Ride the Fury

Chapter 5 – Death Road

The words shook her and it made her remember Furiosa who was long gone into the desert. Tempest shifted and tried to pull back to better look at Nux but the War Boy held her firm, his hands locked on her and his sharp hips pressing into her own.

"I need to go Nux, Furiosa needs me to-"

"-she left you behind." Nux argued, he ran his nose along the curve of her neck and Tempest shivered in delight. Nux was distracting her greatly and she knew the reason for her to go was slowly being eroded away by the War Boy on top of her. Nux shifted, pressing his body closer to her own, and he curled one arm behind her neck to push her chin upwards. He aligned his head next to hers, his heated skin feeling like sunburn against her own.

"Immortan Joe comes, we must join him so that we will be welcomed to Valhalla like no other War Boys before us." Nux said with fervour, he directed her gaze to the fast approaching convoy and Tempest felt fear replace the drowsy contentment she had been feeling moments before.

"I can't go back, Immortan Joe will have me executed." She twisted her head towards Nux, "Furiosa and I took the wives of Immortan Joe." Tempest was not surprised when Nux leapt away from her as though she had the bleeding sickness.

"Why would you steal from our Great Leader?" he asked, eyebrows drawn down into a deep frown, "His wives are most precious to him." Nux paced in front of Tempest, looking first at the closer War Party and to the distance where the War Rig sat stalled. He faced Tempet who still sat in the sand looking up at him. "He will forgive you." Nux said and then he hauled Tempest to her feet and slung her struggling body over his shoulder. His arms were iron bands holding her in place.

"Nux, please…it will be a bad death, he will be angry." Nux however ignored Tempests words, he would not have her run from him again. He blamed Furiosa for her running in the first place. When Sulphur had first told him what was happening and why a mass War Party was being called he hadn't really thought much of it. When Tempest had not shown up at the Workshop and the Servitude sent by Organic Mechanic had returned saying her Sleep Room was empty, Nux had felt his stomach drop and a bad, dark feeling entered his chest telling him that the War Party was going to find Tempest. He was angry that his feeling had been right, but even more upset that Tempest still wanted to follow her sister and get herself killed by someone so focused on her own goals that she couldn't see her sister was not with her. He shifted to the side to see the War Rig start to get smaller on the horizon.

"Please," Tempest whispered, her tears falling onto his bare shoulder and Nux spun around and flipped her back onto her feet. He pointed along her line of sight.

"She does not need you, she left you behind." He said cruelly, he wanted her to let go of her sister, he wanted her to only need him. Nux pulled Tempest closer to his chest and tucked her shaved head under his chin.

"Then I am dead." Tempest said and slumped back into Nux chest, unable to know what she was to do now that Furiosa was gone. She felt hollow and conflicted, too many things had happened already that day. She knew that Nux was trying to make her feel better, to help her share his trust and belief in Immortan Joe. He didn't know him like Tempest did, Organic Mechanic had told her stories about what their 'Great Leader' had done to those who had disobeyed him and she had had nightmares for days afterwards. Nux picked her back up and carried her towards the War Party.

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Immortan Joe did not kill Tempest when she and Nux were brought before him by Rictus Erectus his first born son. He did however tie her up and hit her hard and repeatedly on the head, yelling into her face, "Where has she taken them? What was your plan? If any of my wives are hurt you will pay for it with your head!" Tempest now had a wonderful bruise forming on her cheek and blood running down her face. Nux was silent beside her in Immortan Joes War Vehicle his hands clenched into white knuckled fists. He would not look at her. Immortan Joe drove, with Rictus sitting next to him and three War Boys riding on the back hooting and screaming in excitement as the War Party ate up the dirt and got closer to the runaway War Rig.

