Coggy ran through the dark Citadel tunnel, his small bare feet making tapping sounds on the dim soil. The other war pups were gathering in the main garage as they did every morning before heading out to their stations.

Coggy knew he should hurry. He would be working with the Organic Mechanic for the first time, learning how to repair broken warboys and stop wounds from leaking. The excitement made him smile. He already knew how to stop leaks in a car, but the red fuel of bodies fascinated him so much more.

As he ran he held his rusty toy car tightly in his white-painted hands, occasionally glancing down at it. He made it a few months ago from scraps found around the garage. The other pups all wanted to get their hands on it but he didn't share their enthusiasm. If it would look like a human instead of a car he could practice fixing it. But it was still good for bargaining: he could convince Cram to give him half his lunch for it, maybe even for a week.

The tunnel took a turn and it was suddenly flooded with sunlight as its left wall opened up to the outside of the Citadel, forming a cliff over the huge drop. Coggy didn't care; he knew these corridors and tunnels as well as the V-8 engine block. He stared at the ugly little car in his palm. Why does the others like it so much? It's so boring.

Coggy didn't even see the tall figures until it was too late. His head collided with somebody's arm, which sent him staggering back a few feet. He fell and landed on his backside with a yelp, and looked around in confusion.

The towering men were.. the Second Imperator and.. the Heir himself!

Coggy quickly scrambled to his feet and raised his arms to salute, keeping his gaze on the ground.

"I am honored that I see you, Rictus Erectus, and you, Imperator!" His voice was formal, as much as a five years old's voice can be as he greeted them like he was thought to do.

No one taught him how to apologize to them, tho.

Coggy hastily glanced up at the two massive men, and with a stuttering voice added

"I'm sorry for crushin' into you."

The Imperator's expression was grim and his voice cold.

"Pups died for less than pushing the Heir. The punishment for such indiscipl.." He couldn't finish the sentence, as Rictus's loud voice surpassed it.

"Your car." Rictus glared at the pup, then vaguely waved in the cliff's direction. "It fell down."

The pup was confused for a second, just realizing that yes indeed, his car was nowhere in sight. It must have fallen. Do they want to throw me after it?

Coggy's legs shook a little and he tried to keep his eyes dry. Pups could rarely get to Valhalla when they died.. and being thrown from the Citadel while crying would be the worst death he could imagine.

"Y-yes, Heir."

Rictus stood silent for a second, contemplating. The Imperator was looking at him waiting, with mild annoyance on his face.

A tear rolled down Coggy's face. He's deciding now. I'll never get to Valhalla. I'll never see Clutch again.

"Do you want another one? A car?"

Coggy couldn't comprehend for a second what the Heir said and when he finally did, he didn't have time to answer. Rictus kneeled before him, hunching down enough that their heads were on the same level.

"Don't cry puppy. Puppies shouldn't cry, Dad doesn't like it". Rictus gently reached out and wiped off Coggy's tear.

Coggy was confused. He could see that the Imperator could hardly control his rage, but the Heir.. the Heir didn't seem like he was mocking him.

Rictus suddenly got to his feet, making Coggy jump back a little. His voice sounded a bit impatient now.

"Do you want a car, puppy?"

Coggy wouldn't dare lie to the Heir. "No.. I.. didn't like it. I.. like the.. human toys better." Coggy couldn't keep his eyes off of the doll heads dangling from Rictus's neck.

"The dolls are mine!" Rictus thundered as he clenched his fists, the veins showing on his forehead.

Coggy took a step back and cast down his eyes.

Rictus seemed to calm down immediately. His face reflected deep concentration as he grabbed one of the small plastic heads and rolled it around his fingers.

"You can have a bear."

Coggy looked up. He couldn't decide what was more confusing, the sudden changes in Rictus's behaviour, or what he just said.

"What's a bear?"

Rictus shrugged.

"It's.. soft. Yellow. Four legs, two eyes. Like a doll." He was silent for a bit, looking at Coggy with a look the pup didn't understand. Ace and Miss Giddy look at us like that, when they talk about the old world. Rictus finally cleared his throat.

"I got it for my baby brother. Dad says I'll have a baby brother. But they are always born weak. They die. You look strong, you can have it." He talked briefly, but his voice was softer than before.

The imperator who was standing behind Rictus rubbed his face with both hands, then looked up the sky. He looked genuinely annoyed.

