Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun went down until it touched the dunes of the Páramo. The war ring managed to get ahead enough for Immortan Joe and his army to momentarily lose track of them. Angharad's death had left a void as big as the wasteland in Capable, Cheedo, Dag and Toast, but it also made them want more than ever to reach the Green Place that Angharad would have wanted to know. 

Furiosa had to make some repairs to the war ring and needed someone to watch, Capable volunteered without thinking because she needed to be alone with her pain and although she liked having her sisters close, sharing her grief, she also needed the space it gave her. loneliness to his mind dazed by everything that had happened in just a few hours. He climbed up to the lookout, which was nothing more than an old Volkswagen Beetle cut in half, leaned his binoculars on the edge of the rear window and stared at the horizon, facing the wind, letting it crash into his face, as if it could take away the pain. 

Suddenly, behind him he heard a muffled cry, so he quickly turned around and saw Nux lying in the hiding place under the seat, with teary eyes staring into nothingness. It didn't seem like just a few hours ago he had tried to kill Furiosa and hand her and her sisters over to Immortal Joe. 

“What are you doing here?” She couldn't be cruel, considering his state of mind. 

“She saw it, she saw everything...,” he responded, without looking at her, totally absorbed in his defeated journey towards Vallhala, “...my blood bag drives the truck that killed her.” His voice sounded weak and sick, you could tell he was making an extra effort to say the words and he had tears held back at the edges of his eyes. 

Nux closed his eyes tightly in an expression of regret and began to hit his head on the ground. 

"Stop doing that..." Capable requested him, who, seeing that he didn't stop, grabbed his head in an attempt to stop him, but it didn't work, he only stopped when he had given himself the blows that he thought were enough and hid her face against the faded fabric that was laid out on the floor, letting her tears fall. Capable slowly ran her hands along the side of his head covered in white paint until she reached his cheek. This contact made him look at her, revealing his enormous pupils due to the low lighting, making their way between his irises that were clear as aqua cola. 

The war boy did not know that there could be anything softer than the steering wheel of his Chevrolet Coupé until he felt Capable's hand run over his face and he raised his gaze to fixate on her eyes, surrounded by the dim light, which were observing him in a way in that no one had done it before. He was afraid of that unknown gesture, but he did not move away, because that close and unknown contact was also pleasant to him. 

Once she moved her hand away, Nux snapped out of his reverie and continued his frustrated war boy lament “the doors opened three times for me...” 

“What doors?”asked Capable, who was looking at him attentively. 

“...they were waiting for me in Valhalla, they were saying my name. He should be with the Immortan, eating with the heroes of all time.” 

Capable lay down in front of Nux, ready to have a conversation - I would say that this was not your manifest destiny - she suggested, in relation to the fact that they were heading east, where the Green Place is, and away from the West, where Find the Citadel. 

“I thought I was surviving to do something great.”  Nux's tears were about to come again, so he took a pause to make a pout, wrinkling his nose, and avoid crying again. “I drove a chase vehicle, even Larry and Barry left me alone for a while.” 

“Who are Larry and Barry?” Capable asked, afraid that the war boy had lost his mind beyond his suicidal fantasies to reach eternity. 

"My mates," he replied, making the chain on his wrist jingling as he pointed to two protuberances on the right side of his neck, on which were drawn smiling faces. 

Capable thought it was funny that he had given names and faces to his tumors, it was a good way to cope, although the initial humor quickly faded when he learned that his sick appearance was not just because of the whitish tint covering his body and eyes. sunken in black paint, but because he was experiencing a physical ailment. 

“If they don't kill me, the night fever will.” His eyes looked at different points nervously. He felt for the first time the fear of death, now that there was no longer a Valhalla, the afterlife was dark and empty. Immortan's promises of salvation could no longer comfort him in the face of the fact that his illness would take him, and he would be unable to do anything about it. Not only was there no cure, but there was also no hope in death. 

Capable wanted to do something to console him, even if it was like covering a large bleeding wound with a small cloth. Without thinking too much, he hesitantly reached out and ran his fingers over his lips, feeling the protuberances that emulated the exposed teeth of a skull, which glistened from the silver coating of spray. It was a shameless gesture towards someone she had just met and who hours before had wanted to return her and her sisters back to the Citadel, but couldn't help it. He knew he was no longer dangerous, but just a sick war boy, realizing that everything he had believed in, and thought was worth sacrificing himself for was gone. Although she was surprised at herself for having concentrated on her mouth, the scars caught her attention, she wanted to touch them to check that that particular appearance was real, but she also wanted something else that she couldn't decipher. 

Nux was seen as a disposable object, cannon fodder for the wars that the powerful started, but in which they were not going to die. His will had been molded since he was a child to convince him that he should give his life for another cause, while she was only a container for Immortan's children, so her will did not matter either. 

Nux's eyes, over which sparks of warm light danced, moved from her hand to his gaze again and again. Capable could see some fear in her expression, but he made no move to stop the contact, surprised but not wanting her to move away. He had never believed that such an approach was possible in his entire life. Feeling the sun burning his face, the engine reverberating and the wheels grinding the sand and the possibility of being in front of the gates of Valhalla were all that made him feel alive. But now, having known a gentle side of human contact, very different from the aggressive camaraderie of the war boys, he felt alive in a very different way. He had never thought of experiencing something like that, because he had never seen it, tenderness was not an option in his existence or in that world, much less coming from one of Immortan Joe's wives, who were his property. He should have gotten out of the way, but he was already doomed since he couldn't reach Valhalla, and in life you couldn't move the gear lever, push the pedal and go into reverse. He thought that at least he would allow himself to take what he would never have known had he died in his attempt at self-sacrifice: compassion. 

“I can't imagine how much it must have hurt you.” 

Her voice brought him out of his mental drowning and he hurried to respond “it's a fundamental requirement to be a war boy, when you're a puppy, you choose what marks to make, it's a way to be closer to your destiny, to Valhalla” he said mechanically, because unlike warm and gentle physical contact, he knew very well the pain of the blade tearing his skin. 

“Closer to death...” Capable murmured, lowering his gaze, remembering Angharad. 

“Now nothing makes sense, if I don't have something to die for, then I have nothing to live for.” 

“Maybe that's what it's about, finding something new to live for...” Capable pauses, thoughtful because she knows that her words can sound as hopeless as they are warm “...perhaps, dying under the orders of Immortan It's not your way...” The war boy tunes up his ears and watches her attentively, in an invitation to receive more answers. "Do you remember what they told you about what you mean to Joe?" he mentioned, leaning his head forward, staring into the eyes covered in dark fat, while, when referring to his sister, he felt like he was collapsing. 

"That we are cannon fodder..." he mentions with a low voice, as if he didn't want to hear himself. He stared at the ground, faced with describing for himself the collapse of everything he believed in and gave his life for. 

“But now you can be whatever you want,” Capable assures her. Nux looks at her and swears there are sparks in her eyes. 

Whatever you want echoes on the walls of his skull. First of all, what do you want now? The possibilities are so many, how do you know which one to choose? In fact, what possibilities exactly are there? 

He felt overwhelmed, free will terrifying when every action in his life had been based on following orders. 

“I know it's difficult, you'll have time to think about it, I won't tell anyone that you're here, however, I can't guarantee that they won't find you sooner or later....” Her warm words were like the soft touch of their hands. 

Nux wanted to tell him something, there was a word he wanted to use, but he couldn't remember what it was. Sometimes it was used among war boys, although it was strange, because in their world, where everything was determined, good deeds were only carried out in favor of the idol of their cult. He remembered the time when Slit, being a beginner mechanic, asked him for help to fix a problem in an old car that he was trying to get running. 

She almost had the word on the tip of her tongue, until she remembered it “thank you, breeder....” That adjective was as if Nux had taken the knife with which they made the cuts on his face and passed it over Capable's heart. For a moment, anger flared in his eyes, Nux noticed it, but he didn't understand what was happening, so his eyebrows arched in an expression of surprise and bewilderment. She was angry because no matter what they did, no matter how far they were from Immortan Joe, they could never escape being pigeonholed as sex slaves, or the euphemisms they used in The Citadel, like wives or nurturers, she wanted to just be Capable. She saw how Nux's eyes scrutinized her, trying to understand her, and as she looked a little further down, she noticed the scar that crossed her nose from side to side, and then she understood him. He couldn't get angry, because he had been molded into a reality in which she was defined by her role, and her role was to be a nurturer, just like him, whose role was to be a war boy. She decided to redirect the conversation to something basic that they hadn't done before, and that would be a good way for him to get to know her for who she was and not how Joe had defined her. 

“We didn't tell each other names, mine is Capable.” 

Nux ran the name through her mind, it sounded vibrant, it sounded bright, it sounded flaming, and any other adjective that reminded her of fire because of the color of her hair. It sounded like her. He would have stayed longer thinking about other words that reminded him of her name until he came out of his thoughts and saw her looking at him, waiting for him to tell her his name. 

“Mine is Nux.” 

Capable thought the name suited him, perhaps because it was short and quickly pronounced, which suited the guy he saw for the first time, reckless, speed-loving and ready to die on the road. 

