner blinked at him. “It’s from my son.”
Momentum did not let out a frustrated huff of air. “How much?” He repeated.
This was the most shaken he had ever seen Renegade, and that was including after successful jobs when Renegade was most vulnerable. He wasn’t about to make Renegade give the postcard up. At least, not yet. Not until 40 hours when Master extracted them.
He shouldn’t be doing this… but he never made smart choices when it came to Renegade.
The stall owner looked between them, the furrow in his eyebrows growing deeper and deeper with each second. He licked his lips. “Twenty coin.”
Momentum pressed his lips into a thin line. It wasn’t like they had the money thanks to Master, but that was still an outrageous amount for a postcard. Still, the come back later and steal it would only make them more memorable and make more scenes. Especially since he wasn’t confident he could get Renegade to return the postcard right now.
“Mo,” Renegade whispered. His hand was still shaking.
Momentum glanced at his shiny bright eyes and the positively stricken expression and knew he would make the amount requested. He sighed and fished out the money and then dropped it on the counter of the stall.
The stall owner’s jaw dropped, but Momentum didn’t care.
Now that Renegade was at least acknowledging his presence, he could touch him. He wrapped an arm around Renegade’s shoulder and steered him away from the stall and that damned wall of postcards.
“Gotham.” Renegade repeated, staring down at the postcard. Momentum wasn’t even sure if Renegade was aware that he was being steered through the marketplace, and the idea of that terrified him.
“Snap out of it, Ren.” Momentum hissed once they were back safely in the safehouse. He was facing Renegade, both hands on either shoulder as he gave a light shake.
“Don’t you wonder about our lives before Master?” Renegade asked suddenly, thankfully and finally looking up from the card. His eyes were clearer now than they were earlier, a fact Momentum was thankful for.
His question, on the other hand, left a sinking pit in Momentum’s stomach. This was not good.
“All the time.” Momentum answered truthfully, if only because even now Renegade could still probably tell a lie. “I wonder about our names, our friends and family. But it doesn’t matter. Nothing from before Master matters.”
It was important that Renegade knew that. Nothing from before Master mattered. Because while Momentum wasn’t wanted, while Momentum could leave… Renegade could not. Master would never allow it.
“Nothing from before Master matters… when we’re with Master.” Renegade added.
Momentum did not like where this was going.
“What if… what if we’re not with Master anymore?” Renegade continued, heedless of the turmoil his words were causing Momentum.
It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought about it. Like he hadn’t dreamed of taking Renegade and running away from Master. Renegade didn’t like to kill. He was good at it, but he didn’t like it. And every kill left him a little more broken than before.
It was killing Renegade, slowly and surely. And it was Momentum’s job to take care of Renegade. Not to mention the punishments that Master gave them were sometimes borderline torture.
The only reason Momentum ever stayed was because Renegade was staying. And Renegade would stay because there was no way that Master would ever let Renegade go. Renegade belonged to Master in a way that Momentum never could.
Momentum opened his mouth and then shut it again. He sighed sharply through his nose. “Master—”
“Isn’t here.” Renegade pressed. “And I know Gotham. I know I do.” He shook the damned postcard as he said the name of the city. “My Before is there, I know it.”
“You’re compromised.”
Renegade flinched. “Yeah.” He lowered his gaze to the postcard. “Yeah, I am.” He sighed and then looked back up to Momentum. “But I… Please, Mo. We have to go.”
“We don’t have to.”
“Momentum.”
“Renegade.”
Renegade sighed and dropped his head. Momentum’s chest felt tight from the whole situation. He swallowed thickly.
He was literally caught between a rock and hard place. No matter what he said, no matter what he did… he was going to be punished by Master. His only choices were if he was going to be punished by Master in the next 39 hours or if he was going to be punished by Master once he found and caught up with them.
Because there was no doubt in Momentum’s mind that Renegade would just leave without him, especially if he kept saying ‘no’.
“Master doesn’t like Gotham. That should buy us some time.” Renegade might have given himself whiplash from how quickly he whipped his head back up to look at Momentum.
The postcard was forgotten as Renegade surged forward, wrapping his arms around Momentum as he buried his face into his chest. “Thank you,” was whispered repeatedly like a prayer before he went up onto his toes to press a kiss to Momentum’s lips.
“Don’t thank me yet.” Momentum warned. “We might not like what we find in Gotham.”
“Don’t care.” Renegade replied. His arms slid up Momentum’s body to wrap loosely around his shoulders. “I’m compromised and you’re still…” He cut himself off to press another kiss to Momentum’s mouth.
This might be a mistake, but seeing Renegade this happy? Momentum couldn’t find it within himself to regret his decision.