Mild warning for sexual assault ahead.

-x-

Rigger hated doing supply runs to the Citadel. He was born to fight, not to bring guzzolene to Immortan Joe and beg for water.

But the agreement between the Gas Town and the Citadel was to alternate convoys for supplies so each town would use the same amount of guzzolene.

"Keep your eyes open," Rigger commanded his driver.

No one would dare try and attack a convoy full of flamers on the road between Gas Town and the Citadel but Rigger always silently hoped someone was stupid enough to try.

He glanced behind him, down to the trunk of the car. They kept their precious cargo in the trunk where it would be safe. Normally they kept a personal cache of guzzolene in there but they moved it to the second car to make room for the woman.

Rigger's nose throbbed where her head had collided with it and his lip curled in a sneer. A feral part of him wanted to kill her for giving him trouble but the reasonable part thought of all the water they would get for handing her over to Immortan Joe.

The Wretched cheered as they rolled into the Citadel. The War Boys came down on their mechanical platforms to greet them and take the supplies. But Rigger kept his car kept going until it was on the platform that would take them up to Immortan Joe.

This car was the People Eater's personal envoy; anything it brought was taken straight to Immortan Joe. Rigger smirked when he thought of the woman in the trunk.

Rigger and his men got out of the car and bowed respectfully, their arms above their head and fingers halfway locked together, to the warlord who greeted them. "Supplies from Gas Town," Rigger rasped.

"Excellent. Your men will receive the usual amount of water and mother's milk," Joe replied.

Rigger held up a hand. "With something extra," he said and jerked his head towards the car. "From the People Eater with compliments."

-x-

Vex heard voices outside and trembled. The door of the trunk wrenched open and she blinked against the light. Hands grabbed her and she squealed through the gag, twisting in their grip. But they pulled her out with little effort.

She was righted and held tightly to a body and she finally got a look at her surroundings. She was in a garage of some sort surrounded by men with white skin and black markings on their face, the War Boys of Immortan Joe. The heart of the Citadel, she realized and gulped.

"A woman, Pa!" A large man with a breathing apparatus attached his nose exclaimed. He gripped her chin and made her look at him. "Look!" The man glanced back at someone behind him, grinning widely.

"Out of the way, Rictus," someone said in guttural voice.

And then Vex saw the most terrifying man she ever saw in her life. He towered over her with long white hair, wearing plastic armor with medals attached to his chest. But the most terrifying thing about him was his face. He wore a mask with two tubes sticking out of it and it had large teeth carved into it like he was baring them at everyone and his eyes were painted black.

It was like looking at death.

Against her will, she shook with fear as he looked over her.

"Old man who turned her in said she's young and healthy," the man holding her said. "Should be easily worth ten gallons of water."

"Untie her," Immortan Joe said. "Take that gag out of her mouth and someone bring me the Organic Mechanic."

Her binds were off her but the men did not released her from his grip. "She's a feisty one she is," he explained.

Immortan Joe said nothing but gestured for them to follow him. They dragged her past a crowd of young boys painted white and black and into a small room with two doors.

Rictus appeared from the other door with another man wearing an apron, goggles, and various medical tools strapped to him. "Examine her," Immortan Joe commanded, not taking his eyes of Vex. There was something unreadable in his expression but she didn't like it.

Vex tried to shift away as the new man approached but her captor held fast. "Get those clothes off," the Organic Mechanic said.

Immediately hands were pulling her black shirt off and Vex screamed and thrashed again, trying to get her arms free. As a result, she was pinned down to the ground harshly.

"Do not harm her," she heard Immortan Joe warn from above her.

"Sorry Immortan," her captor spoke. "She won't be still."

Her shirt came off but they thankfully left the makeshift undershirt she had on. But her face burned as they took off her boots and slid her pants down her legs, leaving her in her shirt and underwear. Her stomach turned at the sight of people looking at her in interest, especially the big man with the doll head necklace (Rictus, was his name?)

She glared at the Organic Mechanic when she was straightened out again. She would bite him if he touched her. But she could barely get at him when her captor fisted her hair and yanked her head back.

His hands felt at her neck and upper back. "No bumps of any kind," he informed the Warlord standing behind him.

A small whine escaped her when the Organic Mechanic palmed her breasts, squeezing experimentally. "Nice and full breasts," the Organic Mechanic said like he was taking notes. "They'll hold a lot of milk."

His hands went down her stomach and pulled her shirt up. He felt her belly and then her hips. "Wide hips and a strong belly. Perfect for carrying and delivering."

He glanced up at the men holding her. "Spread her legs."

This time they were prepared for her thrash and held her still while two other people spread her legs. She jerked when the Organic Mechanic stuck his hand down her underwear. No no no. A scream stuck in her throat when she felt a meaty finger enter her and her muscles involuntarily clenched.

"She's intact." At that statement, she heard a rush of air come from Immortan Joe.

The finger withdrew. "And I don't even have to ask her if she's bled yet." To Vex's horror, he held up his bloody finger for Immortan Joe to see; she didn't realize it was time for her monthly blood already.

The Warlord nodded and opened the door and left. "Prepare her," Immortan Joe said to whomever was outside.

War Boys appeared at his elbow and took her from her captors. She hung her head, defeated and shamed. Her ears burned when she heard Immortan Joe command his people to give her captors twelve gallons of water.

-x-

She was given over to a group of women dressed in loose, white skirts with their heavy and swollen breasts exposed. "She's beautiful even covered in dust and oil," one commented.

