This chapter is unfinished, as is this fic. I have decided to post what I have written in regards to this story, for the sake of completing the story for those interested. The following chapter, will be my outline notes for the story, which will at least answer how it was supposed to go, if not in the fully detailed way I had intended to write for you. I apologize for the state that this fic has been left in, but know that personally, I would prefer at least knowing how it was intended to be finished.
-3- The Roots that Clutch-3-
The Ace could hear the growling rumble of water. Felt it through the rock, as the gargantuan pipes rumbled forth frothy waves of white. Could feel them run, on and on and on, far longer than the Immortan would allow. Far longer than was safe.
It was then, when he knew surely, that it was not by the Immortan's word the water fell.
Something was wrong here. Something had changed in the Citadel. Something he was not privy to and that, that, was a very dangerous thing.
One hand pressed against the rock wall of the Flesh Shop ledge, the other resting against Twobit's fevered skin. He could not see the rise and fall of his lancers chest in the near dark of the Mechanic's liar, had to feel him out instead, had to listen for him, amongst all the other labored breaths of suffering War Boy. Had to suss it out from the sound of his own.
The Loblolly's had left them, hours ago? Days ago? Endless untold seconds. Left them to rust on the ledge, their jobs completed to the best of their knowledge, with no Mechanic to lead the way. Kept them topped off with a blood bag until the wounds on their sides crusted over. All thick scab and dusted skin.
Fletch returns to the Ace; he vents his anger, and his growing hate of the Vulvalini, his distaste of the wives. Their weakness their hiding away. Ace starts to bring him to his side, citing Furiosa's betrayal of crew, of her weakness, of her hiding with the wives the women, how she lost her strength.
Fletch leaves and begins to sow seeds of doubt when he speaks with the other war boys.
Ace is doing poorly, has to get his news from other sources, hears of the Milkers letting loose water, of Corpus hiding away, of the workers of the Citadel trying and failing to maintain the necessary jobs without leadership, without the support of the rest of the War boys.
(Character Note)Ace does not give many descriptors of others, in the most case (he interacts with Warboys, who have become unified by conformity. They are separate as to who they are, but because they are so samey, it doesn't matter to Ace what they look like). The only one Ace has bothered to describe in detail is the Junk Master because he is such an outlier.
Furiosa will give descriptors of things, even though the boys paint themselves the same, individuality matters to her, and she notes how the boys have marked themselves as such.
(Post Reclamation) Day1-Warboys begin to congregate around Ace with lack of Furiosa/ other Imperators to guide them. Ace directs them to do their best to make the remaining cars run. Though hurting, he leads them; initial rumblings between Wives and Ace start here. They are suspicious, wary, watching.
Wives want to release the Bloodbags, Ace argues against it. They do so anyway. More boys will die.
Ace hears of wives attempting to gain access to Corpus's rooms. They are unsuccessful. He notes that the water has been running freely from the spouts. There are Wretched within their halls.
Ace is going to betray Furiosa. Hates her for what she did to him, but she calls to him, alone in her room. and she apologizes, and he can see it in her eyes. Her love for him. How tore up she was by shoving him away. He cannot help but return that love. He forgives her. Just this once. Makes it known that if she ever betrays him again, he will ruin her. Will ruin everything she stands for and make her watch as he does it.
Day 2- Furiosa calls for the Ace in her fever dream. He is brought to her, angry, vicious, he is tempted to kill her there and then, but holds back, for killing her unaware will bring him no satisfaction. He will wait until she can see him clearly as he comes for her.
Ace over hears wives and Vulvalini talking about Corpus's hide out, the necessity for them to gain access to him and his knowledge. They have released the Milk Mothers, the Breeders. They speak of gardens, and other lofty plans. They do not acknowledge what must be done first.
The Ace forces himself into and takes control in the ways that he can. He calls Home Guard to him, has them retake the Water Room, has them meet up with Corpus's Crew, has them gather the Milkers, puts them back to pumping, gathers the green thumbs, has them make a report of supplies, and product, and the next weeks of schedules. He meets with the loblolly's, has them talk supplies, of Bloodbags, of wounded boys. With the repair boys, the lift crew, the war pups.