“And the rest, what are their names?” Nux was curious about the names of the rest of the wives 

Capable was surprised by his curiosity, but it hadn't been the first thing that surprised her about him that day. 

“We like to call ourselves sisters, one of them is Cheedo, the youngest and most fragile, next is Toast, she knows a lot of things, she is short and quite rude too, then there is Dag, she is particularly funny, tall and thin, and as for to Angharad, she...” sadness squeezed his chest and gathered in his throat “she knows a lot and has... she had the spirit of a leader” her voice began to tremble and tears were on the edges of her eyes “she was the name of my sister, the one who...” 

Tears rushed down his face as Nux looked on, as they had done to him minutes before. What could he do or say at a time like this? He didn't want to put his foot on the wrong pedal again, since her question had reminded him of the loss of his sister. He looked at the scarf tied to his wrist that he had taken from Capable in his attempt to not be thrown out of the truck. He had kept it to prove to Immortan Joe that he had been in the war ring and seen his wives, then he tied it to his wrist again and simply forgot he had it on. 

He unwrapped it and began to dry her tears by dabbing lightly under her eyes, with the delicacy with which he would treat the injectors if he were trying to repair them, although it was a very different experience, or maybe not? Because, to begin with, he was the one who brought him the memory of his sister and he felt guilty, so he could say that he wanted to fix what he had broken in Capable. 

She looked up at him in amazement, but sadness crept up her throat and gushed from her eyes. 

“I'm very sorry about Angharad,” Nux said sadly, remembering that he had been a direct witness to his tragic accident. 

“Thank you,” she said, closing his eyes tightly, releasing more sorrow that ran down his cheeks. Nux hurried to clean them, but it didn't work, tears continued to flow from her eyes. 

“It's okay Nux, I just feel like crying,” she said with a trembling voice. 

“I have hurt you, it was not my intention to remind you of your sister...” Nux continued wiping her tears, as if doing so could take away the pain. 

She had never received that treatment from a man, if they took care of her, it was because they saw her as Immortan's property and therefore, she had to be preserved. 

She put her hand on his, who stopped the action, looking directly into her eyes, whose tears looked like pieces of broken glass. 

“You didn't hurt me, in fact, I came here to be alone and cry, because I didn't want my sisters to see me.” 

The pain had not disappeared, but the tears stopped welling in her eyes. She removed his hand over Nux's, who moved the cloth away from his face. 

“I had forgotten that this is yours...” he remembered, handing her the scarf. 

“Keep it, you've found a better use for it than me” Capable clarified and tied it again on Nux's wrist, making his skin tickle from the soft contact of the fabric. 

She could continue talking to him, but she preferred to give him the necessary silence so that he could dialogue with the chaos of her mind, just as she needs to deal with hers, so she turned around to watch the horizon again, but she felt her dress tight and she looked down, thinking he had caught something. 

“I'm sorry, I...” Nux apologized and released the piece of cloth instantly. 

“Don't worry, I won't leave,” she clarified, still confused but not wanting him to feel embarrassed. 

Reviewing everything that had happened, he became aware that he had touched the face of a war boy and talked to him as if they had known each other for a long time, and it was because he knew that, in his vulnerability, it was him who was in danger. . He had completely abandoned the purpose of his existence, which is why it awakened in Capable the desire to calm his pain, and because, although their functions in the Citadel were different, they were both objects for the benefit of Immortan Joe. 

She still feels the phantom sensation of the tight fabric, the sensation of longing for company, and she fears it, she fears that a man wants to be close to her, because when Immortan Joe wanted that, she disconnected from her body until he finished and although she knows that Nux is not him, each gesture is horribly deformed and transports her to an immediate past in which she was cared for as if she were a gold coin that, after all, was an object, devoid of soul and will. 

She sighs, trying to get rid of the thoughts that lead her to her recent life as a sex slave in The Citadel, and focuses on trusting that the war boy will know how to make the right decision, whatever it may be. 

Nux directs her thoughts towards the gesture of drying Capable's tears and taking the fabric of her dress, which were other actions that were added to her list of prohibited things that day. It had been liberating to talk to someone about what was happening to him, he had never done that, his conversations with the war boys revolved around the v8 cult, there was no room for negative feelings, just live fast and not let Larry and Barry do it to him. take before sacrificing themselves to reach the gates of Valhalla. 

He thought about Capable's unexpected closeness and his words, which helped manage the uncontrolled journey of his thoughts. Suddenly, the sensation of the touch of her fingers passing over his lips ran through him and gave him a comforting shiver. Until that moment, he didn't know what human contact could do, he only knew what driving a v8 made him feel, being an extremely precious object, just like handcuffs were, because he had grown up thinking of them as objects only possible by be seen and touched by Joe. But now everything was different, those limits were not physically defined, Capable had his back turned, a few centimeters away and when he met the warm touch of her skin and his curious and compassionate gaze, a gesture he had never received. However, the limits of his mind remained, he did not know how to handle such proximity with a human being, much less with a woman, when he had only seen dairy mothers from afar and imagined that wives would transmit a sensation like driving a v8. Although he couldn't imagine them in a specific way, because they couldn't be seen by anyone other than Joe, his children and the organic mechanic, so when he encountered them for the first time, he thought they were as shiny and chrome as a grill, and Capable's hair, shining like fire. 

He allowed himself to observe her for a moment, fixing his gaze on her flaming red hair, which shot up in wavy locks and came down in two long, disheveled braids. His heart accelerated slightly and the only thing he was sure of at that moment was wanting to be there and now, close to her. 

He stood up without taking his eyes off his hair and slowly took a strand that was behind his ear to observe it. Capable noticed and although at first, he was surprised by the sudden contact, he eventually got used to it and turned enough to look at him out of the corner of his eye. 

“Do you like my hair?” 

“Sorry, again, I...” he tried to explain himself stupidly. 

“It's okay, you can touch it,” she said, doing her the favor of not having to keep trying to justify herself and looked forward again to offer him, once again, a good view of her hair. 

He raised both hands, but, more conscious than before, he realized that they were blackened with car grease as was customary among war boys, so he immediately got rid of the idea. That would never have been a problem before, as he was used to getting his hands dirty fixing engines and installing wheels, having been an excellent mechanic before becoming a spearman and later a war boy with his own vehicle, but now it was different, I didn't want to ruin something as shiny and chrome as a grill, but so different at the same time. 

“My hands are dirty; I don't want to ruin your hair.” 

“Don't worry, it's not that clean.” She had already accepted what it meant to be in the desert, she preferred the discomfort of the sand rather than the false comfort she had in the golden cage in which she was captive and condemned to be a sexual slave. 

Capable felt one of her braids move, Nux began to outline the weave of the strands with her greasy thumb, observing how the hair crossed, generating a repetitive motif, which she related to the tire marks in the sand and its red color. intense, like the roar of an engine. 

“I've already made a decision...” Capable felt the braid fall back into place and turned to look at Nux “...I will help you get to where you need it, I have nowhere to go and, just I know I don't want to be anywhere else than here, with you.” He felt exposed and uncomfortable, but there were no other words more certain and truer than those, and, furthermore, he did not know how to lie, since he had been molded in such a way to obey someone, that he would never have had to deceive to escape from following. orders. 

He was an unwanted bustle in the war ring, he got hooked to it by his wrist chain in the attempt to bring back Furiosa and the handcuffs. He had disappointed everyone he knew, he could no longer look Immortan Joe and his fellow war boys in the face, especially Slit, so the only thing left was self-banishment. Being in that fortress mounted on two hundred and eighty horse power, he knew that, if anyone found out that he was there, he would be thrown out of the war ring as he had done before, and to his bad luck, alive, since previously the handcuffs had saved from being shot by Furiosa, but this time he would ask her to please do it. 

Capable came closer and gave him a kiss on the cheek, a gesture of affection that she knew as a child, before being kidnapped by Joe's lackeys, which she shared with her sisters and now, she felt that she wanted to share it with Nux, who shuddered. from his head to the tips of his toes, feeling the breath hit his skin. When she pulled away, he had the urge to touch his cheek to see if it had been real, absorbed by her closeness, the sensation of her smooth lips still tickling him, but just as he was about to do so, Capable spoke to him. 

“So, it's best that you stay here for now and come out when we need your help. It probably won't be for a long time.” But she felt uncomfortable sounding like I was giving her orders, so she hurried to clarify: “I mean, if that's okay with you.” 

“They'll need me to prove that I'm on their side, I understand.” Nux completed the idea. Capable smiled knowing that there was a plan afoot for him to go to the Green Place with the rest. A small silence formed, interrupted by Furiosa's voice telling him that she was done with the repairs. He took a furtive glance towards the horizon with the binoculars to check that they were still far from Immortan Joe's army and gave a knowing look to Nux, who continued to watch his hair until he disappeared into the war ring cabin. 

Chapter Text

The war ring crossed the wasteland that had been covered by the metallic blue of the night. Capable stood next to her sisters, who were dozing on her shoulders, while she held a gas lamp whose flame she did not take her eyes off, thinking about what would happen when they found out that Nux was on board. 