"Rictus Erectus, the Immortan is waiting. He insisted that we hurry."

Rictus nodded firmly. "We must go to Dad. You will get the bear. Until I get a brother."

He turned to continue his fast paced walk, not looking back at the imperator or Coggy.

They disappeared in the darkness of the tunnel, leaving the still sniffling pup on the cliff. He stood there for a minute, still processing what had happened. Will I really get a… bear from the Heir? What will I tell the others, where did I get it? I can't tell the truth, they would steal it! Maybe even the warboys would steal it too.

His musings were disrupted by the roaring sound of a horn.

"Oh no! The garage!" Coggy began to run, hoping that Ace didn't realize that he missed the whole line up.

After a long day of scrubbing dirty exhaust pipes and cleaning up oil from every corner of the garage Coggy plopped down on the pup bed. It was only a few rugs thrown on the carved out stone, but it was much better than sleeping on the ground. The others were already there lying in a cozy pile, most of them already asleep.

As a punishment for being late he would have to clean the scrap'a'junk corner of the garage, rub off all the rust from the water pipes in three corridors and even work in the gardens. He hated the gardens the place creeped him out with all those old world things. Plants.

He felt miserable. I won't get to the Organic Mechanic for weeks now! Coggy sighed and laid back on the stone.

"Hey, Coggy!"

He looked up, hearing the familiar voice. Ace was standing in the door, waving to him to come out.

Coggy slowly walked out to the corridor, almost dragging his tired feet. Ace smiled at him when he reached the door. Coggy liked Ace a lot; he told them crazy stories all the time, about monsters like 'dinosaurs' and chrome warriors who...boxed? Or something like that. And Ace knew all of them by name, not like most war boys.

"Yes, Ace?"

"Coggy, do you know that the Imperators are talkin' about ya? They say you pushed Rictus."

Coggy gasped, his eyes going wide. "It was an accident Ace! I didn't see him I swear! I'd never push him!" His heart was pounding fast, his fear rising. "Will.. will they punish me? I knew they would throw me after the car!"

Ace chuckled, then put a reassuring hand on Coggy's shoulder.

"Calm down, it's a' right. No one is gonna punish you. They just have nothin' better to do, just chitchat." Ace snorted, looking at the wall. "Instead of working in the garage like Furiosa. They think they're almost immorta'." He looked back at Coggy and sighed. "Anyway pup, one of them wanted me to give this to you, said Rictus sends it." Ace reached behind him to one of the lower pipes and grabbed a ragged dirty plush bear. It's neck was ripped in one place, the stuffing sticking out from it. The two eyes were different buttons, and his nose was replaced by a bolt.

Coggy's eyes sparkled as he took the bear from Ace, carefully running his hands through the oily fur that once was yellow, and finally hugging it tightly to his chest. It' so old world! No one has anything like this! I can practice all the organic repairing on it!

"It's the chromest! Thank you Ace!"

"Don't thank me, it's from Rictus! Care to tell me why he gave it to ya?"

"He.. he said I can have it until he has a brother. He said all his brothers were weak and died." Coggy was silent for a bit, looking at Ace who seemed to be deep in thoughts. But he had to ask something that's been bothering him all day.

"Ace, can The Immortan have half-life children? If they were weak and died they had to be half-life, right? So, they would be like us, like pups?" He didn't dare to say the next thought. If the Heir of the Immortan can be half-life, can any half life become Immortan?

Ace looked sad as he answered, his tone forced like even he didn't believe what he said.

"No, the Immortan's children are all immorta'. They go to Valhalla when they die. Pups… pups and war boys 'ave to die historic to prove their worth to enter Valhalla."

Ace stared at the sand on the corridor's floor instead of looking at Coggy. He finally took a deep breath, and forced on a smile.

"Watch out for that bear Coggy, you'll 'ave it for a long time." He patted the pup's head and added with a jokingly serious tone "An' don't be late for line up tomorrow or you'll scrub the pipes until you're a war boy!"

Coggy nodded with a smile and walked back to the puppy pile, cuddling the bear. Real, old world bear. I bet it could fight all the dinosaurs. He crawled up on the bed and fell asleep immediately.

Author's note:

- This is my second fic (so still be gentle :3). Critiques are welcome!
- Big thanks for Kanronotatsu and Thoughtfulfangirl for beta reading