HONORABILIBUS NON MORIETUR

by Michelle

Note: Some dialogue was taken from ‘Furiosa: Mad Max Saga’,

written by George Miller and Nico Lathouris.

The Wasteland - a place where everyone has only one aim, no matter what it costs - survival.
But even in this brutal, merciless world, seemingly devoid of all decency, honourable heroes arise,
giving the word 'humanity' its true meaning.
One of them is called Praetorian Jack. 
This is his story.

1.

BEGIN AGAIN

 

Pistols. Revolvers. Shotguns. Bullets. The large, wonky and battered Formica table was covered with them, gathered for one purpose only – to find their target.

The air in the darkened room that bore only a faint resemblance to what used to be a typical modern kitchen long ago, was hot and dry, a thin layer of reddish dust stubbornly sticking to everything around. A woman in her mid-thirties was loading one of the leather bags on the table with bullet cartridges. Her long, dark hair was tied back with a green ribbon, only a stray strand falling over her face but not distracting her from her work. Her large green eyes were fully focused, her mind occupied with her mission.

“We will need more of these,” she said without looking up.
“We will get them,” a tall man in his late thirties, with sleek brown hair, standing next to her replied. “From the other side.”
For the first time in a while, the woman looked up to meet his deep blue eyes. She didn’t react, but her gaze spoke clearly - their chance of success was minimal. She showed no hesitation or fear, though, only acceptance and determination.
They continued working for a few more minutes before they packed all the ammunition and most weapons in their bags, leaving only a couple of pistols each, attaching them to their leather belts.

Only once they were finished, their heads turned toward the doorframe to look at the slender figure of a teenage boy. He watched them silently, and his face projected everything else but their faces -confusion, doubts, refusal.
The woman, noticing the boy’s inner turmoil, walked over to him and took his hand. Her look was direct and resolved.
“We need you to be strong, darling,” she spoke. “We don’t know how this will turn out, it might end either way. But we need to know that whatever happens, you will keep going, no matter what.”
“They might kill you!” the boy exclaimed.

The mother held both of his hands now.
“Nothing is more important than defending the world we believe in and the people we love. Wars and hatred are evil, the true downfall of men, but we have to fight back to defend our home, our lives or the lives of those we care about. We must defend our freedom. There is no life without freedom and no freedom without a fight.”

“I want to go with you,” the boy said, with the most serious expression that a twelve-year-old could muster. “I am old enough to fight.”
“You have no idea what we are going to face, Jack,” his father objected and joined them, putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “This is no game of shooting cans. This is a matter of life and death.”

A shiver went down the boy’s spine. As far as he could remember, his parents were soldiers, protecting the however small and broken remains of their town and its people against looters and aggressors from the Wasteland. Oil was getting scarcer by the day, turning more and more people into savages, scraping and killing for even a single drop of it. Jack’s town kept resisting the violent attacks from the world outside by the skin of its teeth. The survival of the fittest wasn’t just a phrase anymore but an everyday law. Despite all of the ugliness, Jack’s parents never stopped believing in a better world, just and peaceful, blindly hoping that they could lead their people into a better world. There were quite a few who shared their ideals despite constant challenges, so they kept on fighting and filling their son’s mind and heart with ideals which to most other people equalled Utopia.

The threat that was breaking up their little home now was the biggest one in their existence yet. His name was Colonel Joe Moore, and once, he used to be a decent man. However, that changed with the ever-growing unrest and fights for the commodity that had the price of gold all across the land – oil. Now, he was the leader of an enormous tribe of disturbed and violent brutes, destroying everything and everyone who stood in his way to ultimate power. Resistance was punished, wars were fought, and people were killed without mercy - humans turned into beasts. There were only two options: bending down and breaking, or standing up and fighting, praying for survival. Jack’s town chose the latter.

“Mother, please!” Jack begged, the image of his parents lying somewhere in a sea of their own blood already haunting his sensitive mind.
“No,” his father interjected firmly. “You will guard our home. And should it come to the worst…” he paused and regarded the boy’s desperate eyes. “Protect people. Never take a life until it’s necessary to save your own or that of someone else. There is nothing more precious than life.”
His intense look and his words broke the wall of resistance in Jack’s mind, and the boy nodded.
“We love you,” the mother whispered in Jack’s ear when she hugged him tightly.

A sudden sharp sound of shattering glass pierced their ears, and they ducked. The enemy arrived earlier than expected.
“The cellar, go!” The man ordered his son as all three huddled under the table. The gunshots and screams continued to disturb the peace outside as they stared at each other for a moment before the mother shouted. “Now!!”
At the sound of more glass shattering around them, Jack bolted towards the trap door a few steps away, pried it open, and after casting one last look at his parents, he quickly pulled the door behind him and disappeared into the cellar.

His heart rate was elevated like never before, so much so he could feel his heartbeat in his throat. For a long time, all he could hear was the sound of machine guns and shotguns and the shouting and stomping above his head, allowing the red dust to penetrate the thin gaps between the floorboards and making breathing more difficult for him. However, he didn’t utter a sound, not even a cough, although he felt like choking at times.

At long last, the dust had settled and the furious raging above faded into silence. Jack waited for another half an hour before he slowly and quietly dared to push the trapdoor open. He searched the space around him, looking for any trace of his parents. He realised he was alone, so he climbed up and cautiously walked from the kitchen to what used to be their living and sleeping room. He overlooked the damage caused by the shooting and savagery of the enemy; his only aim was to find his mother and father, hopefully still alive. After searching everywhere in the remains of their small house, he walked out into the open.

The sudden silence felt oppressive, with no other sign of the deadly attack from only a while ago apart from tons of glass shards scattered everywhere and the stifling dust, still hovering in the air. Jack took a few more steps before he spotted something small and green on the reddish ground at his feet. His eyes widened in horror as he stared at the lost ribbon, lying in a pool of blood.

He saw no bodies but the evidence before him caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up, as he felt his whole body going into shock. However, he had no time to process what he saw, for the next moment, he felt something hard hit his head and within seconds, he blacked out.

※※※

 “Don’t hit so hard next time, you brute! D’you know how much blood I ‘ad to clean from his head? If he turned stupid, it ain’t gonna be my fault if he can’t work and I’ll ‘ave to kill ‘im!”

The shrieking man’s voice woke Jack up, and as he opened his eyes, he fought the urge to jump, realising he was taken to the enemy’s camp. The sudden sharp stab of pain in his head and the smell of sweat mingled with dust, urine and something he couldn’t identify made him feel sick. He felt something trickling down his cheek to his mouth, and when he tasted it, he realised it was his own blood. He shuddered and decided it was better to get up than chance the possibility of getting killed in his sleep. Slowly, he lifted himself from a simple bed with a metal frame and an old, mainly filthy mattress. He was in a dark room, resembling a cave, with only a few rays of light penetrating the entrance.

“Oi!” the shrieking voice cried again. “You’re up, finally!”
Jack turned his head toward the sound and saw an old man with a wrinkly, scarred face, piercing black eyes and a crooked grin. He wiped the blood from his mouth but didn’t say a word, his large, green eyes fixed on his captor.
“You’re right, it seems,” the man said, eyeing the boy from head to toe. “I ‘eard your oldies were diggers. Let’s see if you can become one too, for the right side this time!” He cackled and walked out of the room.

Jack took a deep breath and made the first few steps to follow him. Just before he walked out into the light, he stopped at the sight of a piece of reflector hanging on the wall among other metal objects of various kinds. His hands reached for the reflector and he finally saw his face and the reason for the blood he tasted on his mouth – a long, uneven cut wound starting on his right cheek and ending on the left corner of his bottom lip. It appeared to have been treated, although he could now see a small trickle of blood still escaping the stitches, and surprisingly, Jack felt only minimal pain, his brain still numbed by the shock.
“You fell on glass, flat on your face.” The old man cackled again, appearing out of nowhere. “You better hurry if you wanna grab a feed.”

The boy still didn’t speak but followed the man outside. What he saw made him open his mouth – it appeared they were standing outside a tall rock tower, forming a huge compound with two other rock towers, overlooking the Wasteland miles into the distance. They were all joined by a net of metal bridges, bursting with busy human traffic. Down below, some wildly-looking men on motorbikes and strange, large vehicles he had never seen before, were approaching the compound and disappearing in what Jack presumed was an entrance. The boy swallowed hard as a shudder of fear from the unknown rattled his emotions. Suddenly, the image of his parents popped up in his mind.

So this is who you had to deal with…

 He fought the burning in his eyes, now knowing for sure he would never see them again.
“Impressive, right?” The man said, grinning. “Welcome to the Citadel.”

※※※※※

2.

THE BOY BECOMES A MAN

Another day of hard work was over for him as he stretched his arms above his head to release the tension that had built up in his muscles throughout the day. He should have been used to it by now; he had spent six years of hard labour in the huge servicing room, knowing every vehicle, every part and every single piece of scrap metal in it by memory. He was clever and had become something of a master mechanic, despite his young age. Not all ‘lost children’ were so lucky, and Jack was fully aware that he was alive mainly because of that.

In the beginning, when he realised he was captured by the very tribe his parents fought against and most certainly lost their lives, his first thought was revenge. However, soon enough he understood that it would take much more than the rage he had felt inside, fuelled by his grief, and he was still only a boy. Over the years, he learned that no resistance, hard work and keeping his thoughts of disagreement to himself were the main means of survival in the Wasteland, including the Citadel. He saw the ones who had tried to escape from captivity, and he knew how they ended – none of them succeeded. They all had to return to the Citadel, realising that living as a slave was better than dying of thirst and hunger in the endless desert.

The countless days during his early life when he had spent helping his father repair various machines and vehicles they used in their town became very useful for establishing his status as a skilled and knowledgeable mechanic in the Citadel’s service team. He had just turned nineteen when he caught the interest of the war convoy commander, the Praetorian Stearn, who saw him tweak the engine of one of the massive transport trucks one night. At first, he thought Jack wanted to sabotage it, but the boy explained he thought it would allow the driver to reach a higher speed. The Commander observed him with interest, remembering Jack’s excellent reputation among the servicemen.

“Can you drive?” he asked.
Jack hesitated for a beat before replying. “Yes.”
The older man nodded and pointed with his hand toward the vehicle. The boy’s face remained unchanged as he followed Stearn and climbed into the driver’s seat.
“I suppose this is a little bit bigger than a land mover you’re probably used to, but let’s see if you’re as skilled at the wheel as you are with the engine.”

Jack took a deep breath and started the engine; its roar made his heart skip a beat. A sudden jolt of excitement ran through his veins as his hands examined the stirring wheel and he got accustomed to the dashboard.
“All right. Let’s drive a little,” the Commander said calmly, ignoring Jack’s sudden amazement as the realisation of what was asked of him dawned on him – no vehicle had ever left the Citadel at night without any planned purpose.
“Are you afraid?” The older man raised his eyebrows.
“No,” Jack immediately replied, shaking his head.
“Good. I’ll tell you when to stop. Drive.”

Jack drove as slowly as he could to get out of the Citadel, aware that the sharp engine sound at higher speed would definitely catch someone’s attention. It did indeed, and he spotted a handful of War Boys, belonging to the convoy, curiously watching them drive away. He remembered that Praetorian Stearn was a big authority in the Citadel; Immortan Joe (as Colonel Joe Monroe called himself for years now) held him in high regard. Despite Stearns not being the youngest man anymore (he had already crossed fifty), he was still as efficient and reliable as when he started serving Immortan Joe twenty years ago, and the number of successful drive missions under his command was still very high. He didn’t look like most of the men in the Citadel; his face seemed mainly unharmed by any injuries or conditions; his always focused, hazel eyes reflected wisdom and intelligence. Jack realised that Stearn’s status and reputation were surely the only reason why no one had stopped them on their way.

They drove into the night desert; Fury Road stretched out before them like a snake. It was the first time Jack was behind the wheel of something so big, yet he felt the truck’s heart beating like his own, fast and strong. The years of servicing it and observing from afar others driving it paid off since he immediately fell into its rhythm, leading it on the road safely and comfortably.  At that moment, he knew he was meant to drive. With each mile, his confidence grew and a sudden sense of freedom washed over him, reviving his spirits.

The truck reached a speed like never before, covering the chosen distance in almost half the usual time. Whatever Stearn told Jack to do, Jack did it with ease and mastery worthy of an old driver. The convoy Commander very soon realised the youngster had calm nerves, superb reflections and rock-steady technique.

“Where did you learn to drive like that?” Stearn asked him in awe once the truck stopped back in its place in the Citadel.
Jack let out a barely audible sigh, his eyes pinned to the steering wheel.
“My father,” he replied quietly. He didn’t feel the need to mention that the vehicle he was taught to drive on was an old tractor they had in the backyard. Had the commander seen him manoeuvring the rusty machine in the dusty field behind their house at the highest possible speed, he would have felt even bigger respect for the boy’s driving mastery.
“Well… he did a bloody good job,” the Commander remarked admiringly. “Welcome to the convoy.”
Jack forgot about his usual self-control and his eyes widened.
“We’ll see how you’ll get on under attack,” Stearn added, with a smile and got out of the truck, leaving the new recruit stunned.

From that day, Jack, the service boy, became Praetorian Jack, the driver, ploughing the Fury Road once a week with the convoy in its quest for gasoline and bullet supplies. With time – and the help of his commander - he polished his skills to perfection, not just in driving but also in self-defence, in and outside of the truck. His confidence grew equally with his mission success rate as he matured in age, and every War Boy in the convoy, no matter how deranged and out of his senses, looked up to him with awe and respect. Just before he had turned twenty-three, he became the new convoy commander – undisputed and unchallenged.

“You earned this,” his former superior patted him on the shoulder before he officially left his post.
Jack didn’t reply at first; the look in his eyes was anything but joyful.
“Driving is the only time I feel in control and… free… It’s the only thing I know,” he said then solemnly, lowering his eyes.
“I doubt that, my boy,” the older man remarked with a smile. His hand gently landed on Jack’s chest over his heart. “There is much more here than you might realise. I know it will come to light one day.”

The new convoy commander looked up with a quizzical expression, nevertheless, a wave of warmth briefly washed over him. Throughout the years of his life in the Citadel, Praetorian Stearn was the only person still reminding him that human decency and kindness were not just forgotten words from the time before the Fall. Jack suddenly realised he would soon lose the last connection to a sense of normalcy in the world he was forced to live in for so long, and his eyes grew sad. Overcome by his sudden emotions, he put his arms around his mentor.

They pulled apart not long after,  and Jack watched his only friend in the Citadel walk away with a gentle smile on his slowly ageing face, until his figure vanished from sight, swallowed by the shadow of the past that had no place in the present. From now on, Praetorian Jack was in charge of the whole war convoy. In a world ruled by the survival of the fittest, the captive, the promising boy became a man, a leader worthy of his reputation.

He never saw his mentor again.

※※※

“Get moving, you lazy bastard, or I’ll show you what this staff can do!”

The gruff, booming voice of a tall, strongly muscular man with a grotesquely distorted face scared a little boy of no more than ten. The man was dressed in leather and a tunic made of fish skins and reeked of power – he was someone extremely demanding, who revelled in brutality and terrorising his inferiors. The boy was desperately trying to find the right screw to use while assembling a part of a contraption on the table in front of him. His shaking little hands failed him again as he dropped the slightly rusty screw he was just holding, and terrified, he went down on his knees immediately.

“You useless scum! What’s the point of you being here? We should have left you to rot out there!” The man yelled at him again and hit him with the chainsaw staff he held in his hands.  The boy cried out in pain, but fear prevented him from stopping what he was supposed to do.  The man stretched out his arm to punish the child again, but an iron grip of a hand appearing from behind forcibly stopped him. Surprised, he turned his head around.

“You?!” he exclaimed angrily. “How dare you?!”
“How dare you disturb people at work?” Praetorian Jack countered calmly but with authority, looking straight into the brute’s eyes. He detested unnecessary brutal use of power. “I need every man, old and young, to work in the service team so the convoy is well-prepared day and night. It seems your father appreciates this knowledge more than you, Scrotus.”

Every man in the huge service room stopped working, watching the encounter between the two men. The war convoy commander visited the place only a handful of times during his seven convoy leadership years, only to test a new vehicle. The air was thick with tension.
“My father,” Scrotus said with gritted teeth, “appreciates me more than you! You are nothing but a driver!”
“The driver who brings back every war convoy loaded with gasoline and bullets,” Jack added with a hint of a confident smile, fully aware of the weight of his words.

Scrotus’s jaw tightened as he seemingly turned away, only to suddenly turn back, with unexpectedly quick speed, and lash out at Jack with his staff. Jack expected this course of action, and the years of self-defence lessons with Praetorian Stearn paid off once more. He swiftly bent down to avoid the blow and with a few skilled moves and strikes, he sent Scrotus down to the ground. Despite Scrotus’s strongly muscular build, Jack had the upper hand on him from the start. He kept looking at the brute lying at his feet in the dust with indifference but yet again, aware of his authority.