Tempests heart pounded in her chest and she swallowed dryly, Immortan Joe would use her as a hostage against Furiosa but Tempest knew that her sister would stop at nothing to reach the Green Place. She closed her grey eyes to organise her thoughts. She understood that her sister had never seen the Citadel as her home, it was a prison that had stolen her away and killed her mother. She loved her sister and wanted her to be happy, but she also knew her sister saw her as a burden. If Furiosa had not had to look after her, Tempest was sure that Furiosa would have run back to the Green Place years ago. They caught up to the War Rig quickly and Immortan Joe made sure that Furiosa got a good look at Tempest before he dropped back from the Rig to avoid being knocked into. The Blood Bag was driving the rig so it left Furiosa free to shoot at Immortan Joes war vehicle.

"I want Imperator Furiosa dead, and not one hair on the heads of my wives is to be harmed." Immortan Joe said, he turned his furious rheumy eyes on Nux and pointed to him. "Show your worth and die victorious for Immortan Joe, Valhalla awaits you." He picked up a can of Chrome and sprayed the silver paint onto Nux's lips and moved the War Vehicle as close to the Rig as possible.

Nux stood and hooked a spare knife and gun into the holsters clipped to his heavy bullet belt. He took one last look at Tempest sitting bound up and bleeding before launching himself from Immortan Joe's war vehicle and landing on the War Rig. He knocked aside the chain that was launched behind him to help hook the War Rig and slow it down.

Tempest watched as Nux moved quickly across the top of the war rig, other war vehicles caught up and started to throw fire sticks and shoot bullets at the war rig. Two more War Boys rushed onto the rig trying to get close enough to kill Furiosa and receive Immortan Joes praise. Immortan Joe manoeuvred his War Vehicle to the driver's side of the Rig, she could see the Blood Bag driving and shooting over his across his arm, with Furiosa in the passenger seat. Immortan Joe's wives were in the back of the Cab, their pales clothes and pale limbs brightly shinning against the darkness of the Cab and War Rig. Tempest blinked the blood from her eyes to try and watch the fight, hoping that Furiosa would get away, that Nux would be safe and that the wives of Immortan Joe would also live.

"Bring her up front for that traitor to see." Immortan Joe ordered Rictus. The large man grabbed Tempests arm in a crushing grip and pulled her closer to him. She struggled to get out of his hold, her head was pounding the heat of the sun was sapping her of her energy. Remembering her practices in the pits with the other War Boys and Galtek, Tempest swung her head around and latched her teeth onto Rictus's hand and bit down hard, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. Rictus cursed and hit out at Tempest with a meaty hand knocking her for six. She was almost limp in Rictus's arms, fresh blood coating her mouth and the gash in her forehead had re-opened. He lifted her to the window and pushed half of her body out so that there was no way Furiosa would not know that Immortan Joe had her sister.

Tempest felt bullets brush by her, the air disrupting in their path, the wind rushed over her open wounds and the sounds of explosions and yelling was so loud that it almost sounded like one big continuous thunder clap. She saw Furiosa finally register that the person leaning out of Immortan Joe's War Vehicle was Tempest and was able to knock the Blood Bags aim off enough so that the bullet aimed for her heart hit her arm instead. The pain burned and ripped into her and she cried out from both the bullet and Rictus flinging her back inside the War Vehicle with such force that she got whiplash.

She was aware of Splendid out of the Cab, holding on to the side of the War Rig, her body in the way of more shooting and Immortan Joe backed off from the assalt. The two War Boys that had followed Nux onto the Rig were killed in quick succession, one by Slpendid driving a knife deep into the chest of the one trying to shoot at the Blood Bag driving and then other by Furiosa. Tempests head was ringing and she couldn't concentrate properly but all attention was on Splendid, the Blonde was precariously balanced on the side of the Rig and it looked as if the door Splendid was holding onto ripped and pulled away from the Cab of the Rig, causing the pregnant blonde to lose her footing. Immortan Joe was yelling, almost screaming in rage as the Blonde lost her grip but in the final moments that would have caused the blonde to fall and perhaps perish along with her babe a strong pale arm shot out from behind the cab. Splendid was swung up and secured by a War Boy.