Suddenly, the war ring began to move from one side to the other, which altered the lamp flame and Capable held it firmly so that it would not fall. It turned out that the wheels had sunk into the wet earth. They got out and hurried to remove the spare wheels to lighten the load and thus free the truck from the quagmire. They had to hurry because Immortan Joe's army was on their heels. Max set explosives to eliminate some of the vehicles from the road and thus gain an advantage, so some were blown to pieces and others also found themselves with the inconvenience of stuck wheels. 

Finally, the war ring continued moving, but it soon became stuck in the mud again. They got out, removed the wet dirt from under the wheels, and put the door torn off from the war ring under one of the tires. Furiosa accelerated, but was unable to move the truck forward. Meanwhile, the Bullet Farmer's all-terrain vehicle approached at full speed and began shooting at them, searching for their exact location with the silver light of a searchlight. Upon hearing the shots, Furiosa got out to face the Bullet Farmer, leaving Capable alone in the cabin, who knew that this was the time for Nux to appear, and before she went up to ask for help, she saw him enter and take the control of the steering wheel as if it were made for driving. 

Nux's brain internally combusted as the V8 roared as he stepped on the accelerator, causing the war ring to break free of the quagmire. Furiosa, she rushed to see who had taken control of her vehicle, and before she could see Nux's pale figure, Capable hung on the driver's door to clarify that he wanted to help, but Max pointed a gun at the war. boy, who was expecting that reaction, so he raised his hands to show that he was unarmed. “There's high ground behind that thing”, he said, pointing to the tree he had seen from the lookout. The war boys could not access the green areas at the top of the Citadel canyons, so they were unaware of all that nature that grew when the land was cultivated. 

“He means the tree,” Capable clarified. 

“Yes, the tree!” Nux confirmed, as if he didn't want to forget what he just learned. 

That tree was dry and nothing more than a wiry, twisted hand emerging from the mud, but Nux saw in it the possibility of using it as an anchor to prevent the War Ring from sinking further into the mire. However, Furiosa wanted Nux to get out of his vehicle, but he persisted “I can do it; I know this machine.” 

“Yes, he is a good driver.” Capable supported him 

The Bullet Farmer was approaching and Max was about to run out of ammo, so Furiosa had no choice but to let Nux drive her vehicle, but she told Toast to keep an eye on him and point a gun at him. The war boy continued raising his ghostly arms as a sign of having no bad intentions and gave a quick glance at Capable, nervous about the cannon aimed at his head and because he couldn't fail in his plan to get the war ring out of the quagmire, since they were to reach them. 

Furiosa, she stood behind Max, praying that she wouldn't miss another shot, but he handed her the gun because he knew that she knew her too well to miss. He positioned the rifle on Max's shoulder to steady him and fired directly into the reflector, exploding the glass with a crystal clear sound. 

Nux came out of the cabin, drawing Toast's attention.  

“I'll put the winch around the tree,” he hurried to explain, but Max ran up and told him to drive the truck while he tied the chain to the trunk, although when he tried, it turned out to be wrong. that the chain was not long enough, seeing this, Nux thought of the chain that was jingling on her wrist and asked Capable to cut it, so she took the pliers and pierced the iron link quickly. She was the strongest of her sisters, while Toast was good at handling weapons. 

Nux's adrenaline and excitement were traveling through his veins like oil pumped through an engine, so he didn't think too much and kissed Capable on the cheek, imitating the gesture she had had with him hours before, which he understood as a token of appreciation. When he approached her cheek, some reddish strands brushed against her face, tickling her. He received the heat emanating from her skin and noticed a pleasant smell that she did not know, but that was attenuated by the dirt that the desert left on people. 

Capable saw him approaching and automatically turned his face away, because it reminded him of when Joe approached his face, which made his heart pound in his chest and his muscles turn to stone. But it wasn't until he felt the light touch of her lips torn with scars and the soft breath brushing the skin of his cheek that he knew that this time it was something different. His muscles softened and his heart calmed because of the pleasantness of that fleeting kiss. 

The war boy felt the happiness of helping instead of fighting following orders, but, above all, he felt the happiness of having Capable by his side and working with her as a team. He ran to give the chain to Max, calling him a blood bag, because he was not aware of how inconsiderate that adjective could be, although he would have called him by his name if they had had the chance to know. Max received the chain and tied it to the trunk of the tree and then gave Nux instructions to accelerate the truck. Time was running out, but with Capable sitting behind, it gave her confidence to be able to achieve it. He put his foot on the accelerator and the war ring managed to move forward a little, but it retreated back to where it was. 

The hail of bullets began, Max ran behind the tree while Furiosa did the same to protect the wives, indicating that they all hide under the truck. 

Nux closed the cabin door and continued accelerating, but the vehicle remained stalled. Max hugged the tree to make it heavier and anchor it to the ground, Furiosa helped by pushing the truck forward while Toast, Cheedo and Dag fled from the shooting. 

The war ring was so heavy that it began to tear the tree from the ground. Max clung to the trunk while the bullets hit the ground, sending him flying in all directions. 

Finally, in an attempt in which Nux placed all his hopes, he pressed the accelerator and managed to free the wheels from the mud. Max hurriedly climbed onto the cabin window, from where Nux emitted a triumphant laugh. 

“I never thought I would do something so impressive”, he expressed excitedly to Capable, shaking his head in disbelief, while she looked at him smiling, happy to see him more animated than before. Furiosa asked to the war boy how the engines were “very hot and thirsty,” Nux responded, and Capable's warm breath passed through her head, hitting her cheek, making her feel chills, but she got rid of those sensations quickly because she couldn't. It was time to accommodate them. 

However, there were still vehicles chasing them and it was getting closer, so Max told Furiosa to start the truck for half a kilometer to cool the engines, and if he didn't return, they would continue on their way. He planned to finish off the vehicle that continued to pursue them, although without the Bullet Farmer. 

Nux ran in front of the war ring to direct Furiosa down the path. His lungs did not fill with enough air, so he had to inhale long to achieve oxygenation, that was another consequence of his illness in addition to his tumors, which he hoped would not consume him before reaching that Green Place that they talked so much about. I wanted to help and be useful. 

They stopped the war ring once it was a safe distance from the Bullet Farmer's army. Nux added distilled water to a container to add to the engine, while Dag poured breast milk onto the supercharger, the heat of which caused it to evaporate instantly. There was an explosion in the distance, and they feared the worst, but through the smoke they saw Max approaching with blood on his head, a handful of things and the steering wheel of the vehicle he had just blown up. He handed the steering wheel to Nux, who took it and looked at it in disbelief. "Shiny and chrome," he thought as he studied the skull ornament. Max threw the other objects he was carrying on the ground, such as a bullet belt and the cloth that wrapped a couple of objects, among which there were weapons and a boot for the war boy, who threw it towards his chest and he looked at him gratefully. , since his foot was numb and in pain from stepping on the cold sand of the night desert. 

In a snap, Nux put the steering wheel in the war ring, the skull's nuts-and-bolts eyes staring at him and making him feel as excited as he did in his war pup days, when he was starting to learn how to drive. 

The truck made its way through the desert again, passing through a foggy place, inhabited by crows, dead trees, and strange thick-furred creatures that walked on stilts and seemed to be searching for something on the ground. 

The sisters commented on what those creatures they had seen a few kilometers ago could be, they were excited about the Green Place, Nux wondered if the vehicles there used v8 engines, and although Furiosa confirmed that they did not, he felt excited to see a place different, since the infinite sand of the wasteland was all he had seen, and from afar, the green of the crops of the Citadel. As for Max, he listened silently as usual. The conversation faded as time passed, Cheddo was the first to enter the world of dreams on Toast's shoulder, who fell asleep looking at the night landscape, while Dag and Capable stayed talking imagining what the night was like. clothing, architecture and general culture of the Green Place, while Furiosa clarified some doubts. But at one point, when Capable was wondering about music and if she could play some typical instrument, she didn't get an answer, so she looked towards Dag and saw that she was asleep on Cheddo's shoulders. He smiled as he saw his sister resting after such a hard day and thought about how much he wished Angharad was there too. Talking with her sisters had distracted Capable from the enormous void that her sister's death had left, but once there was silence, she began to feel the pain invade her again. 

“Do you play an instrument?” Nux asked, who had been listening to the conversation attentively. 

“Yes, the guitar.” Perhaps, it was the only thing I was going to miss about being locked in a fish tank. 

“Like The Doof Warrior?” He wanted to know, referring to the blind guitarist who played chaotic music to embolden Immortan Joe's army. 

“Something like that, but my guitar doesn't need electricity,” she clarified. 

“You could teach me how to play it if they exist in the Green Place.” 

“Of course, I will do that.” Capable looked into his eyes, over which the Moon shone in a small flash. He hadn't realized how close they were until that moment. In the cold of the night, Nux's body emanated a surprising warmth, even as he sat on the side of the cabin where the door had been torn off, where the cold night air entered. Suddenly, Capable broke eye contact to cover his mouth due to an unexpected yawn, causing the war boy to also yawn reflexively, which made them both laugh. 