“I would appreciate it if you let the service team work as they are supposed to,” Jack spoke again. “Otherwise, I’ll have to speak with Immortan Joe about re-evaluating the team’s management.”

Scrotus shot a hateful look at his opponent, fuming that he couldn’t send him to his grave right then and there. Unfortunately, Praetorian Jack’s ability to fight off every attack on the war convoy on the Fury Road made him invaluable. No one else had managed the same before him, not even Praetorian Stearn, Immortan Joe’s former favourite, and because gasoline and bullets were a precious commodity for the Citadel, Praetorian Jack was irreplaceable. Immortan Joe knew that - Scrotus’s hands were tied.

“You’ll pay for this one day,” Scrotus hissed as he picked himself up from the ground, wiping away the trickle of blood on his crooked lips. “Even if it’s someone else delivering the blow!”
Suddenly, he grinned, his cruel, dark look piercing Jack’s green eyes. Then he finally dragged himself away.

Jack let out a deep sigh, then turned back to look at the boy, huddling under the table and staring at him wide-eyed. All the men immediately returned to their work, making the room buzz with activity again.
Jack walked over to the child, observing him for a moment, then smiled.
“You can come out now,” he said gently. “No one’s gonna hurt you.”
The calming voice speaking those words put the boy at ease, and he cautiously climbed to his feet.

“What’s your name?” Jack asked him.
The boy blinked before answering. “Jesse,” he said with a quiet, shaky voice.
Jack smiled again and wiped a tear from the child’s face, creating a dirty smudge on his cheek.
“Are you… alone here?” he asked carefully.
Jesse lowered his eyes and remained quiet.
“Well, you aren’t anymore,” Jack stated, and his kind green gaze met the shy blue one of the child.

Jesse’s eyes were filled with sorrow and despair, reflecting the survival mode in his mind. He wasn’t the first child in the Citadel to have tragically lost his parents. The dead ones were never spoken of, at least not officially and never the insignificant ones; that was one of the many rules in the Citadel.
“Keep working,” Jack continued. “Whatever you do, do it properly. You keep working hard, you won’t have problems.”

Something in the boy’s eyes changed as if his state of mind had shifted – the flashes of sorrow and despair had changed into sparks of renewed life and hope. Jack turned to leave but then stopped.
“Do you like cars?” he asked. Jesse nodded, making Jack smile.
“Maybe you get to drive one someday,” he said and after a beat, he left the boy alone.

Jack started walking towards one of the servicemen.
“Show me the new truck,” he demanded resolutely but without a trace of excessive self-importance.
The man nodded and led him to a new, shiny vehicle a few other servicemen were polishing. It was larger than the truck Jack usually drove. His eyes skimmed the whole length of it before speaking again.
“Right. Let’s see how strong this horse is.”

He ascended a couple of steps leading to the driver’s seat and took his place behind the wheel. It was time for another test drive.

※※※※※

 

3.

THE STARS COLLIDE

 

I felt it in my gut that it was gonna be a damned day today…

Jack turned the steering wheel of the War Rig sharply to the left, then right, knocking away a few persistent motorbikers in black, who had been chasing the Rig for several minutes now.  It was the maiden drive for the newest Citadel convoy truck, the largest and heaviest one yet, equipped with contraptions especially designed to ward off attackers. When Jack first saw it a few days earlier, as he sat down and started its roaring engine to test it, a sudden wave of thrill ran through his veins. Driving was still the only time he felt truly free, even if he was mostly exposed to dangerous situations. However, today, when the members of his convoy were dropping off like flies, he momentarily wished they had never left the Citadel that morning.

What is taking Black Thumb so long?!

The mechanic went down to fix the leak in the gas tank a few minutes ago, and although it seemed the leak had been repaired, he still hadn’t returned. Jack kept his foot rock-solid on the gas pedal and his eyes ahead, registering with his peripheral vision his War Boys being decimated one by one by the enemy both on the ground and from the air.

It wasn’t the first attack on the convoy he had ever experienced; raiders from various small gangs were a regular occurrence, but this one seemed to have reached a new level and was significant in size. The contraptions the rogues were using were far more sophisticated than what he was used to over the years from regular road looters, and although he always looked after and trusted his War Boys, he had always been aware of their mental and physical limits. They were prepared to die in an act of self-sacrifice anytime if something absurdly dangerous or suicidal was required to ward off an enemy, but there was always an off-chance they might not need to go that far. However, today, Jack knew many of them wouldn’t return to the Citadel. Perhaps he wouldn’t return himself either…

The grip of his hands on the steering wheel got even tighter, his eyes simultaneously watching the road ahead and the enemies all around him.

“Prae-Jack! Prae-Jack!” one of the War Boys shouted at his commander. He managed to get a wire grip on one of the men in black following the Rig in the air on something resembling a parachute, attached to a metal circle with a small engine, making it fly.
Jack didn’t even blink as he quickly looked to the right and shot the man, who immediately dropped and landed roughly on the Rig’s hood. The living legend of Fury Road had nerves of steel, developed in his very early days in the Citadel. Like many times before, his reactions were fast, effective and deadly for the opponent. And yet, it seemed that these rogues were extremely resilient – despite many already having been killed, there were still not a few trying to break into the Rig by any means possible.

The dead man on the hood was suddenly dragged away by his own flying contraption, taking off the radiator cap in the process. A stream of hot steam shot into the air immediately, partially obscuring Jack’s view but mainly, endangering the engine. Black Thumb was still nowhere in sight.

“Pissboy! Pissboy!” Jack shouted toward the back of the truck. “We’ve got a busted radiator!”
“Coming, Prae-Jack! On my way!” came the reply.

Immediately, one of the last remaining War Boys jumped onto the hood and tried to deal with the emergency. At the same time, one of the gang lootersin a black car in front of the Rig stood up and pointed a shotgun at it. Pissboy threw the bottle he was holding at him, deferring only for a moment the, what seemed to be, inevitable. Jack’s determined look was fixed ahead even though he was fully aware of the fact that they were slowly nearing their doom. His foot hit the gas pedal as hard as possible, and the truck crashed into the car with all its power, without getting as much as a scratch. Just when two more men in the black car stood up to finish the business, Jack saw Pissboy grabbing something from behind him – a defused explosive.

The Rig commander hardly managed to blink before the boy leapt into the air with an ecstatic scream, throwing himself onto the enemy car in front of the War Rig into his inevitable demise - he was swallowed by the flames of a big explosion as soon as his body made contact with the car.

The next moment, the remains of the black car turned over and crashed into the Rig with a deafening bang. Jack didn’t move a facial muscle, though. His hands turned the steering wheel sharply to the side, making the unwanted load slide off the Rig and fall to the ground.

His brain was furiously trying to figure out if any of his convoy members were still alive, but then the vision that appeared in front of him completely changed the course of his thoughts and made his eyes widen: someone not belonging to his convoy put the radiator cap back in its place and suddenly lifted their big blue eyes to him. Long brown hair was floating around the face in front of him - he was looking at a young woman…

For a moment, they gazed at each other, momentarily freezing time and space, unexpectedly being carried away by some unique connection unbeknownst to either of them.

Those eyes… I’ve seen those eyes before…

A memory from a few days earlier flashed in Jack’s mind: he had just stepped up toward the driver’s seat to test the War Rig’s engine for the first time when he glanced at the group of mechanics nearby. One face particularly made him stop and focus – a face partially obscured by a mask but one with extremely large and bright eyes, shining like diamonds in the semidarkness of the servicing room and watching him intently. Even on his spot, those eyes had a strong pull on him, so strong that he almost didn’t hear someone calling his name…

Now, seeing the whole face, albeit covered with dust and dirt, the hair flying in the wind, resembling a mermaid from the ancient stories, and those eyes burning so strangely into his, something moved in Jack’s chest, something he couldn’t identify. However, he didn’t have time to dwell on it or process the fact that he had a woman hiding on his War Rig, because she suddenly pointed a gun above his head, shooting one of the looters standing on the roof and intending to attack Jack. She shot one more man in black sneaking up from the back of the Rig, before pointing at one floating in the air. However, she ran out of ammunition and slid inside the Rig, landing on the passenger seat next to Jack. Their eyes met again - Jack’s curious and calm, the woman’s unusually large, untamed and seemingly untrusting.

It took a few more minutes of shooting more enemies, avoiding gunfire and fire cannons before they finally shook off the gang. The woman even defended herself from one of the gang members who tried to drag her out of the Rig – Jack tried to pull her in without success, but at the last minute, she grabbed his half-knife-half-shotgun from his sleeve and stabbed the enemy furiously before regaining her position, fires blazing from her eyes as her and Jack’s eyes met again.

Jack wasn’t sure what he was most impressed by – the woman’s shooting and defence skills, or her smart use of two large and extremely effective contraptions on the War Rig to get rid of the gang members in the air. He had had some quick-thinking War Boys in his convoy throughout the years, but none as smart, instinctive and full of initiative. This woman may have been a little rough around the edges but she had some serious skills, physical strength and the brain to become a truly great road warrior.

As the cannonade ceased at last, and all he could hear was the soothing rumbling of the Rig’s engine, his eyes were fixed on the road again as he waited for his unexpected battle companion to return to her seat. And then something unexpected happened again; this time it was his own gun pointed at his temple.

“Pull over,” the woman commanded.
Jack didn’t reply, although this was not a situation he had anticipated.
“You’re going to pull over and get out,” the woman demanded again, but to no avail; Jack kept stubbornly looking ahead, unmoving. “Stop!!”

Fulfilling her wish, the Rig suddenly came to a sharp halt as Jack hit the brake pedal, without blinking. The woman flew over the seat, crashing onto the dashboard. Jack pushed her out of the truck with one strong move without even looking at her, then changed the gear and continued driving, leaving her lying beside the road in shock.

He drove for about a minute before sighing heavily and then bringing the Rig to a halt. He wasn’t proud of how he treated the woman. Jack wasn’t a brute; he never treated anyone violently unless it was for self-defence or defending his convoy members or the weak ones. What bugged him more was the gnawing feeling that she might have been a great asset to the new team he would have to assemble once back in the Citadel. The fact that she was a woman wasn’t relevant as long as she would be up to every task needed for a smooth run of the War Rig convoy, and Jack was convinced she would be more than up to the task.

He finally made the decision and jumped out of the Rig. He knew she wouldn’t have made it far, especially after the physical shock. True enough, not long after, he spotted her slender silhouette limping in the distance before him.

“Where did you think you were going?” Jack called after her, making her slowly turn around to face him.
“If you’re running away from the Citadel, believe me, Bullet Farm is a whole lot worse,” he continued while still walking toward her. “The only other place is Gastown. It’s in the hands of Dementus, a mug who can’t even keep his gangs together. And that’s it. There is nowhere else. This is the Wasteland.”

The closer he was to the woman, the clearer he saw her face – the expression on it was a mixture of distrust, surprise, confusion and relentlessness.
“Wherever you thought you were going does not exist.”
At those words, the woman pointed his gun at him again. The look of her eyes hardened with defiance.

Jack stopped, then sighed.
“It’s been a hard day,” he remarked calmly. “I lost my convoy, I lost my crew. I’m gonna have to start again. And I’m driving off thinking I ought to start with you.”
There was a slight change in the woman’s face, a tiny hint of hesitation, which disappeared as Jack started walking again, unafraid, to stand only a few steps away from her. She kept the gun pointed at him.

 “You got good vision. You read the play, you keep your head,” Jack spoke again. “You may be raw but you have about you a purposeful savagery.” However rough it sounded, he meant it as a compliment. “You give me the chance and I’ll teach you everything you need to know about Road War. If you survive everything we take on together, you’ll have all the skills you need to get wherever you wanna go.” The woman, listening intently up until then, raised the gun a bit, as if ready to use it. “No questions asked,” Jack concluded quietly.

The tough expression on the woman’s face began to soften; it seemed she began to think that he might not be the same brute she must have encountered in her life previously. She didn’t let his eyes off him, trying to read the absolutely calm and composed look of his green eyes. And then, she slowly turned the gun in her hand, indicating to him to take it back. A small, amused smile appeared on his face.
”Keep it. You’ll need it,” he said, then turned around and started walking back toward the War Rig.

The woman dropped her hand with the gun, letting out a little sigh. She didn’t dare to wait, though, and followed the man who had just taken a chance on her.

※※※

They were driving back to the Citadel, sitting side by side in silence for a long while. The War Rig was damaged in places and needed repair before setting out on another journey. Jack kept his eyes on the road, mentally prepared for a new attack which might have come anytime from anywhere.

“I’m sorry about pushing you out so hard,” he spoke at last. “I had to do it but didn’t mean to hurt you. We'd better have your foot checked.”
The woman turned her head to look incredulously at him, her eyes reflecting another surprise, mixed with a touch of suspicion. He obviously noticed her limp.
”I’m not gonna ask you how you managed to hide in the War Rig, nor anything about your past. Your life is yours. If you want to talk about it, I’ll listen, but if you don’t, no problem.” The Praetorian paused, letting his words sink in. His instinct was telling him that this woman didn’t have an easy life so far.

“You were that service boy the other day, weren’t you?” Jack asked suddenly.
She remained silent, although his observation skills impressed her, but when he glanced at her, she nodded.
“I’m Jack. What’s your name?”
She averted her eyes, unwilling to utter a word.
“You’re a Praetorian now, a part of my team. If we are to co-exist and cooperate, I have to call you somehow,” Jack tried to reason with her.

There was a moment of silence, but he could feel the woman thinking feverishly, deciding whether he was worthy of her trust or not. He could feel it in the air that she was surprised by his non-aggressive behaviour.
”Furiosa,” she spoke at last for the first time, her voice surprisingly deep, not exactly matching her delicate figure. However, it was fitting to her character, just like her name - resilient and feisty.

Jack smiled.
”You’re a hell of a fighter, Furiosa,” he remarked.
Her eyes found his face again, and as he glanced at her, her expression seemed unchanged, but her look reflected a ghost of amusement.

※※※

Jack entered the greatly-sized sleeping room of the War Rig convoy team, Furiosa shadowing him and cautiously looking around at the row of old metal-framed folding beds with shabby mattresses, blankets and pillows on each of them. The new convoy members had already been chosen by their leader earlier that day; there was no time for wasting, the Citadel constantly needed new gasoline and bullet supplies. Jack’s reputation proved beneficial as he stood before Immortan Joe, explaining why he was taking on a woman in his new team. Luckily, Furiosa’s dusty face and rather boyish posture deterred Immortan Joe from any thoughts about getting a new wife. Jack noticed his new recruit seemed a bit on the edge when standing in front of the Citadel leader, but didn’t remark on it once they had finally left to return to their new convoy. Whatever her secret was, and however curious Jack was to learn more about her, he decided he would respect her right to privacy and not push questions on her she might not want to answer.

The sleeping room was still empty, though – Jack wanted his first-ever female recruit to settle in a more comfortable atmosphere, without the War Boys’ stares unnerving her. They would get used to the fact that she was a woman, after all, but since it was her first day, the air of strangeness and unpredictability heavily permeated the air. Jack led her to the middle of the nondescript room, resembling a large cave and bathing in orange light, then stopped, pointing at one of the beds.

“You will sleep here,” he said. “Next to me.”
Furiosa’s large eyes looked at him suspiciously from under her eyebrows.
“I won’t tolerate any crudeness in my team, but I can’t put my hand into the fire for the new members before I get to know them better. Should anything happen, you’ll be safer with me.”

The young woman’s intense gaze studied him for a beat; she was trying to read his eyes. If she was looking for some traces of malice, indecency or brittleness, she found none, and she seemed to have relaxed slightly. She put her modest belongings under the assigned bed, then stood up and kept watching her new commander.

“The boys will be here soon. Rest now,” Jack remarked. “You’ll need it. We have a week until the next drive on Fury Road. We’ll start with the training tomorrow.”
He took off his padded leather vest, sat down on his bed and with a sigh, he stretched on it, pulling the blanket up to his chest.

Furiosa finally averted her eyes from him and slowly sat down on her bed. After a little pondering, she lay down as well – so that they lay head to toe. She knew it made no difference, but mentally, it was like a shield, protecting her from being too close to him. She didn’t know why but imagining it made her strangely uneasy.

Barely a minute later, the new War Boys arrived and eagerly picked their sleeping spots for the foreseeable future. A few of them glanced towards the strange woman in their team, but since the commander was lying right by her side, they turned away from her and got fully invested in their own rest.

An hour had passed, and although the whole room appeared to be sleeping, Furiosa couldn’t settle. Slowly, she sat up and after scanning the area around her and making sure no one was awake, she pulled back the sleeve of her shirt. Her eyes studied the tattooed star map on her forearm, like a hundred times before throughout the years of her stay in the Citadel. However, today, she finally felt, the map could soon finally be useful to her. Praetorian Jack said he would help her to master Road War so she could leave, no questions asked. He might have still been a stranger to her, but remembering the look of his deep, green eyes, Furiosa knew he wouldn’t lie to her.