Nux had saved Immortan Joes wife and Tempest felt such relief. Nux then helped Splendid back into the cab and turned to face Immortan Joes War Vehicle. His bright blue eyes taking in Tempests new wounds and the way that Immortan Joe was holding back from ramming at the Rig. Nux almost jumped as out of nowhere the Dag leaned past Splendid and threw something toward Immortan Joe's vehicle. The ground exploded under the War Vehicle and caused it to flip and smash into the rock wall.

Nux almost leapt from the War Rig to go to Tempest when he was grabbed by his arm by Splendid and then other hands came out of the War Rig and pulled him inside. Knowing that if Tempest had survived that crash he could not harm Immortan Joes wives with her life tied to their safety, Nux couldn't fight against them. They tied him up under Furiosa's orders and pushed him into the hole in the cab floor with a gun trained on him.

"Let me go, I must go back to Tempest." Nux said, his blue eyes like hard ice as he stared at Tempests sister. "What did you throw out of the window? An explosive? Was your intention to kill Tempest?"

The Dag glared down at the War Boy, her long pale blonde hair glinting in the light, "I threw a piece of cloth with words written." She said, tears glinting in her eyes. "They are words of hate and strength for Immortan Joe to know that we won't go back, History Woman helped me to learn." She took a shuddering breath and pointed out of the window, "that was not me, it was the Bike Gang whose lands we are in." The Dag explained, "We all love Tempest." She said and then sat back against her seat and looked out of the window, shrugging off the comforting arms of Toast.

"Furiosa, we should turn back and make sure that Tempest is alive." Splendid said carefully, she and Capable were watching the tensed muscles of the War Boy and his shifting hard eyes. Furiosa was looking in the side and rear view mirriors at the overturned War Vehicle, she could see Rictus and Immortan Joe pull themselves out however there was still no sign of her sister.

"Did you see her?" Furiosa asked the man beside her, even though she did not trust him he had still helped them to escape and his eyes were sharp.

"She wasn't secured, I doubt she survived." He said calmly, his eyes never leaving the horizon in front of him. Furiosa ingored the roaring anger that was coming from Nux the War Boy when he heard the Blood Bags words, she did however feel her heart splutter and die at the thought of her sister gone.

"We keep going." Furiosa said, she wasn't aware of the tears streaming down her face or the way her good hand shook as she reloaded the shot gun. She had to focus on getting to the Green Place, then she could stop and grieve. Until then, she had a job to do.

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Nux sat angry and that dark feeling continued to swirl and gather in his chest. He had always followed Immortan Joe, believing that their Great Leader was a man who could bless the War Boys and grant them entrance into Valhalla to receive a full-life. Seeing the man he had followed his whole life a man that he had worshiped, hit and curse and threaten Tempest Serene had broken something inside of him. When Immortan Joe had given him an oath and command and sprayed the precious Chrome on him in blessing he had surprisingly resented the action. He did not want to kill Furiosa, he did not want to go to Valhalla now, and he wanted to go back. He wanted to hold Tempest and make sure that she was alive. He needed her to be alive.

His feelings for her had grown over the weeks of meeting her and watching her. He liked Tempests kindness, her desire to learn and also her strength of character. She cared for the War Boys and their half-life, she worked well with Organic Mechanic who scared most others away. She loved her sister and she made him feel things that he had never experienced before. They were good, pleasant feelings that were warm and gave him the desire to be closer to her. If she was gone from him, if she had had a bad death and could not get to Valhalla then Nux was sure that the warm feelings he felt for Tempest would morph and join the angry dark feeling slowly filling him.

"How do you know Tempest?" the question came from Capable, her kind face staring down at him in fascination. The wives of Immortan Joe knew what the War Boys were, but they had never seen one or met one before. Their lives had revolved around Immortan Joe, History Woman and the odd Servitude who brought them meals or cleaned their Abode. The boy before her was not the unfeeling, suicidal, crazed cannon fodder that Immortan Joe had said they were.

Nux stared at the red haired wife of Immortan Joe, then at the other wives peering curiously at him. He shrugged one shoulder and looked angrily away.