“Good night, Capable, Furiosa, blood bag.” He wanted to continue talking to her, but because of Larry and Barry, his physical strain had been greater, especially on a day as hard as that, so he leaned back and leaned his head towards where the door should be, leaving let the noise of the V8 engine lull him. 

“Good night, Nux,” Capable replied, and saw him close his eyes. His face was illuminated by the ghostly blue of the night and his eyelids, completely blackened, made him look like a real skull, but his slow breathing, the heat he gave off and the memory of the furtive kiss on his cheek made him see the humanity in the mortuary aspect of Nux. 

He looked back at his sisters and when he leaned down to put his head on Dag's shoulder, he heard Nux's muffled and raspy voice. “You can sleep on my shoulder if you want,” he invited, resting his right arm along the seat. 

Capable looked at him and her cheeks matched the red of his hair. 

When Nux was going to ask her why she was so red, he saw her slowly lean towards him, feeling the touch of her carmine hair on her skin, which made the blood rise to her cheeks, turning red and warm, which made him made Capable understand. But his blush intensified when her shoulder brushed his chest, observing how the metallic light of the moon was reflected on his copper skin. She looked at him for a few seconds that seemed like hours before slowly closing her eyes. Capable's temperature was colder so Nux hoped that being close to her would help raise it and as for himself, he prayed that neither Mare, nor Larry and Barry would bother him in his dreams. 

Furiosa, she watched them in the rearview mirror and turned her gaze toward the vast night desert. 

The morning sun hit the metal of the war ring, Furiosa had her gaze fixed on the road and was absorbed in her thoughts. Silence reigned in the cabin and only the continuous sound of the wheels crushing the sand could be heard. 

Capable still had his head resting on Nux, the sisters were still sleeping as was Max, who was so quiet that Furiosa didn't realize when he started to rest until she turned around and saw him leaning over the passenger door and his eyes closed. 

Suddenly Max screamed, he was sweating and shifting in his seat and opened his eyes looking around with a raised fist. Furiosa, calmly, she told him to rest, understanding perfectly what he felt when memories took over his dreams, turning them into nightmares, making him relive the pain again and again. 

Once Max snapped out of his reverie and his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he asked — how do you know the green place exists? 

“I was born there,” she answered without taking his eyes off the road. 

“And why did you leave?” 

“I didn't leave, they took me when I was a child, they robbed me” Furiosa revealed, looking towards the side of the road, where the dunes were, remembering the motorcycles of Dementus' lackeys fleeing with her and being chased by her mother, Jabassa. 

“Have you already done this?” 

“Many times...” she responded, overwhelmed by her failed attempts and continued, “now that I drive a war truck, it's the best opportunity I'll have.” 

“And them?” Max asked, pointing to the wifes. 

“They are looking for hope.” 

“And you?” 

“Redemption.” That word resonated in Max's mind; it was the one that best described why he chose to help Furiosa in her attempt to return to what had been her home. They were both looking for the same thing and were more similar than they thought. 

Nux's sleep was interrupted by the voices of Max and Furiosa. The word "redemption" remained reverberating in his brain, perhaps, he was looking for that too. He looked at Capable, hoping he wouldn't wake up and stay this close for much longer. She took a moment to watch as the morning sun illuminated her face, like sand glistening in the ultraviolet rays, and her hair, turning it a vivid, flaming crimson. He followed the direction of the strands of hair that framed her face, falling down her neck and shoulders, whose warm tone contrasted with the spectral white that covered it. Suddenly, he saw a beetle crawl up Capable's arm, his stomach growling as a reminder that he hadn't eaten in two days, so he put his index and middle finger together and put them in the path of the insect, making it climb on them. and he put it in his mouth. Water and food were scarce, and I wasn't going to waste the opportunity to consume a good amount of protein, so any living thing in the desert was potential food, plus I had already lost a lot of weight because of Larry and Barry. He could continue to weaken, since they had not yet reached their destination, and he wanted to be able to see The Green Place with his own eyes and appreciate the happiness on Capable's face. 

A little later, the sisters also woke up when they heard Furiosa and Max. Capable moved over Nux and when she opened her eyes, they received the rays of the sun, which made her close them again and rub them. Once he got used to the light, he bid the war boy good morning with a look and a smile that Nux returned. 

The truck stopped at the top of a large dune. Furiosa was sure she was close but not sure which direction to go, so she looked out the roof of the cabin with binoculars. 

“What's that?” Toast asked. Furiosa looked towards bright flashes coming from a metal structure, which brought back vague memories of the Green Place. 

“I remember something like that,” he said, his heart racing with joy, and pressed the accelerator to direct the war ring there. 

As they approached, they were able to see that at the top of the platform there was a naked woman with extensive black hair asking for help. Max realized it was bait instantly. 

“Stay in the truck,” Furiosa said without taking her eyes off the woman. Having the impact of memories flooding her mind, she jumped out of the war ring to begin speaking out loud “I’m one of the Vuvalini!, of the Many Mothers, my initiation mother was KT Concannon, I am the daughter of Mary Jabassa , my clan was The Swaddle Dog!” That was how the black-haired woman, who was sitting, stood up, and with her hands in her mouth, she made a sound that was like a primitive call. Suddenly, some motorcycles appeared from the dunes, splashing the sand with their rear wheels. The woman climbed down from the metal structure using a rope, got dressed and ran up to Furiosa, at whom one of the motorcyclists was pointing a harpoon. 

“It's me” Furiosa insisted to the black-haired woman, who still recognized her with her adult features and began to greet her as the Vuvalini did, placing his forehead on hers, crying with emotion, making her wrinkles appear. They looked at each other, and he hugged her tightly. It was Valkyrie, Furiosa's best friend and the one who was saved from being taken by Dementus's allies when as children they were collecting fruit far from their homes in The Green Place. 

“There's something in her eyes, maybe she's Jabassa's child.” One of the women pointed out as she took off the goggles that protected her from the sun and sand. 

“This is our Furiosa,” the woman said, breaking the hug to appreciate that, without a doubt, she was her friend. “How long has it been?”  

Furiosa had kept count “seven thousand days, longer than I can remember,” she responded, overwhelmed by how long she had been away from her true home. 

One of the women asked “Furiosa, what happened to your mother?” 

“He died on the third day.” All the women raised their hands to make the gesture of taking something in the air and closed their fist to bring it to their chest, a gesture that Furiosa remembered and imitated before the attentive gaze of the sisters, especially Capable. 

“Where did you come from?” 

“From the West, from the Citadel, beyond the mountains.” 

Once they believed it was the right time and without wanting to interrupt Furiosa's reunion with the vuvalini, everyone began to get out of the war ring, although Max only looked out the door. 

One of the old women asked who the men were, alarmed by their presence, but Furiosa was quick to tell her that they were trustworthy and that they had helped them get there. 

Toast, the most confident, was the first to approach the Vuvalini and tried to touch the cartridge of bullets that one of them carried, fascinated by the amount of ammunition, but the old woman hit her on the hand which made her jump on the table. sand and then started laughing, something Toast also did, understanding that it was a joke. Dag was made to open his mouth to check his state of health and the woman with long gray hair was surprised by his full, shiny teeth like porcelain, while when one of the old women checked the softness of Cheedo's hands, she asked who they were. Those creatures seemed to them from another world, clean, ethereal with their light, light clothing, without a layer of dirt covering their skin, which was smooth and tremulous. Max and Nux distanced themselves, Capable was incredulous and did not get too close, out of fascination and fear of something she had never seen before, since the vuvalini were free women, with skin tanned by the sun and dirty due to the harsh conditions. living conditions, while they had water at their disposal permanently and could clean themselves whenever they wanted, but they lived locked in a hell full of cotton. Furthermore, they drove motorcycles, no one was anyone's leader and there were no men, something totally different from what I had seen and known, since women in The Citadel were a minority and had very limited roles according to their gender. 

“I can't wait for you to see it,” Furiosa expressed enthusiastically. 

“See what?” asked one of the old women. 

“Our home, the Green Place,” she said, smiling, confused by the question. 

“But if they came from the West... they already passed it,” said one of the old women, and Furiosa felt like a dark smoke burning her throat. 

“The crows, that scary place with all the crows...” Dag remembered. 

Capable couldn't believe what he was hearing, he looked down and saw the tears melting into the sand, the pain felt heavy and crushed his lungs. Suddenly, he felt Nux's hand on his shoulder and he mentally thanked her for being there. 

Furiosa, she looked down and felt herself disappearing like footprints in the sand. 

“The ground... “” 

“We had to leave the place...” 

“We didn't have water...” 

“The water was dirty, poisoned...” 

“The soil was infertile...” 

The voices became distant echoes. Furiosa she could swear her chest and throat hurt and her eyes burned. He looked out over the vast desert, visualizing in the wasteland what was once the Green Place, covered in plants, crossed by a river and surrounded by fruit trees. 

She needed to get away and walk along the desert, she took off her prosthetic arm and fell to her knees on the sand, releasing the regret of her body in a scream of anger, but also of sadness, being surrounded by the particles of sand that the wind rose, as if they accompanied his pain. 

Max watched her from the war ring, empathizing with her pain, which was that of having lost her mother, and also, the place that was once her home, because he had not been able to protect her loved ones. Nux, for his part, did get off, but he also kept his distance. 