Her thumb ran across the star constellation drawn on her skin. She sighed, then pulled the sleeve back down and lay down again. And then she noticed it – Jack’s eyes were open as he watched her with interest. It wasn’t the look of a predator or a man looking for the first excuse to violate a woman. The look in his eyes was curious but unobtrusive. Furiosa froze for a moment, unable to do or say anything. Her worries were put to rest for good when Jack eventually spoke.

“You should really sleep now. If today was a hard day, we never know what tomorrow brings,” he said quietly. “You’ll need to be strong and resilient. And that requires energy.”

Furiosa watched him intently, a seed of insecurity about fully trusting this man still present somewhere deep inside her. He was true to his word, though – whatever her secret was, he would respect it, no questions asked. At last, silently agreeing with him, she resumed her lying position.  Her piercing gaze didn’t stray from Jack’s calm face for a long beat before she finally closed her eyes and tired, she slowly drifted away.

Jack watched her resting for a long moment after, his eyes suddenly filled with strange pain. His final thoughts before he fell asleep belonged to the woman lying by his side. His heart was stirred by an ache he didn’t understand.

※※※※※

4.

THE MASTER AND THE STUDENT

 

Exactly two weeks had passed since Jack recruited his new team when he walked into the convoy common room and noticed a commotion on its far side. A few War Boys were standing in a half-circle, watching a verbal exchange between another War Boy and the only woman in the team. Precisely, Big Mouth was the one doing the talking and Furiosa was listening. Jack walked closer, ready to intervene, but also curious about the reason for the argument. Even more so, he was interested in how his female recruit would handle the situation.

“You don’t have any experience in driving the War Rig!” Big Mouth complained very vocally, pointing his index finger at Furiosa, who stood firmly with her eyes peering at the tall man in front of her from under her eyebrows. Jack noticed her stare was that of a General, quietly acknowledging he was ready to launch a fight.
“Just because you are the boss’s dog, doesn’t mean you should get all the privileges!” Big Mouth continued. “Who knows what dump your mother threw you in…”

At that point, Jack knew he had to step in – Furiosa’s eyes went ablaze and her usually slightly hunched posture was even more pronounced now, as she resembled a wild beast eager to attack its prey.
“I’m sure we would all like to know which dump your mother threw you in,” Jack said with a raised voice, with a slightly upturned head and a confident half-smile, hushing the crowd. A few War Boys stepped aside to let him pass. His eyes met Furiosa’s glare for a beat, changing expression. It seemed his calm gaze had the desired effect for the fires vanished from her eyes, although the anger remained. Big Mouth opened his mouth to say something derogatory, but Jack’s icy stare when he turned his head again made him reconsider his intention.

“I told you at the very beginning I won’t tolerate any crudeness and disrespect in my team,” Jack looked around at his team members. “Each and every one of you is here purely because of the merit of your skills. On every mission we undertake, you have only two choices: cooperate and rely on each other, or die. The success of the mission and your lives depend on it. You all are important, regardless of what position you are assigned to. That’s how it works here. Whoever of you can’t accept this is free to leave. But if you do want to stay, you will respect all of your teammates.”

He paused, his challenging eyes wandering from one War Boy to another, and finally meeting the argument initiator’s angry eyes again.
“Big Mouth, you pack your things and get out of here. I’m sure there is a position in the Citadel where you can be useful, but it’s not the War Rig convoy or The House of the Holy Motors.”

The disgraced War Boy inhaled sharply at the thought that the Commander had robbed him of his War Boy status and didn't even think him a good enough serviceman. However, Jack’s look was uncompromising, leaving him no other option but to comply with the Commander’s order. He cast one final cold stare at Furiosa, then turned on his heel and hastily left the room. The rest of the War Boys realised the show was over and returned to their own business.

Jack finally met Furiosa’s gaze again. It didn’t shoot fires anymore, but her discontent was obvious.
“I had it under control,” she said, with a deep voice.
Jack chuckled. “I know that, but I already knew I’d be a man short after today and wasn’t excited about the prospect of having to explain to Immortan Joe why that man was killed by another teammate.”

Furiosa didn’t expect this reply, but yet again, Jack managed to surprise her by expressing in his own way the high regard for her skills. As a member of the team, he didn’t treat her like a woman, the weaker sex, more susceptible to breaking under pressure, or not strong enough. To him, she was his equal, like any capable man.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly then, genuinely feeling so, realising what trouble she might have caused him. After the past two weeks, that would have been the last thing she would want to do.
Jack smiled, amused, small crinkles appearing around his bright eyes. “Just try not doing it again,” he said before sighing and changing the subject. “I’m hungry.”

Furiosa couldn’t suppress a ghost of a smile, then followed him to join others for dinner.

※※※

The weeks were passing; the War Rig missions kept coming, making them a success under Jack’s masterful tactical and skilled watch. He and Furiosa spent their free time practising different techniques of self-defence, attack and shooting from various weapons.

Jack was a strict teacher, testing his teammate’s strength and resilience to the limit, although he never crossed it. They both knew it was necessary - to survive an attack in the Wasteland meant giving everything one’s all and never missing, or losing attention. On the other hand, Jack never failed to praise Furiosa when she mastered yet another trick or made a special effort to do so. He used few words, but their weight made all the difference and meant so much more to her than even she would admit to herself.

One hot afternoon, a day after the team went on another drive on Fury Road, Jack and Furiosa had been training for a few hours already. The training spot was another of the countless, nondescript cave-like rooms in the Citadel, on the same level as the team’s common, sleeping, and dining rooms in the Second Tower. It was the training and practising room for all War Boys, but Jack chose times when it was empty, allowing Furiosa a more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, one where she did not have to feel the need to prove herself to other team members – only to herself. She took the training very seriously, her face always had a fierce and determined expression, and Jack liked that very much.

“We’ll take a break,” Jack stated, seeing the beads of sweat mingling with the dust covering Furiosa’s few exposed bits of skin and her face. The truth was that the heat was getting to him as well, and he was gasping for something to cool him down.
“Let’s get out of here for a bit,” he said and walked out, with Furiosa on his heels.

He led her through several dark tunnels and various rooms she had never entered before until they suddenly emerged in daylight. Although it was very hot that day, and the Citadel resembled a giant steam room, the place where Jack finally stopped felt surprisingly fresh. Furiosa immediately understood why: a circular pool with rocky ledges formed the centre of an open platform, surrounded by what was probably in the past a tall wall but then someone decided that an open view into the Wasteland would be a better idea and tore the middle section of the wall down. A few small trees were growing here and there from the rocks, defying the laws of nature.

“A hydroponic garden,” Jack remarked, noticing Furiosa’s curious look studying the place. “One of the few places with a bit of green.” He dipped his hands in the pool and splashed his face, immediately feeling the relief from the heat.

“Go on,” he encouraged her. “At least you don’t have to fight over it here.”
Her penetrating eyes watched him for a beat, but then Furiosa did as Jack said and followed his example. At the cool, soothing feel of the water, she briefly closed her eyes and sighed. Jack understood her relief came for a different reason when he glanced at her small hands with long fingers – they were red and bruised.
“I think we’ve done enough for today,” he said, sounding casual. “We’ll continue tomorrow. I won’t mind a little rest before tomorrow’s work again.”

Furiosa looked at him but didn’t protest. As long as they were in training, she ignored the growing pain in her hands, but as soon as they stopped, the dull but pressing burning and aching became more prominent. A rest is what she needed too, if she was even to lift a finger the next day.

“You are probably wondering how come I have access to the First Tower,” Jack spoke after a moment of silence between them.
“I know you are in good books of Immortan Joe,” Furiosa replied, speaking for the first time since they had left the training room.
Jack chuckled. “I often have to wonder if it’s a good thing. However, I suppose, it comes with privileges.”

Furiosa observed him with mixed feelings. Jack didn’t appear to her as someone who would use his reputation to get privileges of any kind. Could she have judged him wrongly?
“I only mean that it can be beneficial in times of need, for anyone who’s with me,” Jack explained, reading her thoughts in her eyes.

Furiosa nodded, inwardly relieved he didn’t change her opinion about his character. Her eyes dropped to the water in the pool again. Sitting here alone with him, distant from the noisy and crowded main rooms of the Citadel caused a strange feeling in her heart. She couldn’t identify it but it felt… peaceful… A feeling she hadn’t had for years.

Jack pulled out a piece of cloth he used as a handkerchief from his leather jacket pocket and dipped it in the pool. To Furiosa’s surprise, he took one of her hands and started gently cleaning it with the wet handkerchief. He might have appeared as doing a routine job had he not looked at her in an unguarded moment, letting her see his eyes. There was something in them that Furiosa saw a long time ago, when she was still living happily in her home, far away from the rough Citadel. Apart from the glittering of the liquid surface, his green eyes also reflected something else – deep care and protectiveness.

“We’ll practice shooting tomorrow,” Jack stated when his eyes dropped back to her hands.
He finished his work silently, without expecting any reply. The thoughts and feelings assaulting him inside were confusing and distracting. He knew he had to push them away; anything even resembling what his heart was filled with was pointless in the Wasteland and yet… He couldn’t drown out the calling resonating within the deepest part of his being. The acknowledgement of the truth was painful, but Jack was helpless to do anything to defy it.

“We'd better get back,” he said then, rising to his feet again.
Furiosa stood up from the ledge and joined him without a word.

They entered the Citadel side by side, as was the habit of late, but both felt that something fundamental had changed between them. As always, each in their own mind, they decided not to talk about it.

It was safer that way.

※※※※※

 

5.

THE CRUMBLING WALLS

 

They were sitting at a long table, sharing their evening meal with the rest of the War Rig convoy members. It had been another long day, one after a regular drive to the Bullet Farm and back - another successful one. The War Boys were chatting as usual, filling their time between bites with not-so-funny but harmless jokes and less-than-intriguing conversation.

Jack had finished his meal a while ago but was, as always, waiting for Furiosa to finish hers. It had become their unwritten and unspoken rule right from the day Furiosa joined his team - they always left the table together. Over the four months that had passed since the young woman became a Praetorian, the two had become inseparable.

They never spoke a lot, mostly in short, necessary sentences, but the silence between them while driving or working was never uncomfortable. They had developed a way of communication beyond words; most of the time, they understood each other just by looking at each other.  As time passed, their relationship had quietly and inconspicuously developed as well; what started as joining forces for convenience transitioned into a silent friendship, built on mutual trust, with constantly deepening roots.  Neither one mentioned it but they both felt and silently accepted it. The student became a loyal, reliable and cherished companion; the tutor became a comfort and inspiration...

Furiosa still had mostly a distanced and serious expression on her face while at work, but her look turned fractionally softer every time her eyes met Jack’s intriguing gaze. The War Rig commander hadn’t paid close attention to women over the years of his life in the Citadel, at least not in the way of looking for a distraction. However, he found himself more often than ever watching Furiosa in silence whenever she didn’t notice his eyes on her, mostly at work around the Rig.

The way the War Boys and servicemen in The House of the Holy Motors quickly accepted her as a part of the team made him smile. Within a short time, her prowess in defence, her determination and way of handling difficult situations were greatly admired and respected, almost as much as those of the War Rig convoy’s leader, and Jack was more than happy to share the spotlight. However, as time passed, his heart filled with melancholy when the truth became obvious and its result was inevitable - there was nothing more he could teach his student about Road War; she had mastered all the physical and tactical skills Jack taught her. There was nothing more holding her in the Citadel…

”The Bommyknocker needs fixing,” Furiosa interrupted his brooding and finished the food on her plate. “It got stuck twice before I was able to use it today.”
”I know,” Jack replied, his mind immediately back in the present. “I’ve already told the mechanics to look at it.”
Furiosa nodded, then quietly got up from her seat. Jack followed her example, as usual, and they set out toward the servicing room. They walked wordlessly, each in their own thoughts.

At first, Furiosa didn’t dare to look at him, suddenly taken aback by the reason which tempted her to do so: the confusion inside her when not being in Jack’s presence started to make her restless, contradictory to how she felt when being near him. He wasn’t by any means the first man she had encountered during her life in the Citadel, but he was the first one who didn’t make her uncomfortable, disgusted, angry or afraid. In fact, he was the man who awakened something else in her, reminding her of the feminine part of herself, something she deliberately (and out of necessity) pushed aside for years. As a Praetorian, she was simply an extremely capable warrior to him, a great driver and the most loyal and respected team worker. However, when she caught his gaze in random, unguarded moments, his eyes spoke of something else – they told her he was looking at a woman.

The time she spent in Jack's presence was growing, and the growing turmoil in her mind became a real problem. The vision of returning to her home was still strong;  it was something she still dreamt of at night sometimes, giving her a break from the exhausting nightmares about her past. However, a slight crack appeared in the perfect image now – Furiosa realised that despite all the trouble it might cause, she didn’t want to return there alone…

Jack was buried in his own contemplation while the woman by his side pondered about him. A mild frown settled on his forehead, and his eyes were clouded with melancholy that didn’t go unnoticed by Furiosa when she finally dared to glance at him. He knew the time had come to let her go her own way, as he promised at the beginning of their working partnership.  Under his careful guidance, she became a Road Warrior like no other Jack had ever trained or known before.

The months were passing, and it was getting harder for Jack to keep his emotions locked inside and not affect him. Since he had come to the Citadel as a boy, he learned to guard his real thoughts and feelings in secret, bury them in the deepest part of his soul. He had been successful for many years, living each day with only one aim: to fulfil his duty and survive. Long years of each day looking almost identical to the previous one, where spontaneity and unexpected actions were as rare as finding a freshwater spring in the desert, Jack seemed untroubled by anything but what maximum speed the engine of the War Rig could reach.

In the company of his team or other dwellers of the Citadel, he was the Commander, the man who never doubted, always delivered and always won, were it a road attack or a verbal exchange. On the inside, however, he was protecting the other, more vulnerable half of his personality - the side that kept him awake many a night, contemplating the meaning of his life, his loneliness and mortality, wishing for someone to help him free his bound spirit. He forgot what living outside the Citadel was like. No matter how hard he tried sometimes, the years of working for Immortan Joe left their mark on the man who once wanted to be like his parents - he learned to control his secret part. And then Furiosa entered his life, and the carefully preserved spirit suddenly desired nothing else than to be unleashed. Once their paths crossed, Jack started silently cursing himself, for now, he wished for things he was convinced could never be…

How can I ever go back to who I was after she’s gone?  Who was I really?  What have I ever done to change this miserable existence we all have to endure? She has a dream, a vision… I don’t know what it is but I admire her for it. I have never felt like this before, and however hard I try to chase the thought away, I ache to be a part of that dream… No, I will never be the same man again…

A pained sigh escaped Jack’s throat, as he momentarily forgot he wasn’t alone. He noticed Furiosa’s questioning eyes on him, their bright light hypnotising him for a beat. He stopped abruptly, with great effort averting his look from her penetrating gaze.
”There is something I have to do,” he stated. “I’ll see you later.”

He turned into the nearest tunnel, leaving Furiosa standing alone in the dim light, watching him walk away and feeling more confused than before. He didn’t know where he was going; the only thing he knew was that he needed a moment away from her to still the volcano bubbling inside him before it erupted and caused unnecessary destruction.

The air was hot and thick; all the leather Jack was clad in suddenly seemed oppressive, and he felt like ripping it apart to free himself from its unusually uncomfortable grip. The beat of his heart was deafening his ears, and he realised there was only one thing he could do to settle the emotional overload threatening to overwhelm him - he began to run.

※※※

It was the first time since becoming a Praetorian that Furiosa lay down to rest at the end of the day alone. She spent over an hour in The House of the Holy Motors, waiting for Jack to show up as he was meant to, but he never came. She didn’t comment on it, and when the chief mechanic asked her about the Commander, a casual and very plausibly sounding excuse about Jack being detained by some urgent business would have to do.

After leaving the servicing room, Furiosa went straight to the sleeping room, her mind unsettled, mildly worried and overflowing with questions she hadn’t dared to ask herself before. As she sat down on her bed, her eyes wandered to Jack’s empty bed next to hers. It didn’t feel right; he should have been there, resting by her side so she could hear his regular, soft breathing, lulling her to sleep. Furiosa remembered old stories of her tribe about otherworldly creatures called angels, who watched over and helped good people from above; people used to call them guardian angels. She wasn't sure why that memory crawled out of her subconsciousness at that moment, but suddenly it made sense: her life got better since Jack was by her side; she felt safer and appreciated. He was her guardian angel, only he was not above...

Where is he? He has never been away for so long without saying where he was going… Have I done or said anything to upset him, and now he’s avoiding me?

She dismissed her last thought with a shake of her head. No, Jack was not a sulking type; he was always honest with her if he didn’t like something.

Jack… Where are you?