He gathers his army, and when Furiosa calls for him. He is ready.
-He himself, shuts the water lever, ignoring the cries of the Milkers, "What are you doing!" the Wives ask him, voices rising, high and sharp in their anger.
"Only what's necessary." He rumbles.
Day 3- Ace tells Kilo to take a scavenging group to the mountain pass. They return late that night with wounded, and three salvageable vehicles. Return of the Warboys makes the Wives realized that the War party is not far behind. They try and make contingency plans, but Furiosa is still out of it, and the others don't know enough about the Citadel to do so.
The Vulvalini turn to Ace. He begins to consider a takeover. He'll play their game for now; get them complacent before he rips the control from their hands. He shows them how the first denizens of the Great rock holed up. He brings up the Wretched now wandering the halls, and siege rations, and garden out puts, and how they have to stop feeding the Wretched if they expect to live. They don't have enough to feed everyone. Its simple math. The Vulvalini call him callous, monstrous, and inhumane. "Just wait and see." Ace says, "You'll see that I'm right."
Day 4- Furiosa is not well, but forces herself into action.
When Furiosa returns to her room she isn't surprised to find the Ace already there. Waiting, sprawled out on her thin mattress, thick arm laid across his brow, shielding eye. He was, and always had been, the only one brave enough to invade an Imperator's space.
"Your own kip not good enough?" Furiosa asked The Ace.
She leaned in her own doorway, (replacement arm) metal arm crossing under chest, the heavy hand resting in the crook of her flesh arm. Watched him stir from the deep sleep that held him, watched his arm brush eyelash, and grease paint, and smear streaks of black down his forearm.
"What now?" Voiced low and rough.
"Why are you here Ace?" Furiosa said as she stepped into her room and pulled the door shut behind her.
"Mmm." The War Boy sat up, slouched over himself. "Those Wives-Sisters got it in their heads to round up the Pups for a cleaning. Too much ruckus to bother with."
A truce is struck between Furiosa and Ace. He plans to play her like he did Immortan Joe. To make himself necessary, an invaluable asset. He offers to draw out Corpus.
Ace goes to Corpus alone, no backup, talks his way past his guards and into Corpus's graces. Talks of how they can rule together, Ace's power and skill, Corpus's knowledge and economy. How they can retake the citadel, establish themselves firmly, become the new rules of the waste. A deal is made and struck.
The Wives have gathered their own supports, the Vulvalini, the Breeders, and the Wretched. Furiosa is amongst them, though she edges away from the politics, fit to watch, to observe, has no interest in taking hold of it herself.
The Warboys lose faith in Furiosa, turn to Ace, he takes them, and guides them under his hand, as he has always done. He makes moves to oust the Wretched, to retake the Breeders, the Blood bags, the Milkers, all the necessary parts in the machine. Furiosa is blinded by her guilt, and her old loyalties.
(CHARACTER NOTE) The Ace is selfish. He is hurt irreparably by Furiosa's betrayal, by the woman he worked so hard to raise, who he thought would always have his back. She has become his new Joe, his newest hated thing. She has wounded him deeply. Only when she is at her lowest, and will still call for him to be at her side, will he reconsider his anger towards her. She must prove his necessity to her that he is amongst her most precious things. He needs safety and security and an iron clad knowledge that she will never try to hurt him again. He wants her to beg for his forgiveness.
Fury calls Ace to her room, calls him to her bed, and lies with him, eye to eye. She is weak she is hurting, she is remorseful. She is ridden by her guilt, her murder of her old crew. She tries to explain her decision, but can't make the words come, especially when he starts to demand answers- why didn't you tell me, let me help you, why couldn't you trust us? Were we not a good crew, not loyal, not YOURS?
She says she couldn't chance it, too many aspects in play, was their love for her more than that for the Immortan? Would they stand by her, support her with the Immortan still alive and their brothers coming down upon them like hells gate? "You especially, you were his Ace long before you were mine? "
"I was never his. He only thought I was."
