When the Man in the Iron Hat recruited him, Renato had been more exasperated than anything else. He didn't need some creepily knowledgeable guy to tell him he was the Greatest Hitman in the World. And he certainly didn't need other people hanging around. His opinion on the necessity of their presence never changed, but over time Renato did start to appreciate that they made it easier than doing everything himself would have been. The others of the supposed 'Strongest Seven' are good at their jobs – even the civilian driver. Lal Mirch is a professional through and through; Renato has no complaints beyond the implication that he would ever need help (also her little stalker/minion is a bit annoying). Verde is an asshole and a know-it-all, but his inventions are useful and impressive. Viper is a greedy jerk, but actually does know everything. Skull is a whiny civilian, but the best driver Renato has ever worked with (not that he is ever going to tell the stuntman). Luce is sweet, brave, and undeniably beautiful; honestly she scares him, there's no way the Donna of the Giglio-Nero is actually that innocent.
Fon interests him though. Renato had expected someone competitive and high-strung; but the martial artist seemed to have the characteristics of the much rarer Inverted Storm. But only at first. The man hid it well, but the longer Renato worked with him, the more obvious his obsessive perfectionism and single-minded dedication became. The Storm covered it with a carefully easygoing and slightly absentminded veneer. Fon's skills are highly impressive as well. But Renato has dealt with countless skilled individuals with unexpected personalities. The thing that fascinates him is the way Fon uses his Flames.
Renato has made his career using Flames people think of as passive and defensive in a manner that is actively offensive. Sun Flame users are thought of as healers, and when they're combatants, they use their Flames internally to enhance their bodies. Instead of Activating his own strength or a body's healing, Renato Activates his victims' heart rates and his own guns – sending bullets flying faster than physically possible and leaving people bleeding out at impossible speeds.
Storms are traditionally offensive combatants, generally long-range and known for leaving dust in their wake. It wasn't too unusual for them to be in close combat, but Fon's method was different from any Storm Renato has ever seen. The martial artist is precise, never using more force than absolutely necessary. And keeping his Flames so tightly restrained, Renato hardly knew they were there. Renato has also never before seen Storm Flames used for internal enhancement.
Maybe that's why Renato offered to heal him that first time. Not healing people is an important part of the hitman's reputation. No one should ever look to him for comfort; the Inverted Sun is supposed to be a source of unavoidable fear – a force of nature. Never one of his Typical nurturing counterparts. But this man he finds himself working with is like him. So much so, in some ways, that Renato just knows that Fon will never take his help for granted or expect it as his due. When Renato lets his Sun flow over the young man, Activating the natural healing process, it is because he wants to and no other reason. Fon thanks him; making no mention of the way the Sun and Rain had been shielded by his Storm. As if the martial artist didn't even realize that he had held a small army off their backs.
Maybe that's why Renato keeps offering.
Not always, just when the young man had broken bones or would draw unnecessary attention by looking like the victim of domestic battery. The hitman always excuses it as simple efficiency – getting his teammate back into the field as fast as possible. It doesn't happen very often, Fon is the Greatest Martial Artist in the World, after all. And Fon taking him up on being healed is even more rare. Especially given the team's odd scheduling. They spend a month together, training and running missions, then they spend a month doing whatever it is they do on their own time. Renato works hard to keep up his reputation as a freelance hitman who is beholden to no one. Viper tends to disappear so they can get information, only reappearing so they can sell it. Verde has a lab somewhere that he works in. Skull does his stunt shows. Lal (and her fanboy) do assassinations and security stuff for whoever can afford them. Luce has the Giglio-Nero to run. And Fon goes back to the Wo Hop To Triad.
It's a workable arrangement, and Renato appreciates how it keeps life interesting. Also most of the 'Strongest' are so high-strung, it's almost too easy to mess with them.