The frown on her face deepened. She wiped away a few beads of sweat from her forehead and took off her leather jacket. The top of her body, now covered only by an old and grubby shirt, suddenly felt revived in the hot night’s air, and she stretched out on her bed, resting her cheek on her hand. Her gaze was still pinned to the empty space beside her when fatigue finally overcame her, and Furiosa slowly slipped out of her consciousness into the land of her dark dreams.

※

The sleeping room was quiet, interrupted only by the occasional sounds of snoring here and there when Jack finally entered it deep in the night. After running through the tunnels of the Citadel for what seemed like an eternity, he spent several hours in the hydroponic garden to rest his weary soul.

He was physically and emotionally exhausted. For the first time since that terrifying day when he was a boy, he felt the ground shifting beneath his feet. He realised that his bond with Furiosa was much stronger than he had thought, and it scared him. Jack knew he had to bury everything he had felt to find the strength to let her go. However, how to do it was the real challenge. And yet, he was determined to do it - for her sake. Her dream was to leave the Citadel for a better place, and he would keep his promise to her, whatever toll it took, even the highest one - his heart.

The ever-present soft orange glow in the room illuminated the familiar, sleeping faces as he quietly walked past them to reach his own bed. When he finally stood at it, his eyes fell on the slender figure of the woman resting next to it. The expression on her face was neutral, a welcome change from the tension and unrest he had seen on it many times before. 

Whatever he promised himself just moments earlier, he couldn’t stop his emotions getting the better of him. Suppressing the hidden, gentler part of himself for so many years suddenly became an unbearable and intolerable burden. A solitary tear made its way out of the corner of Jack’s eye, leaving its hot trace on his stubbly cheek. He swallowed hard, his face tormented by feelings he had never known. Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly, steadying himself. 

I will let you go… It will break me like a branch of a dead tree, but I will do it. I’ll help you to get out of here to find a better life… Whatever it takes, I promise…

Jack silently took his usual place, ignoring the blanket underneath him. He studied the dark ceiling for some time before the night cast a spell on him at last, and he was allowed to rest his haunted soul.

※※※※※

6.

CLOUDS OF DOUBT

The journey from the Bullet Farm that day started as a silent affair as usual: Jack focused on the road ahead, and Furiosa followed the merciless, hot desert passing behind the Rig’s windows.  However, the silence didn’t last long this time. The moment Jack saw the War Boys in the back joining their team members on top of the truck, out of sight and earshot, he reached beside his seat, producing a new pistol and passing it to Furiosa.

“For you,” he said, glancing at her.
Furiosa studied the weapon, which was significantly larger than the half-pistol-half-knife she already had and reminded her of her first encounter with Jack. Her hands examined the polished metal and wood surfaces, and she couldn’t suppress a small smile of joy and pride.
“For your travels,” Jack added.

Furiosa’s smile faded as she looked at him. The words sent a sudden chill down her spine.
“You’re done here. You’re free to go,” Jack stated.
Their eyes met: Jack’s calm but unreadable, Furiosa’s wide-open and… shocked, and not in a nice way.
“Food, water, wheels,” Jack continued slowly after directing his eyes on the road again, “whatever you need, I’ll help you put it together... Gimme a couple of days.”

Furiosa let out an inaudible sigh and averted her eyes to the landscape quickly passing behind the window. Swallowing hard, she was trying to process the words she had just heard.
“You’re free to go…”
Was she, though? Suddenly, it felt like she was anything but.

Jack’s neutral facial expression softened a bit. While he was talking, it was easier to distance himself from his emotions. Now that he had stopped and had spoken the words out loud, their impact caused a wave of sadness to hit him again, reaching his eyes.
It has to be like this. You’re doing the right thing…

He decided to focus on the journey back. However, the downheartedness remained on his face, lingering like a shadow he couldn’t rid himself of.

Not another word was spoken between them for the rest of the drive.

※※※

 

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, with unloading and sorting out of the supplies from the Bullet Farm, and carrying out the routine maintenance work on the War Rig in preparation for the journey to Gas Town in two days. Furiosa was even quieter than usual, focusing on her tasks and subconsciously avoiding eye contact with Jack. Since his announcement earlier in the day, her mind was drowning in confusion, facing a dilemma she was not prepared for.

Jack noticed her absentmindedness, but because she fulfilled all her tasks perfectly as usual, he didn’t comment on it. His own mind was in turmoil, causing him a hard time keeping his focus on work. He started contemplating what excuse he would give to the mechanics when requesting a motorbike to be attached on top of the pursuit car once the day of Furiosa’s leaving came. Working on an escape plan for her kept his head busy, helping him to fight the gloomy prospect of his life in the Citadel once Furiosa had left.

“The Rig is all clear,” the woman on his mind suddenly interrupted his pondering. “We can start loading it tomorrow.”
She glanced at Jack for the first time since they had returned from the Bullet Farm. When their eyes met, she quickly looked away as if afraid of what reflection of herself she would see in his green irises.
”All right,” Jack said quietly, but his face was unreadable yet again.

Furiosa nodded, more out of the need to show him her acknowledgement than out of necessity.
”I’m not going for dinner today, I’m not hungry,” she added, her eyes keenly studying the grains of sand at her feet.
”All right,” Jack said in the same tone again, watching her uncharacteristic uncertainty.  
”All right…,” she parroted back, her voice fading. Then her feet finally decided it was time to move, and she walked out of the servicing room.

Jack watched her leave, and his eyes lingered on the same spot for a long time after she vanished out of his sight. A frown creased his forehead, the first sign of his real emotional state. For years, he thought he had settled into a life that guaranteed him survival and a relatively comfortable existence, whatever that meant in the Wasteland. His frown deepened when he realised he had hit the nail on the head.
Surviving… That’s not the same as living… but who can really live in this world?

For a few brief months, Jack was reminded what it means to live again, not just survive. The spark that Furiosa’s dream and appearance in his life ignited in him was like a lush green tree bearing sweet fruit: invigorating and nostalgic. It reminded him of a time when things were different, less life-threatening and more human... a time from such a deep past that he had almost forgotten about it. He was but a child back then, and yet the way he used to feel with his parents and friends back home emerged from the shadow vividly. Long-suppressed memories and feelings reappeared once Furiosa so inimitably entered his life. And soon he had to pretend she had never even existed…

This ‘letting her go’ business was proving tougher than he had expected.

※※※

Furiosa was restless and unable to fall asleep that night. What made it worse was that she was really hungry. She only didn’t go for dinner because she couldn’t face sitting opposite Jack at the table, while her mind was racing with thoughts bordering on rebellion. For thirteen years, she desired nothing else but to leave the Citadel, focusing on achieving that goal one day. And now that she finally had the chance to do it, something inside her was screaming from the top of its lungs words opposing the mere idea of that dream…

When Jack came to the sleeping room, they didn’t speak. However, just as Furiosa, Jack couldn’t sleep a wink. His eyes watched her stone-faced expression as she stared above and watched the shadows of the flames dancing on the ceiling. He knew she could feel his gaze and was probably unnerved by it, but he couldn’t help it. If this was one of the last nights he had the opportunity to do so, he wanted to remember as much as possible. The comfort of having her resting so close to him, the way her eyes greeted him every morning after waking up, the peace he felt in her nearness…

At last, Furiosa finally fell asleep, and Jack sighed, his eyes lingering on her face. It didn’t take more than a few minutes before he realised she was having a nightmare again. A mild frown and barely visible jerking of her head from side to side were as telling as the tension on her face and the hand on her chest, having a tight grip on her half-knife she slept with every night, just like he did, always prepared for self-defence. For months, Jack kept wondering about the cause of her bad dreams but he never dared to ask about it. Furiosa wasn’t the type to offer personal information, and he didn’t wish to pry it out of her unless she felt comfortable talking about it herself.

However, the discomfort on her face seemed stronger that night, her chest suddenly heaving. Jack wasn’t immune to mental suffering, remembering his own nightmares for months after he was brought to the Citadel as a boy. He couldn’t keep watching or worse, turning his back on her. He sat up, and his hand slowly and gently reached for Furiosa’s shoulder. Waking her up seemed like the best idea. Anyone less might have regretted it seconds later, because Furiosa suddenly sat up with the speed of light, and her hand, holding the knife, immediately went after the supposed attacker’s face.

Jack’s immaculate reflexes and anticipating a similar reaction saved his life as his hand quickly blocked Furiosa’s hand, holding her wrist tight, only inches away from his eyes. He didn’t say a word, watching her breathe heavily, regarding him with widened, frightened but resilient eyes. Realising who he was, Furiosa’s frantic breathing started slowing down. Her eyes, glowing in the dim space between them, pierced Jack’s calm gaze. There was more than calmness in it - compassion, but above all, some deep pain and torment, the meaning of which she only guessed. She had never seen Jack looking at her that way. It stirred something in her heart, stinging her with force, yet keeping her tongue-tied as she couldn’t utter a word, completely drawn into his emotions.

Jack’s eyes bore into hers, searching for answers and at the same time, wishing he could always be there to soothe her pain. In one long, silent gaze, he bared his whole soul to her.
What must you have been through in your life to have such nightmares? Who has left such a terrible scar on your soul? Whatever happened to you, I would never let anyone harm you again, ever…

The look of his green pools was softer than ever before; he was unable to hide the sadness, though. Furiosa held his gaze, not daring to blink, in case he vanished before her eyes. The calmness radiating from Jack always had a profound effect on her, bringing her composure and making her feel safe. However, tonight, it mingled with the sadness and pain in his face, penetrating the fragile walls of her heart.

She let him gently push her hand back down, her fingers still securely wrapped around her weapon, while he maintained the intense eye contact. As her body slowly sank back onto the bed, her eyes didn’t leave his gaze, as the reality of her imminent departure struck her again. Furiosa didn’t want to leave those warm, fully focused green eyes looking at her in any way, but especially like they were at that moment. She didn’t want to leave the comfortable feel of his nearness, the strength of his belief in her, his… friendship (even though they never named their relationship as such). She simply didn’t want to leave Jack, and if stealing a few more precious moments of memorising that gaze was all she would get, she wouldn’t waste a second.

A quiet sigh escaped from Jack’s throat when he reluctantly let go of her hand at last. The loss of his warmth on her skin made her wince involuntarily, but she tried to cover it by finally averting her eyes from his face and pulling her hand closer to her cheek, pretending to settle in again. Jack reached for the edge of her worn blanket and pulled it up to her shoulders like his mother used to cover him when he was a child. Furiosa couldn’t resist looking at him again. His tender gesture, so uncharacteristic for the environment they both lived in, made her heart ache even more.

Jack resumed his lying position, pulling his own blanket up to his chest, as he usually did.
Enough…

He didn’t feel tired but knew that for his sanity’s sake, he had to get some sleep. Therefore, without another glance at the woman by his side - although his head was still full of her - he closed his eyes and prayed for an early drifting away. 

※※※

“I know it’s earlier than planned, but we need to get going within an hour. The message was clear: the longer we wait, the more probable it is for the situation to escalate,” Jack said to a group of Warboys standing at the War Rig and listening to him.
“Shouldn’t we tell…?”
“Immortan Joe knows,” Jack interrupted one of his men. “It’s his order to leave early.”
None of the Warboys had anything to argue about.
“We’re leaving in an hour,” the Praetorian concluded and watched his team members nod and go their own way.

“What’s going on?” Furiosa asked from behind his back, making him turn.
“A messenger came from Gas Town. It’s a mystery how he managed to escape from there because Dementus and his gang invaded it yesterday.” Furiosa frowned, feeling rage rising within her.”The problem is, we need more gasoline, so we are still driving there today, only earlier than planned.”

He watched her for a moment, noticing the emotional change on her face. It seemed as if something angry was bubbling inside her, waiting to burst out into the open. Whatever it was, she managed to push it away and seemingly returned to normal.
“All right, I’ll get ready,” she said and turned to leave.
“I’ll be driving,” Jack stated, stopping her in her tracks.
“It’s my turn today,” Furiosa countered, unsure about his sudden reason for changing their usual system.
“I know, but it’ll be unpredictable today, quite possibly more dangerous.”

Furiosa frowned again.
“You don’t trust my driving?” she asked. Now, the anger really started rising inside her, although for another reason.
“I don’t trust Dementus,” Jack replied calmly, understanding her confusion.
“Is it because I’m a woman?” Furiosa inquired, unnerved. In truth, Jack always treated her as equal to men, and she found it difficult to believe he would change his attitude now. Still, she needed to know.
“No. I’ve been driving Rigs for much longer than you, and have more experience in driving them in challenging situations. You will look out for any trouble and cover me, should it be necessary. We need to get back with the gasoline supplies.”

Furiosa took a deep breath in an attempt to stay calm. It was proving to be a hard task, though.
“You’ve taught me everything about Road War, all the tricks to beat or escape the enemy while driving the Rig, how to maintain a cool head under a heavy attack, everything needed for this situation. For goodness' sake, we met under attack! Why can’t you just…?”
“Because I said so!” Jack cut her off, suddenly losing his composure.

Surprised by the loss of his usual self-control, Furiosa backed off, understanding she would not succeed in changing his mind. Still, it didn’t mean she wasn’t angry.
“Fine!” she barked between her teeth, turned on her heel and walked away.

Jack briefly closed his eyes, sighing heavily. He didn’t tell Furiosa the whole truth. If he had, she would know it wasn’t her shorter driving experience that made him want to sit in the driver’s seat today. The real reason was that it was safer for her. In case of any attack, she could focus properly on self-defence. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was a woman and everything to do with the promise Jack gave himself before – the promise of letting no harm come to her. The decision that cost him her anger had its foundation in his heart.

The cloud of a bad premonition suddenly hung above him. Jack felt in his bones that things were about to get hot.

※※※※※ 

 

7.

COME WITH ME

 

The War Boys were all in their positions on the War Rig, ready to start the next journey to Gas Town - probably more unpredictable and dangerous than ever because anything could happen that day. Dementus wasn’t someone who would take a long time to negotiate.

Furiosa approached the Rig with a prevailing discontented expression on her face. However, when she wanted to mount the steps leading to the passenger’s seat, she froze midstep, seeing Jack already sitting there. He slowly turned his head and looked at her, without saying a word. Their eyes met - his calm and resigned, hers surprised and mildly confused. The injustice Furiosa had felt after their conversation vanished, but she couldn’t quite get rid of the feeling that Jack let her drive only not to cause any more arguments in the challenging situation they were about to face. She didn’t voice her feelings, though, and made her way around to the driver’s seat.

She slammed the door behind her and turned the ignition key. Jack was looking ahead as always.
”You’ll stay in the Rig. I’ll oversee the loading,” he said in a colourless tone. “Time to go.”
Furiosa glanced at him once more, but then fully focused on the task ahead and set the War Rig in motion.

※※※
 

Things got tense even before they passed the gates of Gas Town. Men on motorbikes waited for them outside to lead them in. After the War Rig entered the town, the sight that presented itself to them was much different from the one they were used to: angry townspeople were lining the road, threatening to break the human barrier of men with weapons trying to hold them back.

The War Rig stopped in its usual spot, and Jack got off to supervise the work, leaving Furiosa alone. Suddenly, a loud, gritty voice penetrated the displeased crowd.

“Stay back! Leave them!” someone shouted into an old-fashioned, oversized microphone.
Furiosa recognised the voice immediately, even though she couldn’t see the face of its owner, only his body, as he continued speaking to the town’s inhabitants. However, she felt her own fire of anger ignite within her.
”Citizens of Gas Town! I want what you want: a full belly and a fistful of bullets for a tank of gas!” Dementus stood in the back of a massive black jeep during his speech, having stopped right next to the front of the War Rig.
”We have to put things right! And today, we’re gonna do something about it!”

He paused and dropped heavily into his seat, finally coming into Furiosa’s full view.
”Are you in charge here?” Dementus asked her.
The rage reached Furiosa’s eyes, turning into hatred as her hand slowly reached for her new weapon. She was ready to use it until Jack blocked her view. He suddenly appeared standing on the step leading to his seat.
”You can speak to me,” he said calmly, putting a human wall between Dementus and Furiosa - her hand slowly retracted from her pistol.

”I’ve got a message for Immortan Joe,” Dementus continued. “We’re in a black spiral here. We can’t keep up supply, everyone’s saying they’re being swindled and short-changed… Everyone’s saying it’s my fault, but it’s everyone’s fault!”
Furiosa stared ahead, breathing heavier than usual, attempting to contain the turmoil within her.
”I want a meeting of the War Lords,” Dementus said. “Me, him, the People Eater, that idiot Bullet Farmer. High noon at the Citadel, three days from now!”
Jack nodded, a small smirk lingering on his face. “Right,” he said.
“You better go!” Dementus advised, seeing the growing fury in the crowd.
”We’re not leaving without our tankers full of gas!” Jack countered resolutely.
”Go now!”

Jack’s head snapped to the side, seeing the first line of malcontent people being broken as some men from the crowd ran into collision with the men unloading the War Rig. Hearing shots being fired, Jack understood they had to get out of Gas Town immediately if they wanted to have a chance to escape.