"She checks us for the sickness, fixes the bad blood with new. She does it for all War Boys." Nux said reluctantly, he was trying to discreetly untie his hands from behind his back.

"She used to come and give us massages." Splendid said with a soft smile, "she would also check the children were growing well within us." She gestured to her own swollen belly and to the silent Dag.

"Sometimes she would bring us new things that Furiosa had found on a raid." Capable said, "Do you love Tempest?"

Nux shook his head at the word, he wasn't sure what she meant by that word. Love was a word not used in reference to War Boys and it was not an emotion he had ever felt before so he wasn't sure he could say yes or no to that question. "She has promised to meet me in Valhalla." He said instead, hoping that he women would look away from him so he could twitch his shoulders to work at a stubborn knot.

"No she will not." The shouted words had come from Furiosa who levelled her gun at Nux's head, "you filled her head with your crazed words and beliefs and it was your fault she is not with us now." Furiosa was breathing heavily her green eyes were hard and flat.

Nux jerked his head back and snarled back at Furiosa, "No, it is yours."

"I'll kill you." Furiosa vowed and clicked the safety off of her handgun.

"Be quiet." The words were hissed through clenched teeth and Furiosa spun to the man beside her his hands her gripping the wheel tightly and he struggled to correct the wheel when the Rig swerved along the ground.

"What is it?" Furiosa asked, her fight with Nux pushed back until she could deal with him.

"Mud." Was Max's bland reply.

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He'd gotten free and had almost succeeded in turning the Rig around before he was knocked out by his own Blood Bag, face down in the mud while bullets pinged and burned into the ground. Nux woke up bound and gagged in the hole within the War Rigs cab covered in mud and the soft light of sun up filtering through the open windows of the cab.

He tried to get his bearings when the quiet little wife with dark eyes and long brown hair gasped and pointed out of the window. "What is this place?" she asked, her voice trembled and Nux shifted again and levered himself up onto his kneed to get a look. They were driving through a strange boggy marsh, straggly barren tree things spouted from the ground, bent and crippled. Poisoned gas swirled around the ground and collected water, stilted bird men hunted through the long spiked grass for lizards or birds to eat. The air was stagnant and still and the entire landscape gave off such a bad feeling that everyone remained quiet as they travelled through the place.

It took them most of the day to get away from the sickly muddy marsh lands and Nux was happy when the air changed and became clearer. He had been trying to remember what had happened the night before and thought that now would be a good time to ask.

"Who was shooting at us last night?" Nux wasn't surprised when the red haired wife of Immortan Joe answered him. He had learnt that although Splendid was the unnamed leader of the wives, Capable was the kindest. She felt like what he thought a mother might feel like, too kind and trusting and in need of protection. He also felt a lot older than the wives of Immortan Joe, for all of their strength in denying the Great Man and running away from him, none of them had survived away from his Protection. Even now they were relying in Furiosa to keep them safe, to provide food and shelter and a place to go. His Tempest was different.

"People Eater came after us, Joe and Rictus must had been hurt otherwise I don't see how he would not have been there with him. The man killed them in the night."

Nux nodded, he was still hopeful of getting out of his bonds and making his way back to the War Party, Immortan Joe would not let hid bargaining chip die since Tempest was someone he could trade his wives for. They were all surprised when the Blood Bag slowed the rig down, sand surrounded them and in front of the rig was a tall metal structure, and a naked woman was on top crying out for help. At the top of the tower a mirror flashed and shone in the sunlight.

"It's a trap," the man said and stopped the Rig and crossed his arms over it to lean his head on. He continued to observe the tower and wait for Furiosa to give directions.

"I know this." She said and then got out of the Rig.

Nux watched her go for a moment, then looked at the rest of the people inside the Cab, all of their eyes were on Furiosa who unclipped her mechanical arm and started to identify herself to the woman on top of the tower. With everyone's attention on Furiosa it meant he was now able to untie his hands and feet as quickly as he could. The longer he was away from Tempest the worse he feared for her. Nux was surprised when Immortan Joes wives got out of the cab as well as the Man. Bikes were driven down the sand dunes Nux quickly untied his feet while Furiosa was hugged by old women. Now free he slowly crept along the floor of the Cab and slid into the driver's seat of the Rig. He had almost reached to start the ignition sequence when the words of one of the old women floated towards him.