"Like me? Like I thought you were mine? "
"I don't forgive people who try and kill me."
"Yes, I understand, would you at least be willing to work with one who did?"
"If it's you. I suppose"
-Ace plays Corpus and Furiosa, gathers his support, his supplies. Plans his moves against them both.
Ace's betrayal is found when Furiosa takes the removals of Corpus into her own hands. She finds marks of Ace's revenge all over. She is feral, ferocious, disgusted.
Ace is unaware of this and does not expect the attack when it comes. He is knocked out and brought to her, bound and helpless.
They talk, throwing examples of hate and betrayal, of opposing world views, of old never forgotten hurts.
She attacks, they struggle.
Somehow she feels the scars from joins lashing on his back, remembers how the Ace got them, what they stood for, what they meant and mean. The loss of protection, of power, and standing, pain and rape and failure. She realizes the scars are the embodiment of all he still fears, realizes her ruler ship would have meant more of the same. The breaking and removal of one of the only things he could call his, one of the only things that he knew.
"You never failed me ace. I'm sorry. I failed you. For so many years, and now again, I can fix things if you let me. If you will be my Ace. I'll protect you, keep you safe, and keep you working. No more lies, no betrayal, just us. Like the old days, when you did the same for me. I can do that for you, can you for me?"
A truce is struck, the Ace brings his faction to hers, realizes how well they fit together, how much of it he was building for her, unintentionally. She sends him out to regroup with the rest of the Warboys, knowing he is her, and he will do his best to protect her in turn.
He will stand by her until the end of all days so long as she will stand by him.
"Today the tyrant rules not by club or fist, but disguised…he shepherds his flocks in the ways of utility and comfort." Marshall mcluhan
Character Notes-
Toast- rough, determined, fear of capture being held down (learn to fight) Bullet Farm
Capable-caring, accepting, stubborn (tries the hardest to merge with the Warboys) Gastown
Cheedo-unsure, flighty, apprehensive, unenthusiastic, healing, citadel born, best with the pups, and other citadel workers due to her childhood.
Dag-the waste- gardening, half-finished projects. Sharp, witty, observant, strong beliefs of right and wrong.
Mari- healer, sniper- confrontational, outspoken,
Janey- horticulture, pistols- a perfectionist, sincere, helpful, empathetic, observant.
Fletch- repair- dependable, bright, self-confident, generally laid back, stress makes him vicious, loyalties Ace+ Furiosa. Never says no.
Twobit- absent minded, determined, honest, dislikes being alone, no personal space, loyalties-Ace, all brawn no brain-
Themes to focus on
Retaking of the Citadel
Politics,
What is right vs what is necessary- Wives changes to the Citadel- the Ace's opposition to this (Morality vs necessity)
The Betrayal- Furiosa trying to regain the Ace.
There are arguments over the last of the army (likely to be making it round the mountains in 2+ weeks. Ace believes they will rejoin under Furiosa's rule, for she killed Joe, and therefore gets his stuff, old Imperator rank taking law. Wives are fearful of the Warboys, untrusting of Ace and the others that remain, try to talk Furiosa into turning away the returning boys) Ace attempts to wrest power from Furiosa. Plays her to obtain the highest position. Cannot fully cover the hate gained by the betrayal.
Furiosa pulls him into meetings, puts her weight behind his comments, his knowledge, his plans for the future. They will rule the citadel as they were always meant to. Side by side, together, forces of power. They will do so because they must, because no other will be respected enough to hold the position. Power and legacy are still important; you can't brush that away quickly.
They make a council, try democracy in their decisions, for Furiosa does not want the top spot, just understands that she must hold it.
Ace fights to let the remaining Warboys rise. They need them, need to bolster their strength. Power must be upheld.
Notes:
Thank you for your interest in this fic and I apologize for never completing it. Life just got away from me. If anyone is interested in picking up where I left off, I am more than pleased to allow it.