“If you wanna get out of here, follow me!” Dementus seconded his thoughts.

The Praetorian watched him drive ahead while taking his place in the passenger’s seat again. Furiosa didn’t waste time and followed Dementus, even though not all the War Boys were back on the Rig or in the pursuit car yet. In her side mirror, she spotted the ones left behind being attacked and killed by the mob. Regardless, her foot remained firmly on the gas pedal,  and her wide-open eyes followed the jeep in front of her. She was determined not to fail and escape from danger.

They were just driving through a tunnel of metal pipes and poles when two masked men suddenly jumped on the Rig’s hood. Like a ghost, one of them quickly appeared right behind Furiosa and stabbed her in the shoulder - only to be shot a second later by Jack, just as the other man, who tried to force his way through the open window on Furiosa’s side.

The cold and sharp feel of the steel blade stunned Furiosa for a moment, making her face freeze in shock. She had seen torture with her own eyes but had never felt it on her own flesh. And yet at the same time, she didn’t dare to even blink, desperately clutching the steering wheel to keep the Rig on the right track. Her brain went into survival mode, temporarily numbing the pain.
I must get the Rig back to the Citadel!

“High noon, the Citadel, three days from now!” Dementus repeated when his jeep stopped to let the War Rig pass. “Be punctual!”
Neither Jack nor Furiosa replied, their faces rock-hard as the Rig moved forward again.
The tension on Furiosa’s face eased mildly only once they passed the main gate, leaving Gas Town to Dementus and the raging mob.

Fury Road and the vast landscape before them seemed suddenly a welcome change after the drama they left behind. They drove in silence, and Jack was finally able to focus on Furiosa’s injury. His hand carefully took a grip on the knife sticking out of Furiosa’s shoulder, while his other hand softly landed next to it. With a swift move, he pulled the knife out, making Furiosa jerk from pain but not eliciting a sound. She moved her shoulder in a circle, to ease the tension in the hurt muscles.

Jack took a clean handkerchief out from his jacket pocket and gently pushed it under her shoulder pad to stop the bleeding. The thick pad on her jacket very probably prevented a much deeper and more serious injury. His silent, soft and careful handling of her wound surprised Furiosa a little, and her eyes met Jack’s gaze.

There was no trace of saying I told you this was a bad idea. The only emotions she could read in his eyes were worry and deep care. He kept looking at her, his hand still on her shoulder as if wishing to take some of the pain away. Furiosa couldn’t stand his gaze anymore, suddenly feeling ashamed for having been so stingy before. However, she also knew she defended her stand and proved that she could handle the pressure of a highly dangerous situation more than sufficiently enough. Nevertheless, she decided not to comment on it and focused on the road. A sigh escaped her throat as the final traces of her anger disappeared.

Jack was aware that there was no reason for his hand to remain on Furiosa’s shoulder and moved it to the back of her seat. He finally averted his eyes from her face and concentrated on the road as well. He knew she had passed the test but it didn’t make him feel better about her being injured. Of course, he acknowledged the fact that it could have happened to him if he was driving. Even so, he hated that he couldn’t keep his promise to himself to keep her safe from harm.

”Good job,” he said after a beat without looking at her. “You did really well.”
Furiosa’s eyes travelled to his face but couldn’t read his expression. On the outside, Jack looked cool and composed, but there was something slightly off in his eyes, something that had visibly rattled his emotional cage.
”Thank you,” she replied quietly, making it the last words spoken until their return to the Citadel.

※※※
 

Reporting about the incident to Immortan Joe was anything but fun. Jack and Furiosa stood firmly rooted to their spots with their heads up as they had to endure the People Eater’s reproach and listen to his argument with the Citadel ruler and his sons. The unsuccessful mission to Gas Town and the news about Dementus’s demand for a meeting were highly disturbing to them.

„At first light, leave for Bullet Farm with all your tankers empty. Then return with every ammunition you can load,“ Immortan Joe ordered the Praetorians before turning to the Bullet Farmer. „I want every bullet and firearm, every calibre and size, your entire inventory ready to pick up.“

Jack and Furiosa exchanged a knowing look and left the assembly. Both knew what Immortan Joe’s words meant – the Citadel was about to start a war against Dementus. However unpredictable their lives had been so far, the next days would get even worse, and no one could know if they’d live to see another day. However, they also meant one more thing – a real chance for Furiosa to escape, pretending to have been killed in combat...

Furiosa was deep in thought when Jack’s voice reached her in the middle of a corridor.
„Your wound needs looking at,“ he said and took the nearest turn.
The young woman looked at him, slightly confused – among all the drama, she almost forgot she was injured. A sudden sting in her shoulder reminded her of the reality, and she followed Jack wordlessly.

They stopped by a small, dark room, almost like a larger recess with a door. It was the medical supplies storage room, humble in quantity but reliable and sufficiently equipped. Jack opened one of the nondescript boxes and grabbed a small kit containing needles, thread and some pieces of cleaning cloth. Then he closed the door to the room and turned to Furiosa.
„We need water. The Hydroponic Garden,“ he said, and they walked on.

Furiosa remembered the place but wasn’t prepared for how powerful the memory of her first time visiting it would hit her. In her mind, she saw herself sitting at the pool ledge, cooling off after a training session with Jack. The memory of the gentle touch of his hands while he was cleaning her bruised hands made her swallow hard. She blinked and followed Jack to the pool.

„Take off your jacket,“ Jack said, placing the modest first aid kit on the ledge and opening it.
Furiosa did as he said, suddenly very self-conscious as she sat there only in her undershirt. She felt almost naked when she had to pull down the sleeve on her left arm to reveal the shoulder wound. Lowering her eyes to the shimmering pool surface, she waited for her mentor to treat her injury.

Jack lifted his eyes to Furiosa. He couldn’t help noticing how unusually small and fragile her slender body looked without her uniform. Yet when he looked at her face, he saw the same dignity and strength he had admired right from their first meeting.  The only minor difference was the slight shyness radiating from her. He longingly studied her profile as her eyes observed the soft ripples on the water, created by the gentle breeze, and his inner voice whispered one word: beautiful...

He let out a sigh, regaining his composure. He examined the wound, finding with relief it wasn’t too deep; the bleeding wasn’t heavy either.
„It needs some stitches but it’s not serious.“
 Jack wetted a piece of cloth in the pool and cleaned the wound and the area around it. Then he pulled a piece of thread through one of the small needles.
„This will probably hurt,“ he remarked, glancing at Furiosa. Her face remained seemingly unchanged as she patiently waited for his next action.

Before Jack pierced her smooth skin for the first time, he hesitated, his natural protective instinct almost overwhelming him. However, he took a deep breath and went on with the procedure as he had done many times in the past with other members of his convoy on various occasions. This time it was different, though, as something else was involved in it – his heart.

At the first oppressive contact of the needle with her skin, Furiosa involuntarily winced, but then she gritted her teeth and managed to remain unmoving until Jack finished the sewing. Her face relaxed when he cut the end of the thread off and put away the needle.

Jack, impressed by the quiet and strong way she held on through the sewing, lifted his eyes to her face again. Her position hadn’t changed; she was still looking at the water, unmoving, reminding him of a delicate marble statue, the likes of which Jack saw in one of the old books his parents used to keep from the old times.

And then his eyes fell on her exposed forearm. He had only seen it once but remembered it very well – the long star constellation tattoo on her skin. He couldn’t resist and gently reached for her arm, carefully turning it so he could see the image clearly. She let him without resisting.

„This place... at the end of your map of secrets... where is it?“ Jack asked, with genuine and innocent curiosity.
Furiosa’s first instinct was to shut herself off, and she did by pulling her arm away from Jack’s hand and looking away from him. Immediately afterwards, she felt ashamed – he had never been anything but respectful to her and didn’t deserve such a cold reaction...

If Furiosa had seen Jack’s eyes at that very moment, she would have seen the pain in them, reflecting the sadness caused by her seeming lack of trust in him. He could understand it, though. Her life in the harsh man’s world, where almost everybody was at each other’s throats in the war for survival, trust was a luxury.
He turned away from her face, lowering his eyes, then stared into the Wasteland lying open before them.

„My mother and father... were soldiers...“ Jack said, suddenly transported back into his childhood days. „Even as the world fell, they yearned to be warriors for a virtuous cause.“
Furiosa lifted her eyes back to his face, surprised and transfixed equally by his openness and the tenderness of his voice.
„For them, it never happened,“ Jack continued before his warm eyes found hers again. „I wanna help you find this place, wherever it may be.“

Furiosa saw the honesty and truth in his gaze, qualities she always connected with him, but now they shone even brighter. The decision she took the next moment was easy to make: maintaining eye contact, her hands reached to the place where a few strands of her hair were tied at the back of her head and fished out something small. She outstretched one arm toward Jack and opened her hand – there, on the palm, lay a small dry pit.

Jack incredulously watched the precious seed of green in her hand, then lifted his eyes to her. The next words were out before Furiosa even properly thought about them, but she meant them with all her heart.
„Come with me...“

The surprise on Jack’s face turned into sadness, and a little sigh escaped his throat before he gently but firmly closed her hand with the pit still in it.

Furiosa watched his warm hand safely enclosing her small one holding the pit, realising he refused the offer. Even though she understood why, the thought of leaving the Citadel without him was a painful one, more than ever before.

Her face finally showed a hint of emotion, a small wince, before her hand quickly went to the back of his head and pulled it close, forehead to forehead. Her thin, long fingers cradled his skull as she took a deep breath, then exhaled loudly. She didn’t dare to open her eyes; the fear of surrendering to her emotions and shedding a tear was too strong.

And then she felt Jack’s hand gently cradling her own skull, as he couldn’t resist his own calling and expressing his feelings in her way.

„I can’t...“ he whispered helplessly. „You will never escape without them chasing after you if I don’t back you up by telling them I saw and buried your dead body...“
Furiosa swallowed hard, taking another deep breath. Breathing suddenly became quite difficult with the onslaught of so-long-suppressed emotions washing over her. She desperately searched for words that would persuade Jack, but struggled to find the appropriate ones. She realised there was only one thing she could say.

„I don’t want to go without you, Jack... I can’t...“ she whispered back, her forehead still pressed to his, her fingers still playing with his hair.  The touch of his hands felt even warmer than she remembered, making it impossible for her to physically part with him.

For the first time since the loss of his home many years ago, Jack didn’t know what to do. His heart was crying to leave with Furiosa, while his head tried to reason with him based on the danger it would present to her. He felt a few drops of sweat forming on his temples; Furiosa’s closeness was intoxicating, making him break every barrier he had built around himself over the past few months. It wasn’t just desire, it was the sheer need to be with the woman who had become the other part of his soul, the person who reminded him of the human being he once used to be and could be again. The person who showed him what’s possible in a world full of impossibilities...

„Together, Jack,“ Furiosa quietly repeated her plea.

He sighed, then reluctantly pulled slightly back to see her eyes. She finally opened them, and Jack saw them glistening, shimmering like two big diamonds. That sight broke him. He sighed and nodded.
„Together...“

This time, Furiosa couldn’t fight back the tear that escaped from her eye. She exhaled loudly, the relief and joy pushing away her usual restraint on emotions as she let herself get carried away and slowly put her arms around Jack’s neck. She breathed in his scent, a mix of motor oil, gasoline and dust, and felt a strange thrill running through her veins.

※※※※※

 

8. 

WITH, NOT WITHOUT YOU

The sun was low in the sky, blending in the sea of orange and red, burning the already-hot Wasteland. The time for another uninspired dinner in the Citadel was approaching, yet Jack and Furiosa were still in the Hydroponic Garden, now sitting on the sandy ground and leaning against the pool’s cooling, rocky wall. Their previous, emotionally charged conversation had a profound effect on both, subconsciously making them sit very close to each other, their arms and sides touching. It seemed the physical contact, unobserved between them before, was suddenly too tempting to resist, too comforting and satisfying to deny it themselves.

“The War is coming,” Jack started after a while of silence between them, when they just watched the sun setting on the horizon in the distance. Furiosa looked at his profile, for the first time in a while. “We have been in battles every day, but what is looming over the Wasteland now is much bigger and much more dangerous than any battles we had to fight on Fury Road.”

His eyes were still pinned to the horizon as if trying to memorise as much of the beauty and serenity of the sunset as he could. Would it be the last one he would see in his life? Jack didn’t know, but he didn’t want to miss a second of sharing it with the woman sitting by his side.
Furiosa regarded him quietly; her hand slowly covered his hand, resting on the ground right next to her. Jack turned his head to look into her striking eyes. He twisted his palm, and his fingers wrapped around her hand, gently but firmly.
”Then it’s good that we can face it together,” Furiosa remarked, her gaze intense and honest.

Melancholy veiled Jack’s eyes, and yet there was something more in them, something unspoken but very clear to see, and Furiosa didn’t miss it.
”Together,” Jack repeated, managing a small smile.

Furiosa felt her heart beating in her throat. Of all the time she had spent in Jack’s presence, this was the moment she felt the closest to him, and her desire to share everything she was hiding from him about her past overwhelmed her. She wanted to tell him; in anticipation of what they would be facing soon, he deserved to know why it was so important for her to leave and find her home again; he deserved to know the truth.

”There is something I need… want to tell you,” she started, her extraordinary eyes seemingly even larger as they pierced his warm gaze. “About how I got to the Citadel.”
And so she did, while Jack listened intently, without interrupting her. Her life in the Green Place; her mother, falling victim to the bestial brutality of Dementus; being kidnapped and held captive by Dementus, only to be taken by Immortan Joe not long after, her subsequent escape from him and life in disguise in the House of the Holy Motors for years…

Jack didn’t interrupt her once; he listened patiently, and her resilience and determination to survive and fulfil her dream and promise to her mother impressed him immensely. Since the very first moment they met, he knew this woman was special, sensing not only her extreme defence skills but also the sheer will to survive and keep going wherever she wanted to go. Now he knew it was not only the survival instinct or the revenge that kept driving her onwards - it was her dream, her unwavering belief in her home, in returning to the place where hope, respect and humanity still existed.

”You will find your home,” he said quietly when she finished her narrative. “With or without your map of secrets.”
Furiosa looked into his eyes, noticing the strange but calm light reflecting in them, as if he knew something she didn’t.
”We will find it,” she corrected him, tightening her hold of his hand.
Jack smiled, without replying.

They regarded each other for a beat before Jack sighed.
”We need a plan,” he said.
Furiosa nodded and quickly returned to her pragmatic thinking, pushing her emotions aside and eager to know his thoughts.

And then she let him explain everything he had been preparing in his head for weeks. The only change he had to make was considering not one but two runaways. However, regardless of the much bigger risk it posed, deep inside his heart, Jack knew there was no other way for him, and there could be only two possible outcomes - success and a new life in hope, or his demise...

※※※

When they got into the War Rig the following morning, they didn’t share a word, only exchanged looks before Furiosa turned on the engine, and they set out for the Bullet Farm - to load the truck with every piece of weaponry they could get their hands on.

There was a palpable tension in the air, creating a thick and electricity-filled atmosphere, suggesting something was about to happen. Jack and Furiosa, despite looking cool as always, felt the barely contained thrill of the possibility of their plan. The success was not guaranteed, yet neither of them would back off now. There was only one way forward - out of the Citadel, following the stars, together.

The distant outline of the Bullet Farm had just appeared on the horizon before them when Furiosa looked at Jack.
”Ready?” she asked, not needing to elaborate any more.
Jack didn’t reply, only glanced at her and then honked the horn, signalling the War Boys on the top of the tanker and the pursuit cars that they were stopping.

The Rig came to a halt, and Furiosa silenced the heavy engine. Wordlessly, she looked knowingly at Jack again. He glanced at her once more, then got out of his seat, leaving her alone. She took a deep breath and waited a while before she followed him outside. Like never before, she felt the blood pulsing in her veins, her heart thumping with sudden nervousness but impatience, as well.

“I want your bikes!” Jack ordered the War Boys as he stepped off the Rig. “Load them up on the back of the V8 pursuit and tie them down. Soon as that’s done, load it with food, fuel and water. As much as you can carry.”
”What’s this? A scouting party?” asked one of the War Boys.
”Possibly,” Jack replied calmly.

Furiosa finally got out of the War Rig, as well, walking slowly towards him. 

“What about us?” a V8 War Boy inquired.
”You’re both gonna ride on the tanker.”
”What about me?” asked the third V8 War Boy.
”You’re promoted. Rear defence,” Jack replied.  His voice sounded strong and determined as always when he spoke to the members of his team - apart from speaking to Furiosa.

The War Boy glanced at the tanker in awe. “On the War Rig?”
”Of course,” Jack confirmed and registered the sound of footsteps behind him.

“What are you doing?” Furiosa asked and came to stand beside him.”Is there a problem?”
”You drive the V8,” Jack told her and was ready to walk on.
Furiosa stopped him, putting her hand on his chest.
”I drive the War Rig,” she spoke with a deep voice, staring into his eyes.
”Not today. Today you drive the Pursuit,” Jack countered with a non-aggressive command in his voice, worthy of a leader.