"Then you passed the Green Place."

He looked up in surprise and confusion, he hadn't seen anything resembling the paradise he had heard the women on the War Rig talk about almost constantly. He got out of the cab to better hear the conversation and rounded the front of the Rig.

"The ground became poisoned and things started to die, the crow people moved in and we moved out. We couldn't live there anymore."

"Where are the others?" Furiosa asked, "Where do you all live?"

The tall, strong dark haired warrior woman answered, "We are all that is left. And we live here in he desert."

Furiosa shook her head in denial, she turned stunned eyes onto the wives of Immortan Joe, Nux and then the Man as if they would be able to tell her anything else.

"That can't be true." Furiosa stumbled away from the group and walked a small distance before shouting out her anguish and frustration into the blue sky and unforgiving sun. Nux watched her with a strange emotion almost choking him. Furiosa had left Tempest for a dream that did not exist. He stood in anger and watched her, trying to still the blood rage that wanted to creep up into his mind.

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The others had decided to try and make it across the salt plains to see if there was somewhere else liveable. They also wanted to escape Immortan Joes grasp. Furiosa had said she would lead them and Nux could not stay silent anymore.

"So you will leave Tempest Serene to Immortan Joe? You took these women away from him, but not her?" Nux was aware of everyone else falling silent to watch them. "why?"

"We cannot face Immortan Joe and his War Party and live, there aren't enough of us. We will all die trying to get her back, and that is even if she survived the crash."

Nux roared in anger and thumped his chest hard with a fist to keep from reaching out to strangle Imperator Furiosa, "DON'T!"

Furiosa however stalked closer, every muscles tensed and ready for a fight. "She might already be dead and we can't know for sure that she is alive. We have to keep going so that we can live."

"She is alive and you left her behind, you left her to die and if you go now you will have killed her."

"She left me first." Furiosa yelled, angry and hurt tears falling from her green eyes. Nux laughed harshly and pointed an accusing finger at Furiosa.

"You abandoned her. I knocked her to the ground and held her there. She wanted to follow you and she watched you go. Tempest Serene has always followed you, you are the one that pulls away."

Furiosa felt as if she couldn't get enough air into her lungs and the War Boy in front of her was blurry from her tears. "I didn't abandon her." She denied, her heart had been hurting since she had run to the rig after the Blood Bag had stolen it and she had realised her sister had not followed. She didn't want to believe that she had left her sister to be taken to Immortan Joe.

"Did you know that Immortan Joe questioned her, hit her and threatened Tempest that she would die a bad death, she still did not tell him where you were going." Nux said, he was standing so rigidly that Furiosa thought he would snap in two. "You left her with him and you stopped me from going back to her." Nux turned away from Furiosa and pointed at the Rig. "You can leave for the Salt Plains if you want, but I will take the Rig back and I will not leave Tempest alone." He walked a few steps and then turned back to face the once great warrior Imperator Furiosa with a frown of disappointment. "Who are these women that you would go with them, are they more important to you than Tempest? Why are the Salt Plains the only place you can go?"

"I-"

"-you promised them the Green Place? You promised them freedom? Protection? To always stay with them? Can they not look after themselves now?" Nux interrupted. He waited for Furiosa to speak and when she continued to watch him in silence he turned away. He knew how to drive the War Rig now and he would go back for Tempest as soon as he could. He would not enter Valhalla without her.

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TBC

Knocked for six – cricket term that mutated into aussie slang –means to be hit hard enough to make you dizzy/see stars.

Thanks Lunokii, Live Again II, BlueFox0088, OffTheWall, Guest, ganzanz, Lyanna Star, Pein's Kid, THC, FlyingHampsterofDoom, alicXavengence and Raging Raven for the reviews and continued support.