He stayed in the truck, keeping his distance from the vulvalini because they were not used to the presence of men and because he preferred to give them space during their reunion. 

Furiosa, she sat in the sand, trying to deal with the idea that everything that had once been her home had died. 

“He needs to be alone...” commented one of the old women. 

Max finally got off the war ring, which made the vuvalini not take their eyes off him to observe each of his movements, still distrusting his presence. His mouth felt pasty, his tongue stiff, so he went to the water tank hose and turned it on to quench his thirst. The sound of falling water made everyone present, apart from the vuvalini, not take their eyes off Max, who consciously stopped drinking and asked, “do you want?” 

Dag was the first to approach, followed by Cheddo and Toast. The vuvalini looked at each other, doubtful, but they understood that Max was being kind to them by sharing what was the liquid gold of the wasteland, even more so than gasoline, and they left. coming little by little. 

(Listen to No Light, No Light by Florence + the Machine) 

“Let's go,” Capable indicated to Nux as he hurriedly took a few steps forward, but he remained still. 

“What's happening? Capable asked.” 

“They shouldn't waste all that water...” Nux murmured. 

“Waste it?” she repeated surprised. 

“I shouldn't drink water, I'm fine.” 

“Nux, since I met you haven't drunk anything, you must do it or....” He stopped, because didn't want to mention that word. 

“I'm used to it, I only drink water when I start to feel dizzy.” He interrupted her. 

“What? You must hydrate every day Nux.” 

“We war boys can endure days without drinking water, otherwise, you will become addicted.” 

“I don't think those are your own words...” Capable assured in a soft voice. The war boy remembered what Immortal Joe had told them since they were war puppies: “Do not, my friends, become addicted to water, or it will take hold of you, and you will resent its absence.” 

“It's not a good idea to wait until you feel dizzy to drink water," he clarified, trying to sound patient, hiding the hatred that was burning inside him for Immortan Joe and his brainwashing. 

Nux looked at Capable to see if what he said was true and saw that he was staring at him with the compassionate eyes that only she had ever seen him with. 

“Your body is made of seventy percent of water, not drinking enough will hurt you,” she continued. 

“Like an engine with a lack of oil...” 

“Exactly,” Capable confirmed with a smile that lit up Nux inside, although she didn't fully understand the comparison. 

“Come on...” she said, taking him by the hand, and he let herself go, electrified by Capable's warm and smooth skin. 

The last of the vuvalini had finished drinking water and passed the hose to Capable, who offered Nux to be the first to hydrate, —no, you first—he gave up. The conditioning he had been subjected to would not be reversed so easily. 

Capable brought the water to her lips and began to drink in quick sips, for she was thirsty. The liquid splashed on his face and ran down his neck and chest in small droplets. Nux could not help but follow, hypnotized, the path of the drops on the coated skin, which shone from catching the sunlight. When the drops were absorbed by the white fabric that covered the bust, he immediately came out of his reverie, he thought that he should not fix his gaze anywhere else but on Capable's chrome face, so he felt embarrassed and looked up. to see his expression of pleasure due to the refreshing sensation of the water. 

“Your turn,” she said, bringing the hose to him from where the water fell onto the sand in fits and starts. 

Nux took it, let his dry, chapped lips get wet, opened his mouth to let the water in, and took a small sip that soothed his scratchy throat. He was thirsty, but he had been raised so that his brain did not respond urgently to this need. He thought he'd had enough, so he turned off the faucet. 

“You can drink whatever you want, Nux,” Capable assured him, knowing that he was limiting himself, and he turned on the hose again, causing the water to gush out again. 

Nux approached slowly again, let the water wet his lips, and took a sip. Although he still wanted to stop drinking because he felt guilty, Capable's words echoed in his brain “you can drink whatever you want.” So, he took another drink, but his thirst asked for more, so he took one after another thinking about the oil running through. the gears of an engine. He drank until he knew he was satisfied, then lowered the hose and turned off the faucet. 

“See? there's nothing wrong with letting the water quench your thirst,” Capable commented as she looked at him smiling, happy at what was a great advance for him. 

Nux felt something he had never experienced before: being satiated. Quenching his thirst was gratifying, a pleasure very different from what the war boys could aspire to, which had to do with driving a v8 and dying to reach Valhalla. 

He felt brand new, like a well-oiled engine reverberating happily, ready to begin a long journey, although he wondered where they would go now that The Green Place no longer existed, he only knew that wherever Capable went, he would accompany her. 

As he watched her smiling expression, Capable saw something move at the bottom of Nux's face and directed his gaze towards it. It was a drop of water running down the side of his mouth, then, in a reflex action, he wiped it with his thumb before his eyes. surprised look from Nux, who shuddered like every time she broke the distance. 

When Capable finished cleaning the drop and without removing his hand from his face, he looked at Nux, who was serious and still as a dry tree. 

“You just have a drop here...” without thinking too much about what she was saying, she looked towards his eyes, surrounded by dark mist, which highlighted even more her deeply blue irises, which looked like a pool in which she wanted to immerse herself. and he moved closer, as if he could really jump and get lost in them. 

However, she saw that Nux was still stiff and with a nervous expression, he did not want to make him feel uncomfortable and apologized by removing his hand from his face. He was worried that he had started unwanted contact, something he knew very well. He blamed himself for acting without regret, but when he was around Nux, he wanted to break the distance between the two with small gestures, even if he wasn't fully conscious at the time of doing so. 

The war boy's reaction was because he still didn't know how to act in the face of Capable's proximity, but he wanted to tell her that he didn't mind her touching him, in fact, he wanted to be as close as he could, but he couldn't find the words, because in the that had been their world until recently, did not exist. 

He could only say “it's okay, it doesn't bother me.” And he went on to imitate the gesture by wiping a drop that ran down Capable's chin, whose eyes lit up in a smile that Nux returned. That's how they understood that they didn't need excuses to touch each other. There was no need to be afraid or have to explain. 

She leaned closer to his ear to whisper, “I would kiss you right now.” And made small electrical bursts shake the war boy's back. Capable would have done it if they weren't for too many pairs of eyes surrounding them. 

Chapter Text

In a few hours, the sun began to set between the dunes, giving way to night. Furiosa had approached the group, talked to them about what she had planned to do, and consulted with the vuvalini to clear her mind about what path to follow. Max was a little far away, on a motorcycle, concentrating on marking a fabric with black ink. 

Nux and Capable were listening to Furiosa's conversation with the vuvalini under the light of a gas lamp and covered by a large gray cloth, made of fine, rough wool. Capable was worried about where they would go from now on, what the destination would be if the place they dreamed of reaching, the one Angharad wanted to know, no longer existed. 

“We will continue the journey towards the East, we will pass through The Plains of Silence, I don't know what will be beyond, but it will surely be better than what we left” Furiosa raised her voice. They all agreed that if there was no Green Place, the only option was to continue forward and hope that the path held some hidden paradise, where the land was fertile, and water was available. At that moment, hope was all they had, but it had been that way ever since Furiosa tried, like so many other times, to go with the wives to the Green Place. But Immortan Joe was still on their trail and would soon appear with his army. 

Capable was afraid that everything they had sacrificed, and Angharad's death, would be in vain. At least, she thought, she had tasted what freedom was like with her sisters, and wanting to be close to someone of the male gender without fearing them and without wanting to distance themselves but separating was still a possibility if Immortan found them. She looked at Nux, who was attentive to the conversation, and took his hand, causing him to look at her, surprised by the sudden contact. Capable wondered if this was the last night, if there would be more after that in which they could be together with Nux. 

“Come with me...” she said, and he simply followed her, not quite sure what Capable was planning to do, but eager to find out. They stood up carrying the blanket and the gas lamp. They entered through the war ring cabin to climb more easily towards the old Volkswagen, broken in half, that served as a surveillance post, the place where they had their meeting alone. 

“Let's look at the stars from here,” Capable pointed out, sitting down, putting the lamp on the floor and raising an arm covered with the blanket, inviting Nux to stand next to him, to which he agreed, excited by the invitation. 

Capable leaned against Nux's chest as he had done the night before and they wrapped themselves around the warmth of the fabric. 

“Mrs. Giddy taught us about the constellations, I hope she's okay...” she said, darkening the expression on her face, because most likely she would have already been murdered. 

“Which one does that big bright star belong to?” Nux asked, whenever he looked up at the night sky, he was fascinated by its light, brighter than the rest. 

“It is from the constellation of Aquarius, in a supergiant star called Beta Aquarii.” 

“And that one over there, what is it? It has the shape of one of those ancient horses.” 

“It is the constellation of Centaurus, it is a mythological creature from the disappeared Greek culture, it is half man and half horse.” 

“Incredible, so shiny and chrome, you are very intelligent Capable.” 

“It's just that they taught us different things Nux, you can keep learning, I'll teach you more things.” After saying this, a feeling of emptiness came over her, wondering how long Nux could continue to resist in her weak state of health. She took a moment to listen to his heartbeat, resting her head on his chest. He closed his eyes because they started to glaze over and prayed to whoever was listening that wherever they went they could find a cure for him. 