Despite the order in his words, Furiosa noticed a flash of warmth in his eyes before he moved away from her and walked back to the front of the tanker, giving more orders to the War Boys and getting inside, back to his passenger seat. The silent acknowledgement of their agreement disarmed her for a beat, despite being ready for it.
She didn’t look back immediately, trying to bring her heartbeat back to normal.
Just breathe… You need to keep a cool head now… Just load the truck and leave for the scouting party... An easy and inconspicuous way out, and by the time they suspect something, we’ll be far away; the stars will be with us…

She turned around eventually, her deeply focused gaze lingering on Jack for a few moments more. Then she got into the V8 car and followed the War Rig as it set into motion again. Her brain consciously clamped down on emotions, her eyes fixed on the truck and the road before her.

As the convoy approached the gate to the Bullet Farm, Jack felt a sudden change in the air. At first, he couldn’t really identify the reason and wasn’t too concerned. However, when the convoy drove through the gate and stopped at its usual place not far behind the gate, he heard the alarm bells ringing in his ears - the Farm seemed deserted, with not a single person in sight. On instinct, Jack’s hand stopped the War Boy by his side from moving. The boy immediately saw why: a large black dog with a furious gaze walked slowly toward them, with a human foot in its mouth. He stopped at the sight of them, ready to attack its next victim.

Jack’s eyes widened as he immediately pulled on the horn string, warning the back of the convoy, then ducked down to avoid danger. The booming sound set off a fiery bullet fire from all around them, killing the War Boy in the driver’s seat immediately.
Furiosa hit the gas pedal as hard as she could, driving back at full speed. She managed to whiz through the gate and jam the brakes only a few meters outside, making the car spin around, when she saw the gate crash down on the other pursuit car trying to get out of the Farm, too. Her heart started thumping again, not from excitement this time, though. She got out of the car, having a tight grip on her thunderstick, ready to fight.

Jack managed to dodge the first lethal load and carefully but quickly jumped out of the Rig. Deep inside, he sighed in relief seeing that Furiosa made it out of the Farm unharmed, spotting her V8 behind the gate. In the next few seconds, he managed to shoot a few snipers on the other side of the War Rig, making his way towards the back of the tanker. He had just shot another sniper, standing on top of the gate, when his eyes dropped down again, seeing Furiosa behind the gate with the weapon in her hands.

Their eyes met, and even from a fair distance, Jack saw the anguish in her look. His own gaze was painful, almost desperate. He knew the chance of them both escaping without destroying Dementus first was nigh-on non-existent. And he also knew, with all the War Boys killed by snipers, he was the only person who could distract Dementus, allowing Furiosa to drive away.

The precious few seconds they were given for eye contact were filled with indescribable longing and a pang of impending tragedy. They were hastily ended with the arrival of more snipers, who both Jack and Furiosa had to deal with.  A few arrived in a car and used a fire cannon, aiming at Furiosa, who hid behind the grated gate, avoiding the flames.

Jack’s brain was on fire of a different kind as he ran into the War Rig’s driver’s seat. He turned on the engine, changed the gear to reverse and without a blink of an eye, hit the gas pedal. The tanker furiously rammed into the car, smashing it like a loathed insect, the fire cannon and the snipers along with it.  

He opened the door, and his anxious eyes searched for any sign of Furiosa. And then he spotted her, running back to the V8 and getting inside. The sound of the car horn called him, but Jack suddenly felt his chest tightening and his heart sinking with the cruel realisation, because, at the same time, he heard something else - more danger approaching on cars and motorbikes, driving up toward the Rig. With a resigned face, he sank back in his seat and reached for a signalling gun. One shot into the sky was followed by a green explosion, sending a visual message to the Praetorian on the other side.

Go… Leave before it’s too late… Find your home, for both of us, and live in peace again…

A cold shiver ran down Furiosa’s spine when she heard the dull sound of the shot piercing the air. She jumped out of the car, and her eyes looked up into the sky, seeing the dreaded patch of green slowly dissipating in the air. She knew what it meant and yet refused to accept it. Her first instinct was to cry out his name, to make him follow her. However, then her gaze dropped back down toward the War Rig, which had already started moving again, heading for a direct collision with the incoming sniper cars and bikes.  Her reason muted her heart, and with a hardened, determined look, Furiosa returned to the driver’s seat, started the engine and hit the gas pedal.

The V8 didn’t drive far, though, for just a moment later, the Praetorian hit the brakes again, leaving the engine running, though. A cruel memory took her back to when she was but a child, tragically affected by a choice someone else made for her, in that case, her mother, whom she had never seen again.
Never again…
The decision she took next was the one she made all those years back as well, although it only caused her excruciating pain when she had to watch her mother being tortured to death by an inhuman beast. However, even this time, her heart wouldn’t decide any other way, not when someone else she loved was doomed to a horrific and inevitable demise and on top of it all, by the same hand. She had to try at least.
Just hold on, Jack…

With rock-hard determination in her eyes, she changed to the reverse gear and hit the gas pedal to its maximum.

Jack didn’t count the number of men he annihilated with the War Rig, Snipers on bikes and cars kept chasing him at the same rate as he kept crashing into them or pushing them off the road. He knew his chance of survival was minimal, still, he didn’t care. His only desire was to buy Furiosa as much time as possible to escape as far as she could from this place of devastation and death. Should he fall himself, so be it, he was ready…

He was driving in a spiral and already halfway down to the centre of the Bullet Farm when he dodged a side hit from a massive bulldozer. That’s when his eyes landed on the slope on the opposite side and spotted the familiar figure of the woman he had just sent away, crouching behind a lost bike and preparing to use the rifle in her hands. His mind went blank for a beat as he was struck by fear. He recognised another figure as well, this one on top of a giant brick bullet-storage tower not far away from him, hiding from Furiosa’s shots, which kept coming in irregular intervals as she covered Jack from his attackers at the same time.

He barely had the time to process the new reality when he saw Dementus suddenly step out from his hiding place, with one of his minions as a human shield in front of him, and fire a grenade at Furiosa. She didn’t manage to reload her weapon in time, and the slope was suddenly blown apart by a large explosion. As Jack saw Furiosa being swallowed by the earth and disappear from his sight under a massive cloud of dirt and dust, his eyes widened in terror.

In that horrifying moment, Jack’s brain switched into total destruction mode. His eyes narrowed and hardened, and the rage and pain that punched him in his gut like a perfectly executed attempt to kill him turned him into a cold-blooded machine. He hit the gas pedal even harder and turned the steering wheel in the direction of the brick tower. There would be no mercy. Dementus wanted war, and he got it, even if only with a solitary soldier this time.

The truck thundered straight into the tower’s base, causing it to collapse just a few seconds after driving away from it - still unharmed, sticking to its reputation as an almost indestructible vehicle.
Jack continued driving and avoiding attacks, his eyes still hard and cold, as he was running purely on instinct. Survival held little meaning for him now. The only person that gave some real and decent meaning to his life since he had come to the Citadel was gone, and all he wished was to follow her, wherever the angel of death might have taken her. However, not before he would take some more of the evil vultures with him.

Suddenly, he felt the Rig slowing down until it started sliding backwards. Jack turned around and saw that the truck got hooked by a crane he had just avoided. He used the breaks and all possible contraptions to stop the Rig from moving backwards, but to no avail. The back of the truck was already hanging over a massive abyss, filled with screaming people at the bottom of it as they saw the unavoidable approaching. Jack climbed out of his seat through the broken windscreen, in the last attempt to save his own skin, even if only for a few minutes longer. However, he only made it to the truck’s bonnet, already leaning backwards at a steep angle. The screams became louder.

So this is it… This is how it all ends, in this Hell of dust, blood and evil…

And then he heard another sound - a motorbike approaching from a distance. His eyes registered movement on the right, and when he looked in that direction, he thought he saw an apparition. It couldn’t be…

The motorbike drove fast toward him, and by the skin of its teeth escaped the second, crashing brick tower - Jack’s single action caused a massive chain reaction, and pieces of the Farm started falling like a house of cards.
”Jack!” came the cry, and he finally believed. She’s alive…

He was already falling into the abyss when he spotted a large hook on a long rope thrown at him. At the last minute, he grabbed it with all his remaining strength, gritting his teeth. He stopped falling and hung from the slope. Looking up, the resilience and determination having returned to his face, his eyes met Furiosa’s hard gaze; it was the look of an almost feral creature, expressing only one thing - you are not dying here!

The motorbike pulled Jack up again, and the Praetorian ran quickly to sit behind Furiosa. The feel of her physical frame reassured him once more that he wasn’t imagining everything. She was truly there, with him, alive… Everything was not lost yet.

They drove up toward the giant gate, where Furiosa killed the bike’s engine. They jumped off it and crawled under the gate through one of the gaps, running toward the V8. After Jack slammed the passenger’s seat door behind him, breathless and still in awe, he looked at Furiosa, seeing that she was watching him. Despite the dust and dirt all over it, her face appeared unusually soft, relief and care etched into its every line.

“Yeah? We’re good,” she said, still out of breath as well.
Jack didn’t reply, his eyes doing the job for him.

Before he could catch his breath, the V8 started its journey of escape and search for a place of long-lost dreams.

※※※※※  

9. 

A HEAVEN OF HELL

 

Stifling heat… dust… dull but persistent headache… Burning pain in his right arm… Dry mouth as if the last time he drank water was years ago…
Jack slowly opened his eyes, realising he was lying on the overturned V8’s ceiling. He could feel his limbs, but all the strength seemed to have deserted him. The muscles of his right hand flexed involuntarily, registering the feel of leather and metal buckles.
Furiosa…

Somewhere from a distance, Jack heard faint, shouting voices, infrequently breaking through the wall of his semiconsciousness. His brain was tenaciously trying to force his body to move, but failing on every attempt.

Head east… three days… all the way...

Fragments of a memory from mere moments ago assaulted his mind like bullets aiming relentlessly at their target…

※

The V8 was speeding through the desert, leaving a trail of sand and dust behind. The two people sitting in it were focused on their journey, occasionally glancing into the rear mirror, and checking the space behind them.

“We’ll head east for three days,” Furiosa said, glancing at the map tattooed on her forearm. Jack turned his head to look at her. “Once we cleared the escarpment and the Great Salt Plains, we’ll take the bikes over the dunes, all the way.”

Firmly holding the steering wheel, Furiosa fixed her eyes on Jack. Everything about her face spoke of a silent yet desperate need for confirmation that the man by her side was really going with her.
”All the way,” Jack repeated softly, never leaving her gaze.

The sparkles in her eyes and the way her lips curled into a small, relieved smile when she looked back ahead caused a warm wave to wash over his heart. It was impossible to suppress a little smile that tugged on the corners of his lips, as well. Despite being aware that the journey would be tough and dangerous, all he could think of at that moment was the way Furiosa’s eyes bore into his with the intensity of a fire that couldn’t be extinguished.

At least for one moment, he didn’t want to think of anything bad they might encounter on their way; none of it was important as he sat in his seat and watched the endless dunes stretch before them. She was by his side, alive, and happy to take him on this journey with her; that was all that mattered. And maybe… just maybe, they would be lucky in the end…

※

Jack was forced back into the present when he felt someone dragging him out of the overturned car and away from it, dropping him roughly to the ground. More fragments resurfaced in his memory - Dementus on their heels, chasing them and crashing into their V8, making it spin a few times in the air before dropping into the sand...
He barely managed to take a proper breath when another pair of hands pulled him upwards, making him balance heavily on his knees. That was when he finally noticed another presence beside him, in the same kneeling position…

Furiosa could barely keep her eyes open. Her squashed left arm hung helplessly by her side, mercilessly unfeeling. Her head was spinning, the faint taste of blood on her lips making her feel nauseous. She could barely keep her head straight, but she sensed the person kneeling beside her, just as if it were a part of herself. With great effort, she turned a bit. Seeing Jack’s battered and bruised face, with his head hanging down and forcing himself not to fall to the ground, a small, quiet gasp escaped from her throat. She hadn’t felt it since the death of her mother, but her eyes started burning, fighting off unshed tears.
Jack… My Jack…

A sudden, desperate touch of a small hand on his chest made him laboriously lift his head and meet her eyes.
”Jack…” Furiosa breathed and used all her remaining strength to make her hand travel to his face. “My Jack…”
”Fury…” he replied quietly with a broken voice, incapable of saying anything more.

The world around them ceased to exist; the furious shouts of Dementus were drowned out by the only sound they could hear - their own heartbeat and the blood rushing in their veins.
The moment when Furiosa’s bruised lips fleetingly grazed Jack’s mouth and hastily returned for another kiss, he closed his eyes, and his hand went up to her face.
If this is the end, I’ll take this moment with me into eternity…

Too soon, right after Jack barely returned her next kiss, they were roughly pulled apart and brought back on their feet. However, the Praetorian’s brain decided to shut out the raging outpourings of their cruel captor. His eyes travelled to Furiosa again, seeing her defiant gaze fixed into the distance, refusing to give Dementus his satisfaction.  
Jack’s mind brought him back to the moment when he saw her face for the first time. He knew back then that the image of her fiery, determined eyes and the halo of her hair would stay with him forever. Something cracked open in him that day, and seeing the same determination in her eyes right now, he couldn’t feel stronger than he already did - he couldn’t love her more…

A few moments later, he felt her head gently leaning against his shoulder. The still-muted ranting of their captor couldn’t take Jack away from the fragile and intimate moment. He leaned his cheek against the top of Furiosa’s head, feeling the heat of her body seeping into his veins, spreading like liquid peace.
I’m sorry… I’m sorry I couldn’t get you safely to your home… But I’m ready… I will leave with your love hidden safely within me…

Jack’s mind was slowly drifting away, carried on the wings of the only feeling that ever made his life worth living. He barely registered when they dragged him away from Furiosa and chained him to a motorbike. Casting one last look at the woman by his side, his feet started running, in a futile attempt to keep up with the bike’s speed.

It didn’t take long before, drained from every last drop of energy his body still held, Jack fell over and let himself be dragged in the dust in circles, chased by a bunch of furious dogs. He knew what it meant, but he had known it all along since the V8 did the almost fatal spin. Oblivious to anything around him, his eyes closed, his body went limp, and he focused on the only thing that still retained its strength - his heart. One last image appeared in his mind’s eye: the face of a woman with striking eyes and a halo of long, brown hair floating around her face. His inner voice whispered her name.

And then, his mind suddenly detached from his body, and he felt himself falling into a deep, black abyss…

※※※

 

OVER 6 YEARS LATER

 

The Citadel was buzzing with cheer and activity that day, its inhabitants gleefully wandering between its three towers. It was already late afternoon, and everyone was preparing for the evening, the anticipation and pleasant thrill rising in everyone. Almost everyone…

She had reached the first, original Hydroponic Garden just as the sun over the late midsummer day started setting, tired from its whole day’s travel in the sky. Reaching the tallest and oldest tree in the garden, her robotic hand reached for one of its ripest fruits.  She didn’t even need to pull hard; the orange and red-streaked peach almost fell into her palm of its own volition, as if to say here… it is because of you that I can share my goodness with everyone…

Her eyes studied the plump fruit in her hand, its rich colours inviting her to take the first bite. However, she sighed instead and put the peach in the small pouch attached to her buckle belt. Her eyes travelled up toward the sky - it was almost of the same colour as the peach, only somehow gentler and warmer, as the colours blended in seamlessly. She watched the spectacle in front of her eyes for a few moments when she became aware of the lump forming slowly in her throat and the burning sensation in her eyes. Releasing another sigh, she closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing, which was becoming more shallow by the minute.

Six years… It’s been more than six years, and I still can’t breathe the same way…

“Furiosa!” an excited voice shrieked out of the blue.
The woman in question jerked her head, seeing a boy of about ten years rushing to her with a beaming smile.
”They are about to start,” he said when he reached her and lifted his head to her. “You don’t want to miss it, do you?”

The child’s innocence, combined with the smudges of dust on his face made her smile. She fondly ruffled his messy blonde head.
”Of course, I don’t,” she replied. “Just give me a moment, will you?”
”All right, but you know they will be waiting for you. We can’t start the celebration without you.”

The boy turned on his heel and, with a thrilled expression on his face, he was prepared to run back to the Citadel. Furiosa called after him.

“Hey!” The boy turned around. Furiosa picked another peach from the tree and threw it at the child. He caught it without problems, grinned and with a “Thanks!” he vanished from her sight.

The one-time Praetorian and then Imperator turned back to the peach tree, her mind’s eye seeing the small pool that used to be there many years prior. It had been more than six years since she had planted the fruit stone there and made Dementus its main nourisher - a cruel but just punishment for all the evil he had forced upon those she loved and all the people who had never harmed anyone. For every life he had ever taken, one peach would grow and ripen on the tree branches and provide other lives with food and goodness. His body had long ago died and decomposed, making the tree flourish even more, surrounded by lush green, and helping Furiosa to plant others in several places around the Citadel. There were three Hydroponic Gardens now, one in each tower, and everyone had free access to them and their fruit and water streams, gently surrounding and refreshing their space.

