Written by Sara K.
After watching Venom for the hundredth time in theaters I fell back down my Tom Hardy hole and rewatched Mad Max Fury Road. I forgot how amazingly beautiful that movie is and fell in love all over again that I had to write a short series. Here's chapter one, I hope to finish up the next one soon!
"Glad to see you dear."
Furiosa stepped through the thundering gates. The night air was shattered by screams and hollers. Light dancing all across the area around them.
"The last Imperator. It's good to finally meet you."
Her gaze refocused on the man in front of her. He wore linked ammo carriages crossing his chest, as if it were jewelry. He was in his early fifties with salt and pepper hair. A wide smile on his lips and a hand extended out to her.
"Yes. And you as well."
Magnus. He was the new leader of the Bullet Farm. Apparently he took over pretty quickly once their own leader never returned.
Furiosa had taken complete control over The Citadel now. Everything was running well with surprisingly little pushback of a new leader. It seemed everyone was tired of living under Joe's thumb, she was just the only one to act towards it.
During this, no one had heard any news from the other groups. Their own leaders rose up from within. Furiosa had made many trips to Gastown when things had settled but never to the Bullet Farm. Magnus eventually reached out to her and invited her in, telling her about a great "entertainment" that was to come of this night.
Furiosa could care less about being entertained, but if it meant a sure fire safe passage inside a heavily armed fortress to discuss trading, she was for it.
For her people.
"Come, follow me and I'll personally show you and you're friends where you'll be this evening." Magnus gestured into the camp.
Furiosa glanced back at her group of war boys. She nodded to the two that would follow her.
Also trailing at her feet was Toast.
Since their return home, Toast had cast away her linen cloths and replaced them with padded leather and solid boots. She had grown up much since those days.
She reminded Furiosa of herself.
The two woman lead their war boys as they followed Magnus inside.
One of his own men trailing next to him.
They walked in silence for a bit before Furiosa quickened her pace, matching his.
"I don't mean to waste your time Magnus, but I only came to confirm the continued deal of trade that was set before."
"I'm glade to hear so," He nodded. "But I also believe a successful empire needs friendships to be formed." Magnus smiled.
A loud shiny personality is what he held, Furiosa concluded. All talk, who knew his actions. No wonder he managed to climb the ladder so quickly.
"And friendship is formed through fun."
Furiosa liked direct. She liked action taken and words less spoken. Flash, song and dance were not her strong suit.
But for the sake of her people, she'd play along.
Furiosa nodded. "You spoke of entertainment?"
The chanting and calling had gotten much louder.
A large structure stood before them, dripping with candles and lights.
Magnus smirked. "Yes, you will see inside."
Stepping through the gates with Magnus was like entering a new world.
The ground trembled, the sky roared, and flares and lights flashed.
Hundreds of people surrounded them, spitting and screaming. Seats ran from the ground all the way up the giant walls. A sea of red jagged metal and audience members in war paint stretched out in front of them. A line of drummers rung around in a circle at the center. The air from each pound hitting her face.
"Welcome to my colosseum my dear!" Magnus smiled wildly, gesturing to the sky.
Furiosa glanced to her right, Toast held the same fearful gaze she did.
She turned back to the space in front of her.
"Here!" Magnus urged them up the stairs. "You'll get a better look from your seats!"
Furiosa waited a moment before following. She locked out her emotions, growing a still blank face. She would stay focused, keep her mind pinpointed on what she was to get done.
They climbed the stairs, the air becoming thinner as they went forwards.
Eventually they reached the top. A boxed off room with the front cut out. A railing was hammered in with rusted car doors. A long couch sat in the center of the room along with a table and a large glass pitcher of water. Cups and plates of roasted lizards sat beside it.
"Please sit!" Magnus grinned.
Furiosa felt Toast's concerned gaze but nodded anyways. She moved to the other end of the couch and sat. Her war boys stood behind her while Toast rolled her eyes and followed. She sat to the right of Furiosa, on the edge.
Magnus sat on the left side.
"Please, you can take part in any of this," he offered.
"We're fine."
"Nonsense my dear," Magnus then snapped at one of his young men. He quickly poured a few cups of water and passed it out to each of them.
Furiosa reluctantly took the cup, sharing another glance with Toast.
She then looked out past the railing.
Below them was a pit of clear sand. This is what the drummers were circling.
"You fight for entertainment?"
"Yes, it's the one thing that carried over from our original leader." Magnus chuckled. "Except we don't use our own people anymore."
Furiosa narrowed her eyes. "Then who do you use?"
"Wanderers, passerby's that cross our territory." He sipped his cup. "The winners gets the grand prize of living. It makes the game truly exciting."
"Then what?"
Magnus laughed. "They fight again next week or sold as slaves to the highest bidder." He nudged her shoulder. "Lighten up my dear, they are just savages who would be good as dead out in the wastes. At least here they serve a purpose."
Furiosa turned away from him, her eyes fixated on the center of the colosseum.
She couldn't wait to leave here.
"Tonight's a treat."
"Why's that?" Toast leaned in.
"We've had an underdog for the past few weeks. He is truly an wild animal by nature." Magnus crosses his arms, the wicked smile still on his face. "We call him The Wolf, there's nothing more vicious then seeing him compete and tonight he's going for our greatest champion. I've been looking forward to this fight for days."
Just then, horns blew and the drum beat slowed.
The audience went dead silent.
Furiosa glanced over and saw Magnus rubbing his palms together.
"FARMERS!"
A man stood on top of a platform in front of the battleground, up with the drummers. He wore a tattered black suit and sunglasses. A silver microphone hooked up to a city of amps hung in his hands.
"ARE YOU READY FOR THE FIGHT OF YOUR LIFE?!"
The audience struck back to life. The yelling continued.
"THEN LLLLLLEEETTTS BEGAN!"
Just then, the gates of either side of the battleground opened up.
Two men in fully padded armor and metallic masks over their faces. One painted red and the other yellow. They raced to the center and clashed together.
The fights went on.
Weaponless, each one murdering the next in a new horrific way.
All the while Magnus cheered and applauded.
Toast focused on eating a plateful of lizard, keeping her eyes off the battle.
Furiosa fixed her eyes on the action.
A rage slowly bubbling in her chest.
We are not things
She blinked her eyes. There were only so many people she could save.
Eventually they reached the end of the night.
"NOW TONIGHT WE'VE GOT A SPECIAL TREAT!" The announcer yelled.
"Here it comes, the grand finale." Magnus rocked in his seat.
"THE BATTLE OF BATTLES! THE FINAL FIGHT OF THE NIGHT!" He laughed, holding his hand out to the left. "OUR UNDERDOG OF CHAMPIONS! THE WOLF!"
The audience roared again.
The gates screeched open and out was thrown a man.
Red lines of paint under his eyes and messy short brown hair. He wore boots with a dusted brown shirt. Sitting on top of the shirt was a leather jacket, a large pad attached on the right shoulder of it.
The others fighters had walked out with confidence or rage, he had to be tossed into the sandy pit by a group of guards.
The man turned back to them, squaring off as if ready to fight them.
All the guards held spears up to him, forcing him forwards.
The man eventually turned back to the pit and quickly rubbed away the paint that had been smeared on him.
His face clear now, there was something familiar about him.
His eyes.
That jacket.
She knew this man.
"That's Max."
Furiosa looked over at the whisper in her ear.
Toast was starring down at the man.
"That's our Max."