The war boy looked down at her, surprised by that gesture, but it felt good to have her closer, and he continued looking up at the night sky. 

Capable wiped away the tear that dared to slide down her cheek, she didn't want to cry at a moment like this, but rather enjoy his company, because she didn't know when the last chance would be. That night I wanted to spend time alone with him, and, if he felt up to it, give him a kiss. 

She began to analyze the drawings that Nux had on his chest “what do they represent?” 

“It's a v8 engine” Nux responded, directing his attention to the shapes etched into his skin. 

“What part is this?” 

“These are the cylinders and pistons, this is the engine block, the valves, the spark plugs, the crankshaft, cylinder head, camshaft, the combustion chamber and the crankcase, among others, but these are the most important” Nux indicated, pointing out each of the parts as if it were a map. 

“I see, and there are 8 cylinders, arranged in the shape of a V,” said Capable, who took off the brown leather glove he was wearing on his right hand to begin tracing the protuberances with the tip of his finger, which triggered electrical sensations. all over Nux's body. 

“Good observation,” he responded, trying not to notice the tremor in his voice, and noticed a drawing that Capable had on his ring finger, like a strange idea of a ring. 

“What does this mark mean?” 

“It's a tattoo to indicate the order of who were the favorites for Immortan Joe, the first was Angharad” answered Capable, stretching his fingers so that he could better see the number two written in the Roman way. 

Nux took his hand and ran his index finger over the mark to test its texture. 

“This is how they mark blood bags, but on the back, does it hurt?” 

“They are done with a needle by injecting ink into your skin, it hardly hurts, it is not what has hurt me the most during my time in that place...” Nux didn't need me to say more, he understood it perfectly, but it still bothered him how many things he had ignored were wrong for much of his existence. She looked at Capable, who continued to concentrate on the reliefs etched into her skin. He observed how the snowy light of the moon was reflected like small stars in her eyes and dyed the tip of her nose silver and her lips, thin and harmonious, he wondered if they were as soft as they seemed. He leaned down and slowly guided his hand towards them and outlined their shape with his thumb. Capable looked at him, surprised but not displeased. Although the war boy's hands were covered in car grease, much of it had been removed over the nearly two days he was away from the Citadel. The war boy ran over her lips slowly, hot, wet breath touching her fingers. Capable stared into his eyes, trying to figure out what was going on in his mind, but Nux was too focused on his lips, watching them curl as he ran his finger over them. She remembered the kiss that Capable had given her on the cheek with those lips, and the one he had also given her, imitating her. He thought about how it would feel if this time, instead of her cheek, he kissed her mouth. Her lips were soft and red like the rind of an apple and just as tempting. 

Capable was surprised by the war boy's gesture and wondered if he would be the one who would finally kiss her, she was expectant and eager. If he didn't dare, she would take the initiative. 

Although hesitant, Nux removed his hand and moved closer, causing their breaths to collide. He saw Capable close her eyes and did the same, closing the distance even more, to the point where he could inhale the air she released. Their lips finally met in a warm kiss that felt like electricity gushing and spreading through every inch of their bodies. 

He didn't want to separate himself from Capable's lips, but he had no idea what to do, until he felt her open her mouth and catch his lower lip between hers, he tried to do the same with hers, who smiled against his lips. Capable caught his lips again, this time opening her mouth a little wider and tilting her head, he imitated her, improving a little from the inside time. And so, they continued, the silence of the night was interrupted by the sound of their mouths separating to take in air and merge again. The war boy soon learned to kiss, mimicking every movement of Capable, who felt that she wanted to devour him, because the movement of her lips, although clumsy at first, made her light up like the fire that the gas in the lamp gave life to, and Nux was that gas, who, for his part, only knew that he wanted to be as close to her as humanly possible and a kiss like that felt totally different from any physical contact they had had before. 

Nux remembered what he had heard in his days as a mechanic from other colleagues who were learning the trade about what gave rise to human beings. They commented that a man and a woman approached until they are left not even a centimeter of distance, they kissed, and the man inserted himself between her legs, like a screw and a nut. This act had many names, among them, a longer one like "making love" which they laughed at because they thought it was ridiculous. They noted that it was very satisfying, "like driving at top speed in the desert." Beyond this simple description, Nux did not know how to identify what love or that act was and was almost completely unaware of his sexuality. When he felt like touching himself, he thought of something shiny and chrome like car grills and the smooth feel of the steering wheel in his hands. Until recently, he had not seen any women other than Furiosa, who aroused nothing but admiration in him. He wondered if he and Capable would do it and he felt fear, but excitement, whatever that entailed exactly, seemed to lead to good things and he wanted to experience them with her. 

Capable broke the kiss by separating their mouths and taking his shoulders to get up and kneel in front of him. Nux regretted inwardly, he thought he had done something wrong due to his inexperience and was going to apologize until he felt the moisture of Capable's mouth on the whitish skin of his neck, whose muscles instantly tensed. She was leaving a wet and shiny trail on Nux, who was unable to move, trapped in that sensation that oscillated between tickling and pleasure, feeling how the blood was accumulating between his legs, and he became rigid. Capable pulled away and wiped his lips covered with white paint that tasted like glycerin with his wrist. He took Nux's face in his hands and kissed him again on the mouth, which had been stripped of any trace of white or silver paint, giving him a more human appearance and revealing his skin, which, although pale, had the color of blood running through his veins, which, particularly at that moment, was running especially fast. 

Nux buried a hand in his hair, which brushed his shoulders every time she kissed him. She tangled her locks between her fingers and combed them down, feeling the texture of the waves slide through them slowly. 

Capable undid the kiss by pressing Nux's lip and letting it escape slowly, making him gasp. She would go to the next level and become on par with Nux. Capable moved away a little to reach behind her neck and untie the knot at the top of her outfit, allowing it to fall to the floor. She was backlit by the gas lamp, which covered the outline of her curves and reliefs in gold, inviting Nux to observe something more than her face and hair. Nux's eyes lowered uncertainly, feeling that it was wrong to look, but at the same time not wanting to refuse such an offer. He arrived and there they were, like two dunes embraced by the blue of the night. He wondered internally how they would feel if he could fit them with his hands and as if he read his mind, Capable was quick to answer his question and took her hands to place them on her breasts, whose hard tips were the first thing he could notice on her breasts. palms, and then perceived the creamy texture of the rest with his fingertips, which fired electrical rays that made his crotch tighten against his pants. 

Capable moved the war boy's hands up and down slowly and released them, leaving him in control of the movements. He knew he was doing it right when Capable arched his head back, letting his locks clear his neck and shoulders. 

The peaks of her breasts made him think of the berries that he had rarely eaten, because they were a luxury in the wilderness, but they were one of the best things he had ever tasted in his life, exquisite and juicy, so he felt the need to try Capable's, being more than aware at that point that the mouth could do interesting things. He took one of the lumps between his lips and felt Capable give in to a soft moan that he understood as a sign of approval, so while he savored one, he massaged the other, leaving a trail of saliva that left them shiny and hard, making them still more desirable. Capable's moans became more frequent, but he kept his tone low so as not to alert the rest of what was happening. She didn't know how Nux had gotten the idea to use her mouth like that, but she was more than grateful. 

When Capable's breathing accelerated and then calmed again, Nux placed a few kisses on her neck and wrapped his arms around her back to pull her towards him and kiss her on the mouth, making the tips of her breasts, cold from the remains, of saliva, brush against his chest, shooting electricity throughout his spine. He wanted to be able to surround her with his arms, have her as close as he could, never let go of her, and taste every inch of her body. 

Their mouths coordinated perfectly when they kissed, their naked skin touched and transferred heat to each other, they had never been so close, but Capable knew he could go further, and although being the owner of his desire was exciting, he was also afraid of the possibility of that something would go wrong because they had never taken the initiative or explored their desire. But with death hovering around them due to Nux's fragile health and because everything could end at any moment if the Immortan army caught them, he thought that, if it wasn't that night, maybe it would never be. 

Capable broke the kiss and Nux could swear he felt pain in his body when he had her away again. She took the white fabric of her skirt to begin sliding it over her hips, revealing her mons. Nux observed that part of his body with eyes of pure desire. At that point, there was no longer any trace of shame for the war boy, but rather pure desire and longing for the new things he discovered and how each one turned out to be more pleasant than the last. Capable got rid of the garment by throwing it on the floor, moved the lamp to the side, spread the blanket on the cold metal floor to lie down on the other end of the old Volkswagen and placed the tip of his finger on Nux's shoulder, who understood perfectly. the exhortation, remembering what it was like to satisfy his thirst for water as much as he wanted. This time he also felt thirsty, but to taste her. 

He dove between her legs while along the way he left a trail of kisses on her thighs. Upon arriving at his destination, he realized that its folds emulated a letter v, which he found exciting and was amused by the idea that the things he liked had similar shapes. He curiously traced the labia majora with his middle and index fingers, starting from the top down, encountering the moisture of her fluids below, he thought it was like oil, viscous and shiny. 