Furiosa thought back on the six years that had passed since her planned escape from the Citadel, the six years from the events at the Bullet Farm…
She had avenged the two people she had loved most in the world and destroyed Dementus. She had also helped the people of the Citadel get rid of Immortan Joe and his despotic sons, bringing back not only freedom to everyone but also being the main vessel for establishing peace and cooperation between the Citadel and the rest of the Wasteland. When the people asked her to become their leader, her only response was that the only leader anyone needs is their moral conscience and empathy. However, she agreed to become one of the main Operators - a group of people overseeing the daily running of the Citadel, transport of water, produce and gasoline all across the Wasteland, and growing the produce in the Citadel and expanding the growing into other suitable parts of the land.  As its people, the land had finally started to recover after the devastation caused by the Fall. Furiosa also carried through restricted access to weapons, which were available only in rare cases of emergency (for even in the greatest society, there would always be those wanting to crush the tree of love and mutual respect between people).

And so it was that democracy was established in the Citadel. No more rulers, no more one person more important than another. Everybody played their part in everyday life, and each person learned what it meant to cooperate and help each other for the greater good. The road wasn’t easy at first, after decades of dark age, filled with terror, cruelty, fear and the daily fight for survival, but gradually, Furiosa managed to help turn life in the Wasteland into one of much better life quality and mutual understanding.

“You would have liked it here now, Jack…,” she said quietly into the silence, with a sad, gentle smile on her face. “We have all become warriors for a virtuous cause, thanks to you…”
Despite all the good and decent that had returned to the Wasteland in recent years, Furiosa couldn't push away the thought that had been haunting her for more than six long years: no revenge could ever set right the wrong that had been done; the cost of the righteous punishment is always higher than the heart can bear. Some wounds cut too deep; some memories hurt too much…

Taking a deep breath helped her to chase away another stubborn tear threatening to spill, and she exhaled loudly, shaking her head. Realising she couldn’t dwell any longer, she turned around and left the garden. She had to walk out of the Citadel to reach the large open space right between the First and Second Towers to join the people, eagerly anticipating the start of their annual celebration - remembering the day when the rule of Immortan Joe ended and a new era of humanity began.

Her people were waiting for her.

After she took the nearest turn in the corridor back inside and disappeared from sight, a dark shadow moved slowly from behind a wall near the entrance to the Hydroponic Garden. A tall figure in a long, black cloak stood still, its face obscured almost completely by the hood. The hands covered in black gloves completed the eerie, almost ghost-like image. A single shaky and wistful breath escaped from their mouth as they lowered their head deep to the ground as if bent by a heavy burden to the point of pain.

They turned their head toward the Garden, lingering for a fleeting moment, before straightening themselves again and walking in Furiosa’s direction, although not following her.

The warm early evening breeze carried a light and fresh scent of the green leaves and sweet fruit into the corridor, making a few grains of sand on the ground dance playfully. And then it disappeared behind the next turn - just like the shadow preceding it…

※※※※※ 

 

10.

THE HONOURABLE ONES DON’T DIE

 

“Furiosa, tell us how you chased Dementus and killed him! And Immortan Joe!” a little girl of no more than six years old cried from the crowd sitting in a large circle around a large bonfire.
“You must have heard it a hundred times by now, child!” the History Man exclaimed, mildly annoyed.
“It’s all right,” Furiosa said calmly, with a small smile.
“It’s why we are here tonight, right? To remember what happened before we lived freely like we do now?” a boy of about eleven asked beside her.
“We are here to remember those who lost their lives to free us from oppression and terror,” the old man said, taking over again. “To celebrate life, peace and love that we gained in exchange for the great sacrifice of the fallen ones and those who helped us to get where we are now.”
“Then tell us about Praetorian Jack. Please…” the girl requested again.

Furiosa took a deep breath before exhaling loudly. Every year, she had to tell the same tale, as the youngest generation of the Citadel couldn’t get enough of the hero stories from the time not so long ago. Every year, she succumbed to their pleas and told her story, not leaving out anything, especially not Jack. It was never easy for her, but she insisted on telling the story of the man without whom none of the good things that came after him would happen. Furiosa may have rid the Wasteland of Dementus, Immortan Joe and his cruel sons, but it was Jack’s belief in her that gave her the strength to do it.  However, this year, she felt the heaviness of her memories hit her harder than ever before. Suddenly, the words that usually flowed fluently like a calm stream of water got stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.

All eyes were fixed on the woman’s face, everyone waiting to hear the familiar story. Moments passed, and Furiosa was still silent, her eyes frozen on one spot in the fire in front of her.
“Perhaps Furiosa will allow me to tell the story this time?” the History Man inquired knowingly, seeing the emotional struggle on her face.
Furiosa looked into his eyes, seeing kindness and understanding in them. She nodded, relieved she didn’t have to go through the tragic events herself tonight.

“Well then,” the History Man started. “There was once a young boy named Jack. He lived with his parents in a small town somewhere in the Wasteland. His mother and father were soldiers, defending their town from evil men attacking them, fighting for a virtuous cause on behalf of every good man, woman and child who wanted to live in peace. However, Jack’s life was brutally changed one day when his parents were killed in fight, and he was taken away like many orphans in those times. And so, he found himself in the Citadel, not knowing he would become a warrior for a righteous cause himself one day, one of the finest and noblest warriors the Wasteland has ever known.”

Furiosa stood up from her place and walked slowly away, leaving the people to the History Man’s storytelling. She had no need to hear the familiar tale again. Although Jack never told her more than that his parents were soldiers fighting for a virtuous cause, she found out a lot about his life from people in the Citadel later. Many nights, she imagined sitting with Jack in the Hydroponic Garden and listening to his gentle, timber voice telling her about his life before he became a Praetorian. She wondered how Jack had managed to retain his decency, mental strength and kindness in the face of such brutality, cruelty and the fight for survival for so many years.

Meeting Max Rockatansky, not long after defeating Dementus, made her wonder even more. Max couldn’t have been more different from Jack, although eventually she realised he was just as decent and brave, a man willing to fight for the right cause. However, once Max left the Citadel, despite the gratitude she felt towards him for helping her destroy Immortan Joe, she didn’t really miss him. They could have become good friends had he stayed, but Furiosa knew her heart would never beat the same way for another man as it did for Jack. Some things from the old stories her mother told her in her early childhood days were not just fairy tales.

“The History Man was right. He was a good man,” a rather soft young man’s voice spoke not far away from her. She turned her head in his direction.
“Jesse,” she acknowledged his presence and attempted a small but genuine smile. “I didn’t see you there.”
He walked over to her, joining her in the almost dark spot. Together, they watched the shadows dance around the bonfire, illuminating the faces of the people sitting around it. They reminded Furiosa of a giant beast reaching with its claws for its victims.
There are no beasts here anymore, she reprimanded herself in her mind. Easier said than done; the memories of the dark past cast long shadows on her present life.
“Yes, he was,” Furiosa replied, forcing herself to use her usual low and strong voice.

Jesse smiled. “I was only a boy when I met him for the first time, but he probably saved my life, or at least prevented me from getting irreparably damaged even more than I already was.” He chuckled. “I can tell you, Scrotus wasn’t happy about the way Jack wiped the grin off his face that day.” The smile on his face faded a bit. “He was my protector and mentor. I dreamed of driving cars one day, and he took me under his wing in the servicing team. Thanks to him, I didn’t have to deal with bullying anymore. And thanks to him, I became a driver in the convoy.”
“One of the best drivers,” Furiosa added.
“I’m trying my best,” Jesse said modestly. “No one will ever be as good at driving as Jack was.” He noticed Furiosa’s small smile. “You are fantastic,” he added quickly, “but you know…”
“I do.” She nodded, and her look told him she wasn’t offended at all.

They went quiet for a moment.
“I still miss him sometimes,” Jesse pondered then. “At the same time, I often feel as if he were near me, especially when I’m working in The House of the Holy Motors. It's strange... Although I don't see him, sometimes I could swear he is right next to me.”

Furiosa suddenly felt the heaviness lifting slightly from her heart. It was helpful to have someone else to talk about Jack, properly, not just mentioning him as a ghost hero of the past to an adoring crowd.
“My mother always said that those we loved and who passed away are always up there. “ She looked up at the night sky. “In the stars. Whenever we look up there, we’ll find them, watching over us. They keep a place for us when our time comes one day.”

Jesse watched the vast sea of distant twinkling lights. He smiled.
“I can see my parents,” he said quietly. “And Jack.”
Furiosa’s eyes were pinned up as well. “Me too,” she said quietly. In her mind’s eye, Jack just turned his head and smiled… at her mother…

After their short, quiet contemplation, Jesse and Furiosa parted – the convoy driver rejoining his friends in the circle, and Furiosa deciding to return inside the First Tower. She walked on, melancholy obscuring her eyes yet again. Following the familiar route, she reached the Hydroponic Garden for the second time that day,

The group of several fruit trees surrounded by lush green was dominated by the tallest peach tree, right in the middle. There was a small stream of fresh water nearby, rushing down to a small pool, glittering in the moonlight and drawing Furiosa to sit next to it. She did so, deep in thought once more. It was different from the one she first saw in the garden years ago, but the effect it had on Furiosa was the same – calmness reached her immediately, even if only for a moment. Her hand reached out for the water, but her eyes looked through the ripples her fingers made on the surface; from the depth of her memory emerged the image of a man and a woman sitting at the pool, as their hands tenderly cradled each other’s skulls…

She closed her eyes and whispered his name for the second time within a few hours, releasing a deep sigh. Lifting her eyes to the stars twinkling eternally in the sky, she kept gazing at them for a long while as if hoping for an answer, a sign… anything to settle her restlessness. In vain, though, so she lay down on the velvet grass carpet under the peach tree and curled up. Not long after, she fell asleep.

She woke up an hour later, mildly trembling - the temperatures in the Wasteland always dropped considerably at night. She sat up and rubbed her arms with a few quick movements. It was then she lifted her head and noticed it for the first time – the figure in a long, dark cloak standing nearby, silently watching her. At first, she hesitated, unsure if the apparition was still a part of a dream she had or if it was real. She couldn’t recognise the person because the deep-pulled hood obscured their face, and yet despite the initial surprise, she felt something tugging at the core of her heart.

The mysterious figure jerked and turned to leave, suddenly realising their discovery, but Furiosa’s “Wait!” stopped them in their tracks. She could see the cloaked shoulders rising and falling quickly – the unknown was obviously in distress. Frightened maybe?
“Please… don’t be afraid,” she said calmly. She wasn’t sure her words worked, but at least the figure stood still, although not turning to face her.
Furiosa stood up and made a few slow steps toward her surprise visitor. She studied the silhouette in the moonlight. Something about its shape looked familiar…
“I don’t think I have ever seen you around,” she pondered, but the pull at her heart was getting stronger with each step. “What’s your name?”

She heard a deep, broken sigh, followed by a change of the figure’s posture. They straightened up, discarding the slightly hunched pose and revealing their full height. Furiosa was certain now it was a man. Her heartbeat quickened unexpectedly as her hand slowly reached for his shoulder, feeling his muscles tense at her touch as if burnt by fire. Her eyes roamed around his frame, suddenly connecting the dots in her head, recognising the shape firmly engraved in her mind. Hope mercilessly hammered on the door of her subconsciousness.
A thought… It can’t be… And then a whisper.

“Jack…?”

※

Blood rushed into her head like the War Rig on a deadly mission, her heart refusing to slow down its hazardous pace. With every fibre of her body, Furiosa wanted to believe it, and with every fibre of her body, she did...
"Jack?" she repeated barely audibly again.

The man in front of her inhaled sharply for the second time after hearing the name. After a moment, which seemed to Furiosa like eternity, he finally turned around - slowly, almost reluctantly and at the same time, his body oozed longing if Furiosa had ever seen it.
The former Imperator dared to step forward, approaching the man who still hadn't said a word, only stood there, resigned to his fate. When she was close enough, she searched the veiled face in the shadow of the hood, desperate to see his features. Not any features, though... She wished to see the face that had haunted her ever since she saw it for the last time over six years ago. As if he had heard her silent plea, the man cautiously pulled the hood down... revealing a face covered with a surprisingly expertly-sewn leather mask. 

Furiosa exhaled, relieving the momentary tension, but she needed more than this. If he didn't want to talk, she needed to see, although she was dying to hear his voice, that voice... 
"May I?" she asked gently when her hands slowly moved toward his mask. 
He flinched at first, but after another shaky breath, he finally dared to lift his eyes to her, something he resisted way too long and way too hard from the moment she woke up and saw him. 
The moment their eyes locked, Furiosa's heart skipped a beat, then started racing again. She didn't need to see the face to know... The gentle sea of green in his haunted gaze was just as she remembered it; it spoke of the same kindness, warmth and love as when she saw it last, yet there was something else in them too - deep pain and despair.
Furiosa fought her emotions, forcing herself to calm down and finish what she had started. When her hands reached for the soft leather surface of the mask, her eyes asked him for permission one last time. Seeing the faintest nod of his head and the water standing in those tortured eyes, she took a deep breath and carefully peeled the mask away.

The face before her was barely recognisable; where there was one long scar before, now she couldn't count them all, although she was sure there were even more under the short beard and facial hair above his off-centred lips. The wounds he had suffered healed nicely, but the scars remained, and Furiosa was sure the ones marking his soul were even worse. However, despite the cruelly marked exterior, by some miracle, he was there, with his whole body, and when she found his eyes again, with his whole soul as well...
The fingers of her good hand tenderly travelled across his face, studying every scar, not out of pity, but out of the one emotion that ruled her whole life the most. Furiosa felt something warm running down her face. 
"Jack... My Jack..."

The shaky whisper died on her lips as all the heartache, grief, and insufferable longing of the past six years overwhelmed her, and she finally lost control over them. Her arms closed around his neck, pulling him tight, maybe too tight to her, as if they crossed eternity to end their separation and not only a few years. In truth, they accomplished way more - they cheated Death himself.

Jack tasted the salt on his lips and scrunched his face as he held on to her slender frame, desperately and hungrily, without restraint. For six long years, he had stood on the sidelines, watched her from afar, and fought his terrible longing to reveal himself to her. Still, his heart, which was all hers, would not let him do it; he could not let her share his ordeal when she had everything to live for...
But all his rational thoughts from the past melted under the first careful and gentle touch of her fingers on his so painfully marked skin. Those scars were a constant memory of his almost fatal sacrifice, but also an eternal reminder of his absolute loyalty, trust and love toward the only woman who ever managed to steal into his heart - and never leave it again. He knew it, and she knew it. Without ever having said the words out loud, the knowledge was there to stay within them forever.

Neither was aware of the time passing as they wouldn't, couldn't let go of each other. Every unspoken word that never crossed their lips but occupied their minds ever since they had crossed paths vibrated in one single but tight and eloquent embrace. At last, Furiosa slightly pulled away from him and laid her forehead against his. Bringing back that one precious moment from the past, her hand travelled into his still-dark and thick hair to cradle his skull. His own hand mimicked her gesture immediately; like a dying man, Jack was thirsty... for the never-ending feel of her with him.

Furiosa swallowed her silent tears, blinked and then suddenly pulled away to see his tortured but also grateful gaze. The moment their eyes locked again, Jack saw it - the question that was burning in the back of her mind since the moment of his reveal. Her facial expression changed from incredulity, immense relief and joy into one of confusion, bordering on anger, before she said the one word that expressed everything.
"Why??“

Jack expected it, just as he expected her anger. He knew exactly why she ignored the first logical question, How?, having seen with her own eyes the horrifying spectacle that Dementus presented to her, with Jack being the main performer and the obvious, expected victim. He gently disengaged himself from her arms and stepped away, exhaling loudly. He briefly looked up at the starry sky, as if gathering strength, and then proclaimed with an absolute calmness, clarity and sense of inevitability.
"Because I love you."

※※※※※

 

11.

WALK ON

 

There, he said the words he hadn’t said to anyone since his parents were killed. Jack was tired of hiding, not only his true identity, but most of all, his feelings. He let out a long sigh of relief, closing his eyes and letting the peace he had been seeking for so long wash over him like clear spring water. Whatever happened now, he didn’t regret finally putting into words what he didn’t do six years ago.

 

After he opened his eyes again, he saw Furiosa standing still; her face was unmoving and unreadable, and however hard Jack tried, he couldn’t decipher the thoughts behind those hypnotic, penetrating eyes regarding him without blinking. Could he have been wrong in his assumption? Could he have misinterpreted everything that had happened between them six years ago, in the final days before what was supposed to be Jack’s demise? Surely not. Those two words still echoed in his ears, and the feather-like feel of her lips on his shortly before  Dementus separated them spoke clearly of her feelings for him… Maybe it was what he feared all along, since hiding behind the mask in the Citadel: how could she feel the same now, having seen his new face and after all the years of him pretending to be dead?