He began to taste its shapes and folds, making Capable arch her back and let her head fall back, moving her hips to direct her mouth to where her point of maximum pleasure was, something that Nux related to the tips. hard that he had kissed before and understood perfectly what he should do with his tongue. She became slicker and warmer, her breathing quickened, and moans escaped her throat, muffled but continuous. Nux moved faster and felt her tremble against his mouth, finally fading away and curling up next to him as his arms wrapped around her. 

The war boy tried to normalize his breathing; not only his lips, but also the tip of his nose and his entire chin were devoid of white paint, which, contrary to their ghostly color, were red because they had become irritated. He had a knot in his pants that was beginning to hurt, but he tried not to think too much about it and avoid reviewing all the angles in which he had seen Capable, letting himself be carried away by the calm of the night, with a slight smile of satisfaction. 

Capable felt overwhelmed by that intense wave of pleasure, her legs weakened, and she wanted a moment alone with her multiple new sensations, giving herself the space to enjoy them and stopping for a moment the action that had caused them. But it didn't take long for her to want to have him close again, so she gently got rid of his embrace, stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, making him open his eyes in a gesture of surprise. He ran his fingertips down her arms, running over the muscles with vicious slowness, up and down, making them tense in electric touches. When he reached the tips of his fingers, he began to outline with the tip of his index finger all the engraved shapes of the v8 on his chest and to name the parts he had memorized — here is the engine block, then the cylinder head, now the cylinders and pistons, here the camshaft, the crankshaft and finally, the crankcase - he directed his finger towards the valley between the abdominals, covered by a thin layer of grease, and continued down there. 

“This part is called the navel,” he said in a funny tone, and continued until he came across some hairs that seemed to indicate that he should continue moving forward. Nux felt like his pants were tearing and the pain was getting worse, he couldn't control his breathing, and he felt a mix of pleasant sensations, but also frustration. 

He reached for his belt and began to unbuckle it and then slide the heavy black pants loaded with buckles, which when thrown to the side, hit the ground producing a metallic sound. 

Nux felt vulnerable and exposed, because of her nakedness and because Capable had in front of his eyes what her touch caused him and showed how much he wanted her in every possible way. She had never seen anything like it, since with Immortan, she didn't want to look or feel anything, just separate her mind from her body as much as she could. He thought it was strange how it seemed like a completely independent part of the rest of the body, but he knew that this was how men got when they were sexually attracted, and he wondered what it would be like to try it. But as he glanced sideways to the right, Capable's eyes dulled and the corners of his mouth faded into a sad expression. He found a couple of lumps like the ones on his neck. 

“Nux, I didn't know, I... it’s hurt?” 

“Sometimes, especially at night, but don't worry,” he insisted. 

“You're sure?” Her eyes began to look like glass covered in raindrops. 

“They won't hurt if you don't touch them, and even if they hurt, I wouldn't care,” Nux assured. Much of the existence of the war boys was based on relating pain with pleasure, since being branded like cattle, cuts on the face and scars like tattoos on the skin were one more step towards the glory of Valhalla. 

“I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you, it's better to stop.” Capable decided, releasing a tear from his left eye. 

“They already took away my sleep at night, and part of my life, I don't want them to take this away from me too.” Nux wasn't going to turn back “Please, don't stop.” 

Capable swallowed hard to suppress the anguish that welled in his throat and Nux slowly wiped away the tear with his index finger. Capable looked him straight in the eyes, hugged him and gave him a soft kiss, then went down, put his hand on the member and ran it from bottom to top, receiving the heat it emitted, and then taking it from the base and inserting the tip into his mouth. He covered more of his length as he discovered how far he could go without drowning. Nux felt the moisture of his mouth surrounding him, rising and falling. She leaned her head back with her eyes closed and started moving her hips when she wanted him to do it faster. Her strands of hair tickled his stomach. But Capable stopped before making her climax, as his intentions were different. 

She sat on his legs, which were crossed. She took the limb and after inhaling and exhaling long, she slid it inside her, feeling how it encompassed her completely, while Nux found her warmth and humidity enveloping him, which made him sigh deeply. Capable put his arms around her shoulders and Nux did the same with her back, standing face to face and very close. Just when he thought it couldn't get any better, she started moving up and down like a piston, slowly but steadily. They kissed with their emboldened breaths meeting each other and told each other everything with their eyes and with their bodies. Nux was completely under the control of his hips thrusting and sliding over his length and width. She drove and he was her spearman. 

They were like two pieces fitting together perfectly, like nuts and bolts. Capable's rounded shapes rose and fell suffocatingly against Nux's chest and came to touch his neck. He tasted them again, kissing, massaging and imprisoning their peaks with his mouth. 

So Capable continued, moving in and out, slow and then fast and then slow again, causing the waves of pleasure to spread like ripples in the sand and he changed gears, now going from front to back. 

The war boy's back was imprisoned against the cold metal of the Volkswagen's skeleton, but that sensation was mitigated by the heat that their bodies gave off. Meanwhile, he ran his fingertips down Capable's back, following the path that led from her spine to her hips. 

Nux kissed her devotedly as her hips moved on him faster and faster, their kisses interspersed with labored breaths and sounds of pleasure. Touches of red invaded Capable's face, her pulse accelerated and his blood began to run faster as she melted inside. Nux felt that his cheeks were burning as well as his hard part and his heart seemed to want to jump out of his chest. 

Capable contracted in flares of satisfaction, fighting not to moan louder. Nux felt his blood pooling and like he was going to explode like the daytime fireworks used in the wasteland. He held her closer to his body to feel her completely, noticing her heart as restless as his, her tender belly meeting his, whose muscles were contracted. He took one of his buttocks with one hand and brought their sexes even closer, while Capable roughly wrapped his neck around his neck, trying to draw him closer to her. Their mouths were so close together that their teeth were almost knocking together. You could feel the sound of their bodies breaking into a frenzy. Nux felt Capable tremble in spasms that imprisoned him, and he filled her inside, in bursts of pleasure and abundance, while his entire body shook in time with hers. Then, he felt like dying, being guided to Valhalla by the Valkyries, he crossed one of the shining golden doors entering the hall, where he sat at one of the large tables together with the einherjar and drank mead from a shining cup, letting the taste invaded him completely. Cool water gushed from the antlers of the Eikpyrnir deer and he tasted the steaming boar meat, melting in his mouth. He was overjoyed and full of joy. 

They fell into a deep sigh, exhausted, trying to normalize their breathing and heart rate. They embraced each other in the pale moonlight, enveloped by the fire of the lamp. They covered themselves with the blanket and stared at the sky again, dazzled by its beauty and calm, then a shooting star crossed the sky. 

“Make a wish,” Capable suggested. 

“I already have everything I want,” he responded, turning to look at her while drawing a smile. 

“I love you, Nux.” 

Suddenly, the war boy understood what's mean love. 

“I love you too, Capable.” 

She wanted to hug him and kiss him as she had done minutes before, but she limited herself to planting a soft kiss on him and that's how, witnessed and surrounded by the moon and the stars, they fell asleep. 

The blue sky broke through and the sun illuminated everything, hitting them in the eyes. Capable covered his face with his hand and shifted under the blanket while Nux turned around to protect herself from the light. She looked at him, opening her eyes a little and saw clearly, in the morning light, how the paint on his face had been left, erased from the tip of his nose, his mouth, its surroundings and his chin, so she She gave a small laugh, which made Nux look at her, opening one eye with difficulty. 

“What's happening?” he asked and covered his mouth to yawn. 

“The paint has disappeared from your face in some places, and even from your shoulders.” 

“Can it be fixed?” he was alarmed, because didn't want to be asked uncomfortable questions. 

“Let me see, sit down.” They both stood face to face with their legs crossed. 

She began by dragging the paint from her forehead, temples, and cheekbones toward her mouth and chin, then ran a finger from between her eyebrows to the tip of her bare nose to cover it again. Taking a closer look, he could see that the paint had also disappeared from the areas of Capable's neck that Capable had kissed, his shoulders, which he had clung to, and his chest, which he had moved up and down against. It was a type of dry touch paint that adhered very well to the dermis, so it was a bit difficult to spread it, but it managed to cover the areas with the necessary amount. Finally, he distributed the whitish color to unify the tone. The touches relaxed him and made his engine reverberate, but in broad daylight, there was nothing he could do about it. 

“You need help too,” Nux said, holding back her laughter and began to remove the paint that she had on her lips, shoulders, chest and arms with the piece of cloth. Nux's touch on her skin tickled her stomach, but it was no longer the time to pay attention to them, so she just stayed still and looked to see if she had paint anywhere else. 

“See, I told you you'd put it to better use than I did,” Capable stated when the war boy finished cleaning off the paint. 

When they finished, they quickly dressed and came down from the war ring to meet Toast, Dag, Cheddo, Furiosa and the vuvalini having breakfast, while Max, as always, was a few meters away. 

They were gathered without help with breast milk and some hard masses that did not seem very appetizing to the eye, but hunger, especially after two very busy days, and for Nux and Capable, after a very particular night, made them want to fill their stomachs whatever and whatever. 