“I’m sorry,” Jack whispered, his eyes not leaving her gaze.
”For what?” Furiosa asked, her voice deep again, and Jack detected a trace of bitterness in it. “For your feelings or for lying to me for six years?”
There it comes for real, the anger, he thought.
”For letting you believe I didn’t exist anymore while I’ve been living in the Citadel all this time.”

The night air felt suddenly much colder, light frost biting Furiosa’s cheeks as she felt another hot tear escaping her eye. She quickly wiped it away as if ashamed for having surrendered to emotions so easily. It wasn’t just anger that burned within her, it was hurt as well; she felt hurt by Jack’s lack of trust in her.

”Why?” she repeated her question from earlier, more insistently this time, despite her earlier resolve to stay calm.
Jack’s pained eyes tried speaking for him, but he knew silence had no place between them anymore; she deserved to hear it.
”Look at me,” he said. “Just… look at me… Don’t you understand?”
The stab of hurt in Furiosa’s heart was even more painful this time. The first crack in the mask on her face finally appeared when she frowned in disbelief.
”Is that what you think of me?” she inquired, with a strained voice. “Have you not known me better?”

The angry and disappointed fires in her eyes burned him more than real flames, and the pain reached his heart. That’s not what I wanted you to think…
”You don’t understand… It’s not…” A frustrated sigh escaped Jack’s throat. He took a deep breath before speaking again.
”I couldn’t do it to you,” he started quietly. “I still can’t… I don’t pity myself; there are hundreds like me in the Wasteland. For some reason, I was meant to survive. However, what is done is done, and I learned to live with it, but you…” He paused, his eyes softening and begging her to understand. “You have so much to live for… You’ve changed this barren and merciful land and its people into something worth living for. You brought decency and kindness back into people’s hearts. The Wasteland is different because you had the guts and resilience to fight for its better future. What started as a quest for revenge and finding your home ended in a rebirth of this land and its people.”
”I could not have done it without you,” Furiosa insisted, shaking stubbornly her head.
”My part was only a small one,” Jack countered calmly. “It was you who went through with it all. No one else could have. Even Max wouldn’t have done it alone.”

Surprise changed Furiosa’s expression.
”You knew Max?” she asked incredulously.
Jack smiled, the rough features of his disfigured face softening a little. “Only from hearing. And I also know he wasn’t keen on helping you at first.”
Furiosa couldn’t deny it, so she listened on.
”It was you who made him find his purpose,” Jack continued. “You inspired him to find the goodness within himself and use it for a virtuous cause. The same way you inspired me…”

Furiosa’s eyes filled with tears against her will. Jack slowly stepped closer to her; he could have touched her if he wanted, but he resisted the temptation.
”You deserve better,” he whispered, sadness colouring his voice. He was trying to do the right thing and be brave, yet his voice and the haunted look in his eyes betrayed him 

So close… She was so close, and he yearned for nothing but holding her again. Still… He hung on to his resistance, by the last and very thin, invisible thread, but he did, although he knew it wouldn’t take much for him to change his mind.

Another tear ran down Furiosa’s face; she didn’t bother wiping it away this time.
“Six years,” she said bitterly, taking a step towards him and closing the gap between them; her face was just inches away from his. “For six years, I believed you were dead and still couldn’t let you go…” Jack winced. “The very mention of your name tortured me more than when I was made to watch you being dragged to what I thought was your death… more than when I had to rip off my arm to free myself and kill Dementus,” she continued with gritted teeth, her breathing getting shallower as anger was burning her lungs. “I… had to watch… I forced my eyes not to see… All I saw was every moment we shared…” The hardness on her face faded a little as painful memories overcame her. “I forced myself to believe that the dreadful present would never have any power over our time together… I ripped my arm off without a single scream, despite the excruciating pain, but I pushed myself going, for myself, for my mother, and for you, Jack! Furiosa never gave up because of her dream, and because of you!”  
Her hands balled into fists. “And now you dare to show yourself to me only to push me away again?!”

Her last words betrayed her vulnerability as her voice broke. Jack was gazing into those fiery eyes and cursed himself for causing her such pain. She was right; he should have just ignored her calling and run away before his yearning to be near her again overrode his senses. Still, that yearning was his undoing – after more than six years, he simply couldn’t stand remaining a ghost avoiding her presence…

Jack felt her hot breath on his face; her deep frown and the anger in her eyes were becoming unbearable, her closeness yet again testing his resilience to the maximum. However, before he could say or do anything, Furiosa turned on her heel and dashed away, leaving Jack alone in the Hydroponic Garden. After the initial shock from her departure, he squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled loudly.

You fool…

※※

 

Jack was sitting on the rocky ledge of the pool, his head in his hands. The long years of hiding his identity had worn him out, robbing him of way more than just time away from Furiosa. His eyes were closed, his mind overflowing with memories. Then the realisation stabbed him at his heart again: because of his weakness, he had shut the door behind Furiosa for good. He knew how stubborn she could be in her resolve, so he had little hope of repairing things between them. Why did he have to be so noble? Why couldn’t he have just accepted the love she was so obviously willing to share?

He didn’t even bother putting his mask back on. At that moment, he wished he had died back then in the desert. He still couldn’t grasp how he had managed to survive after suffering such terrible injuries, but there he was, alive and physically as strong as he had been in his best days. However, the walls of his psyche were close to collapsing. For six years, he lived and breathed for the mere sight of Furiosa, at least a glimpse from a distance, a motivation to give him a reason to pass through another day in the Citadel. What was the point of his life if he lost her for good? He wasn’t a quitter, but aloneness had been his best friend for too long, and he didn’t feel strong enough to keep up with this sad friendship anymore.

Jack was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the light footsteps behind him. Only when he sensed a presence next to him, his head jerked and his heart leapt – Furiosa was sitting by his side, quiet, looking out onto the dark canvas of the Wasteland, the stars glittering above it.

He didn’t want to push his luck, so he shared the silence, his eyes watching the same view. Seconds, minutes… For a long time, there was nothing but the quiet, soothing sound of the small water stream, and occasional gentle breeze caressing the tree leaves and their hair. And then…
“How?” Furiosa finally asked.
Jack let out a long, heavy sigh.  At last… He was grateful that she still spoke to him, but at the same time, he knew his next words would bring back the unpleasant memories.

“I don’t know,” he began truthfully, his voice having the same quiet and soft quality she remembered from their private talks years ago. “Maybe it was a miracle, if such things ever happen, or maybe Dementus’s dogs didn’t enjoy what they tasted of me and gave up…”
Furiosa shuddered at the mental image appearing in her mind.
“Either way,” Jack continued. “Mercifully, it didn’t take long for me to black out… I don’t know how long I was out there alone. Obviously not long enough to be devoured by anything nastier than the wretched beasts.” He took a deep breath before going on. “When I woke up, I was lying in a cave, looked after by an old woman.”
Furiosa’s head shot to his face. “Not that one,” Jack added, seeing her disgust. He couldn’t fight off a small smile at her reaction. Of course, he had heard about Furiosa’s rescue from the desert after her escape from Dementus.

“This woman used… much more conventional healing methods,” he went on. “She is a good woman, and had the patience and belief to nurse me back to life even when I was at death’s door several times.”
Furiosa frowned with pain, which replaced the anger in her eyes. Her mood had slowly shifted; the initial outrage giving way to clearer, more realistic thinking.
“It took almost three months to heal.” Jack hid much more behind those few words. He didn’t mention the constant fever, the agonising, burning pain while his wounds were still raw, the sleepless nights when he was hovering between nightmares and deliriums, grasping at the last bits of his sanity… He paused, collecting his thoughts and chasing away the horrifying memories.
“When I finally left my bed, I didn’t know where to go, what to do… So the woman offered me to stay with her and help her with healing others.”

Furiosa’s mouth opened slightly with admiration. For the first time that night, her lips curled into a small smile. Jack fought off tears standing in his eyes at the sight of it.
“She sensed your true strength,” she said quietly, her deep voice much more open again. “Healing the wounded ones,” she added.
Jack searched her eyes for a moment, humbled by her assessment. It was clear she spoke from her own experience.
“I was grateful,” he said. “She doesn’t know who I really am, but I owe her everything. With her help, I found my ground again, despite the greatest loss I have ever suffered.”

His words made Furiosa tremble. The greatest loss? Wouldn’t that have been losing his parents? And yet, thinking about those six years without him, she realised the wound she had suffered believing he was gone forever cut deeper than the loss of her mother…

“Sometimes I bring medicine even to The House of the Holy Motors,” Jack went on.
Furiosa’s eyes widened with realisation. “Jesse…” she whispered, noticing his questioning eyes. “He said he can often feel you there.”
Jack smiled warmly, remembering the boy he had saved and became fond of. As quickly as the smile appeared, it faded again a moment later.

“Praetorian Jack died in the desert,” he stated, sadness echoing in his gentle voice. “Although I never stopped wondering…”
Furiosa’s eyes were burning again. She finally moved, turning so she could lift her hands and slowly reach for his head. Her fingers tenderly cradled the back of his skull. He had no way of escaping and had to look into her eyes.
“Praetorian Jack died in the desert,” she said quietly, “but my Jack lived on… and came back to me.”

Nothing… no words could express the feeling of wonder and strange, unexpected peace that filled Jack’s heart hearing her words. Despite persuading himself for years about the righteousness of his actions, it took Furiosa to lift the veil from the truth that had been staring him in the face all along: there was no noble way of exiting from her life and letting her live as she deserved, without complications, because the life she deserved was with the man she had loved ever since their eyes met properly for the first time on Fury Road. It was simple and inevitable, as truth mostly is.

Jack’s expressive green eyes blinked before closing as Furiosa’s hand slowly travelled towards his face and gently traced his scarred cheek. He released a deep sigh, then opened his eyes again and took off his gloves, revealing equally scarred hands; he needed to be able to feel everything, unhindered. Furiosa’s gaze briefly dropped to acknowledge the fact, then met Jack’s eyes again. The scars were of no consequence to her; she expected that he was covered by them all over his body, but no scar could ever change what lay underneath – the purest and most beautiful soul of the most inspiring and honourable man she had ever met. And he belonged with her.

Her head moved forward by its own volition; any more waiting was not only pointless but also unbearable. And so when Jack felt the light touch of Furiosa’s lips descending on his uneven mouth, the stars above them were not bright enough to outshine the fire ignited between them at that moment. This time, no evil force would break them apart. This time, they would finish what they started, together…

The gentle testing gave way to the craving hidden away for long years, and the world around them became blurry as the long overdue connection of two souls and bodies cleansed away the horror and loneliness of the past – opening the door to the peaceful and fulfilled future. At least for that night, the Wasteland became Paradise once more.

※※※

ONE YEAR LATER

The bonfire between the First and the Second Tower burned high and brightly once more, surrounded by the Citadel folk again. They were eagerly waiting to hear the same tale they had listened to in the six previous years. The annual celebrations followed the same joyful pattern, yet one thing has changed – a very important thing.

Furiosa was watching the gathering from the shadow of the First Tower nearby. Her big eyes twinkled in the reflection of the dancing flames, burning with their own, happy fire. She looked up at the starry sky, now and then flickering with sparks rising from the bonfire and painting quickly vanishing orange streaks onto the black canvas of the night. There, among the millions of stars, the eternally young face of her mother looked down at her, a small, peaceful smile on her lips.
May the stars be with you...

Furiosa smiled and took a deep breath. The once sombre face glowed with contentment and peace. After taking in the image of the Citadel people, her people, cheerfully conversing with each other, she smiled again and left her secluded spot to join them.

“The woman herself,“ the History Man acknowledged her arrival as she took her seat not far from him. The old man‘s age was visibly catching up with him, but he was keeping his spirit high and bright. He raised himself with a bit of effort, supported by his staff, and lifted his arm to silence the people present.
”The time has come at last,“ he started with a resonant voice, “to hear from the warrior herself.“
All eyes turned to Furiosa, anticipating the most loved part of the celebration. She briefly lowered her eyes, a smile stealing onto her lips once more. The woman who had barely smiled for years suddenly couldn’t stop. She took a deep breath and began telling her story.

“Once upon a time, the Wasteland was a harsh, cruel, and unforgiving land, suffering from a lack of water and food. It was all because of men’s doing, their unquenchable desire for power and possession. But above all, the Wasteland lacked kindness, empathy and love, qualities that no human society can survive and thrive without. It was ruled and terrorised mainly by two cruel men, Immortan Joe and Dementus, who didn’t know the meaning of mercy, decency or understanding... Many good men who dared to resist them paid a great sacrifice, mostly losing their lives along the way in their attempt to rid the Wasteland of the tyrants. For many years, people’s only driving force was the will to survive.“ She paused. „Until the day when one man took a chance on a young woman, a stranger he had never known before, and showed her that with patience, resilience and courage, the world could become a better place. And it did... His name was Praetorian Jack.“

She reached for the hand of the person sitting on her right, her fingers entwining tightly with his scarred ones.
„Why don’t you tell us how it happened, Jack?“ Jesse asked with an eloquent smile.
Jack mirrored his expression and looked at Furiosa, the green of his eyes even deeper and warmer than before. She nodded, eager to let his storytelling carry her away again. The pride and the strong emotion connecting them reflected in her gaze and made it too easy for him to agree.

Jack, keeping his hold on Furiosa’s hand, took over, the eyes of everyone around fixed on him. The bonfire flames continued casting dancing shadows and softened his disfigured yet still kind features.
„Praetorian Jack was only a boy when he came to the Citadel, brought here by force after his parents were killed by Immortan Joe... He learned everything to survive under the rule of brutes, people who had no one‘s interest on their mind but their own. He obeyed their rules, followed their orders, gaining status and reputation, but deep inside, he yearned to one day fight for a virtuous cause like his parents did...“

He paused, his eyes veiled with sadness, when he briefly travelled back to the day he saw his mother and father for the last time.

„He was no special man, just an ordinary one, holding on to as much decency and humanity as he could, in the face of adversity and the daily cruelty and indifference of those he had served. Still, he never gave up dreaming of a day when he would get his chance to do something right for the people of the Wasteland, something that could divert the path of destruction and help restore peace for everyone... And it came... the day when on another journey on his War Rig, he met a woman... strong, brave and courageous... one of the greatest warriors he had ever known.“ Life returned to his eyes as a gentle smile appeared on his face. „Her name was Furiosa...“

※

Hours have passed, more stories were told, more laughter shared. The flames slowly faded, and after a satisfying and joyful day, the Citadel folk dispersed, retiring for the night. Only two people remained sitting at the dying fire, occasionally poking into the glowing embers. They sat in companionable silence, still holding hands, as if the slightest separation would disturb something and offset the natural balance between them.

Once the darkness finally swallowed the last light of the bonfire in front of them, they stood up, and hand in hand, they slowly walked inside the First Tower. Their destination was clear – the only place in the Citadel connected with both beginning and renewal for them. The place that would forever be their own, carefully preserving the memories of their most precious moments together, and memories they were yet to make – the Hydroponic Garden.

„I can see them, Jack,“ Furiosa said quietly, lying in his arms and gazing at the night sky above them. She pointed at one of the star constellations. „Your parents...“
Jack swallowed hard. Decades later, grief suddenly resurfaced, even if for the briefest moment. However, not long after, his heart leapt, remembering what he had gained despite everything he had lost. His arms tightened around her small frame, his lips pressing a soft kiss into her crown. Then he lifted his arm and pointed at a bright star not far away from where Furiosa pointed.
„And there,“ he whispered. „I see your mother.“

Furiosa smiled widely and turned her head to see his face in the semi-darkness; the single torch on the wall nearby and the full moon above them were the only things illuminating the benighted garden.
„Do you think we will really see them again one day?“ she pondered with a suddenly earnest expression.
Jack sighed, glancing up again. „I think if you really believe in it, anything is possible.“ He looked back at her with a smile, gently stroking her hair.

His words brought back a smile to her face. It was belief that brought back peace to the Wasteland, and it was belief that brought them together again. They could have been passing each other for the rest of their lives, but the belief in something more helped them to find their way back to each other.

Furiosa laid her head on his chest again, listening to his strong, beating heart. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his warmth and still but steady presence. There was still work to be done in their world to keep peace and kindness in it, but together, they could take on anything. Together, they could change the world time and time again...

Jack, feeling her drifting away, pulled the blanket covering them a bit higher up. He sighed once again, and his fingers, careful not to disturb her, put a loose strand of her hair out of her face. She didn’t move, only a small, sleepy smile revealed she was still not fully gone. He watched her for a while still before closing his eyes, as well, and letting himself get carried away to the land of dreams - the sweet ones, for the time of nightmares was finally over...

※※※※※

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
      For my unconquerable soul. 

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

 Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid. 

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

- William Ernest Henley: INVICTUS -