After finishing breakfast, they prepared for the long journey and handed out the motorcycles. Nux and Capable got on it because they weren't enough for everyone, but at the same time it was a good excuse to continue together, although everyone at that point knew that there was something between them because they were always next to each other. They were silent witnesses of a bond that emerged in the most hostile conditions between two people who seemed very different, but who shared a lot in common having been harmed in different ways by the same person. Everything we experienced in those days made it seem like weeks. 

They began the trip, leaving the war ring behind, traveling a couple of meters to the east while from the top of a dune, Max observed the cloud of sand raised by the motorcycles, until he heard the empty and distant voice of a girl who was getting closer and closer, asking him where he was, which made him turn back, then he heard the same voice, begging for help, coming from another side, and again behind him, the voice asked him that he would help them, that he had promised to do so, and so, all those pleas mixed around him, locking him in, spinning him around and invading his head. Until suddenly, the girl appeared, with lifeless skin and purple spots under her eyes, who made a quick movement with her right hand and for a second, Max saw the executioner of his loved ones under a mask whose holes only his cold eyes were visible. The road warrior was so afraid that he covered himself with his forearm, but nothing and no one hurt him. He was going to sigh in relief until, in the distance, close to the mist of sand that enveloped the motorcycles, he saw a figure walking towards him calling him, it was the girl, whom he could no longer help, because they were the relives resulting from what the trauma had done to him. But there were people he could help, and they were heading east quickly. So, without thinking further, moved by the possibility of helping those who needed it and to seek some kind of consolation or redemption, he took the motorcycle that the vuvalini had left him and quickly headed towards Furiosa and the others, who, upon seeing him approaching, they stopped the march. 

Max approached Furiosa and showed her the map that he had been drawing with a needle the night before, and pointed to the Citadel, indicating that that was the path he should follow. Furiosa, she slipped away like a piece of gear and asked, incredulously, if they would return. Toast couldn't believe it and Dag commented that he didn't think he was crazy anymore. Surprised comments invaded the calm of the desert and Capable decided to get off the motorcycle to better listen to the conversation, since she and Nux had been last in the caravan. 

“And what will we find there?” asked one of the vuvalini. 

“Pastures...” Max indicated. 

“And water, there is a ridiculous amount of water and many crops” Toast added. 

“It's got everything you need, if you're not afraid of heights,” Dag commented, thinking of the seeds the vuvalini had been saving. 

“Where does it come from in water?” one of the old women inquired. 

“They pump it from the depths of the Earth, Immortan Joe calls it cola water and hoards it, and since he owns it, he owns all of us,” Toast continued. 

“I don't like him anymore,” the old seed keeper muttered, thinking how good it was that Immortan took water from the earth and used it to water the crops, unaware of all the horrors he carried out under his regime. 

The Valkyrie shook her head. “It will take us two weeks to surround the wall of mountains,” she commented worriedly. 

“No, I suggest we go back the way we came, through the canyon,” Max clarified, and looked at Furiosa, to see what she thought of his plan. But she was staring at the sand, trying to process the risky change of plans. 

“It's open, we know that, right? He brought all his battalions through,” Toast remembered. 

Max nodded in response and added “we take the war ring and attack through the middle of everyone...” 

Capable was overcome with a chill at the thought of returning to the Citadel, if everything went wrong, it would be the end, they would return to their life as slaves and Angharad's sacrifice would have been in vain, Nux would be executed if he did not die before reach the Citadel, the same for Furiosa and Max. 

(Listen Villains Of Circumstance - Queens of the Stone Age)

Nux looked at Capable trying to guess what he was thinking and found fear and confusion on his face. He had the same fears, but he was aware that death hovered around him like crows with lives cut short in the wasteland. Larry and Barry wouldn't allow him much time to live, so he would settle for allowing Capable to lead a free life. She had given him a new reason to live as well as die. I wanted to continue knowing every corner of her way of being and not leave a part of her body unexplored, but I also wanted her to never be a slave again. 

Max's plan was extremely risky, it could only go very well or very badly. But on the other hand, to travel one hundred and sixty days across the Plains of Silence was to embark on an uncertain destiny, and Nux did not know if he would live long enough to see Capable find a safe place in which to settle and live out the rest of his long life. with her sisters. Perhaps the way forward was not to run away from Immortan Joe, but to confront him and send him to Valhalla once and for all. 

He touched Capable's shoulder to let him know he would be by his side, and Capable turned his worried eyes to him and placed his hand on his, caressing it subtly. 

“...we can uncouple the tanker and as it passes, close the path behind us,” Max explained. 

Nux felt Capable tremble slightly, so he moved his hand from her shoulder to her hands and she intertwined their fingers tightly. Wherever they went, they would do it together. 

“Kaboom!” exclaimed the old woman, making an explosion effect with her hands. The vuvalini laughed and Max looked at her with a small smile and pointed at her, indicating that he had understood the idea. 

Capable undid the grip by sliding his fingers, looking at the war boy gently to indicate that everything was fine and headed forward, where Furiosa was, because she had the last word, and she wanted to see in his face what weighed on her. mind about the new plan, finding himself with a doubtful expression. 

“And how will we take the Citadel? Assuming we're still alive,” Furiosa asked. 

“If we block the passage, it will be easy, there are only very sick war puppies and war boys left to fight...” Toast indicated “...and we will be with Nux, a war boy, who will be taking us home, returning what was stolen as is his duty.” 

Everyone turned to look at Nux, who didn't feel comfortable with so many eyes on him, but the truth is that Max's idea was convincing to him and made him perceive something that he didn't think he had known before, or at least in a long time. 

“Yes, it sounds like hope.” He exchanged glances with Capable and prayed to the gods that his decision was the right one. 

“I like this plan, we can start again, like old times!” said the guardian of the seeds and was surrounded with an arm by the Valikyrie, who was excited at the possibility of being able to carry out The Green Place again. 

But Capable was far from sharing the enthusiasm because he knew who had the final decision, so he stared at Furiosa, who was still hesitating. 

“Look, it will be a difficult day, but I guarantee that driving one hundred and sixty days in that direction...” Max pointed to the Plains of Silence “...there is nothing but salt...” then he pointed towards the Citadel “...at least this way, you know, maybe we can... together...” he made a gesture of joining his hands “...find some kind of redemption.” 

Everyone fell silent waiting for a response, letting the silence of the wasteland invade everything again, until, in a gesture of mutual agreement, Furiosa raised her hand to shake it with Max. 

This is how the seed lair, Furiosa, Max, Nux and the sisters went up to the War Ring, while two of the Vuvalini were in the observation tower and the rest got on their motorcycles. They began the journey back to The Citadel. Dag prayed to whoever was listening, making hand movements of prayers from the different religions that Mrs. Giddy had taught them. 

Capable was still afraid, her rapid breathing showed it, and Nux approached her ear to whisper, “You'll be safe,” it was more of a promise to her than an affirmation. 

I hope you do too," Capable answered quietly, catching him with her gaze, as if begging him not to die. The war boy didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't want to see her eyes fill with tears either, so he took her hand again and Capable intertwined their fingers tighter than before. She knew very well that Nux could die, so as long as they were close, she would cling to him as long as possible, as if it would extend his life, as if it would save him from death, and, perhaps, she was not wrong. 

“When you're safe, I'll lock the accelerator and follow you...” Nux assured Capable, looking at her so intently that she felt she knew everything that was going through her head at that moment. The time had come to separate. 

Capable looked uncertainly at Nux and then at Cheddo and one of the vuvlaini, who was hurrying her along, warning her that they were about to reach the entrance to The Citadel. A part of her brain told her not to go away, that it was better to stay close to Nux, but she didn't want him to worry, so she finally listened to him and left through the roof, but not before turning around to plead with him. The look that she didn't die, he also looked at her, assuring her that everything would be fine, that she should trust. Finally, Capable had to turn around to cross to the other vehicle, fear shaking his heart and squeezing his chest. But Rictus, who they thought was dead, got up, stood on the hood and ran after her, so Nux suddenly braked to prevent him from crossing to the other vehicle and overtaking her. Rictus was about to fall, but Nux didn't make it, although she was relieved when she saw Capable climb onto the trunk, being helped by one of the vuvalini and Cheedo. 

To get rid of Rictus, the war boy decided to perform the same maneuver as before, so he accelerated, trying to brake again to make him fall, but he, with his brute strength, grabbed the supercharger and tore it off, causing fire to come out and the Sparks and pieces of metal will hit the windshield. Nux knew it was over, if Rictus killed him by throwing the supercharger at him, he wouldn't be able to stop him from reaching Capable and the rest. She wondered what she would do now, her heart wanting to jump out of her chest and forgetting to breathe. 

Nux raised his trembling hand pointing at Capable to say “witness me.” 

Now she knew it too, it was the end. He made the gesture of grabbing something out of the air and brought his fist to his chest, just as he had learned from the vuvalini. It meant that she would carry his soul in hers, that she would remember him with love forever. 

Capable had witnessed, but not a ritual of sacrifice as Immortan liked, but how Nux, having known love, chose to sacrifice himself for someone and a cause that were meaningful to him, not imposed interests. In Capable's eyes, he was not a simple war boy, a disposable individual, he was Nux, his beloved Nux.