The woman grasped Vex's chin to look at her. "Her eyes are like the green things up above."

"Come, we will bathe you."

They beamed at her like she should be bursting with happiness. But Vex kept her mouth shut. She didn't know what to say to them or even what to do.

The rest of her clothes were taken from her and the women twittered when they saw her blood-stained underwear. "No doubt she will become a treasure," one said.

"Nevermind that," another scolded. "Go find lots of linen to absorb the blood when she's clean."

The water was warm and Vex marveled at such a luxury until the women forced her under to wet her hair. They washed her hair with sweet smelling oils and brushed the knots out.

Next they scrubbed her skin until it was pink with something that foamed and smelled… Vex couldn't place the smell. All she knew were the smells associated with Gas Town: oil, fire, guzzolene, and dust.

"Bring me the razor," the woman washing Vex's back commanded.

A large knife of some sort was brought forth and the woman lifted Vex's arm. She cut off the hair growing in the pit of her arms, shaving close to her skin. She did the same thing with the other arm before grabbing Vex's leg and stretching it out.

"Bring me some shears," she said as she shaved the hair off Vex's legs.

The shears turned out to be for the dark, wild hair growing in the apex of Vex's legs. The woman didn't handle Vex like the Organic Mechanic did. Instead she touched Ves gently and spoke softly, saying comforting things.

Only when the woman was satisfied she shaved every single hair from the waist down did they take her out of the bath and dry her off. Vex felt different as they wiped the water from her body. She felt… soft.

Nothing soft survives, she thought. Only hardness could survive the wasteland. No matter how soft the Citadel made her, Vex would stay hard. This is how she would survive: making herself hard as rock. As she stood in the center of the bathing chamber, she vowed it to herself.

As she dried, the women began to brush out her hair again. Her hair had been ashy before but now it seemed more brown. "Such pretty hair," the woman brushing it out sighed. "He will love threading his fingers through it."

More shears were brought over and her hair was trimmed. Not enough to make it short, it still brushed her mid-back, but just so it looked neat and clean.

Once she was dried they tied white linen around her legs to absorb her blood and then another short piece over that to act like a skirt. Then they wrapped a piece of linen over her chest, starting on one breast and going diagonally across her back to the other breast. And finally, they tied thin linen strips around the bottom of her makeshift top so it would not slip.

She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling exposed, as the women led her down a hallway and left her, whispering to themselves.

The large man from before, Rictus, met her and took her down several hallways to a door. Even he kept glancing at her and Vex's arms tightened around herself. He knocked, opened it, and pushed Vex into the room and closed it behind her.

It was Immortan Joe's room, she saw. He sat at a desk in the far corner while Vex eyed the large bed in the other corner in fear.

Soft footsteps sounded and Vex looked back at Immortan Joe as he approached her. He said nothing as he grabbed her arms and lowered them down to her sides. Her breath hitched as his large hand enclosed on her left breast.

"Your name?" He asked, stroking her.

She clenched her jaw but answered, "Vexation."

"Vexation," he repeated.

"Perfect," he breathed out. His thumb brushed her nipple through the cloth and she shivered.

He looked at her in the eye. "You are my treasure now, Vexation," he said. "You are my wife and I am your husband."

He didn't touch her past that (Vex strongly suspected it was because she was bleeding) but took her arm and led her out into the hallway. He waved Rictus away and took Vex deeper into his fortress.

They entered a room filled with green things and Vex looked at them curiously. She had never seen such things before. She wanted to reach out and touch one but refrained.

But before she could wonder at them longer, they came to stand in front of a large vault door. Her heart thumped in her chest as he spun the lock and pulled the door open.

On the other side was a small room, dome shaped. She could see the outside from the large window acting as the wall for over half the room. She and Immortan Joe stood at the entrance. "Splendid!" He called.

A woman, the same as her, Vex guessed, came down the stairs to their left. She had long, blonde hair and blue eyes but around her right eye and cheek was a patchwork of tiny, white scars. Her belly protruded slightly, showing off a small baby bump. Her clothes were not unlike Vex's but hers was a dress tied around her chest and hanging down loosely.

"Husband," she said, glancing up at him and then over to Vex. For a moment, Vex swore she saw anger in her eyes.

One by one, more women joined her until there were five in all standing before them around the small circle set into the floor. There was a girl with red hair, one with short, brown hair, another with long, black hair, and one with long, pale-blonde hair.

All of them wore the same type of white linen clothes. While the short-haired one had nearly a whole shirt on, her skirt barely covered her. The redhead's clothes were similarly styled like Vex's. And the last two just had small strips of cloth covering their chest and legs.

"I have brought another treasure in from the outside to bear my sons," he told them. "Vexation will join your ranks as my wife."

He turned Vex towards him. "I will return for you," he promised.

But before he left, he walked forward to lovingly caress the pregnant woman's belly and murmur something to it.

And then he left. The door slammed shut and locked loudly. She was now trapped in this room with these girls.

"A pretty new one," the blonde spoke slowly as she regarded Vex with her big blue eyes. "Bleeding, judging by the linen under her skirt."

The other blonde shushed them and approached Vex. "My name is Splendid Angharad," she said kindly. "You can call me Angharad. You are?"

"Vexation but call me Vex."

"A Vexation? Such anger she brings in her eyes," the blonde said.

"Don't go confusing her when she's just arrived," someone new spoke.

An old woman with tattooes across half her body shuffled into the main room. She held onto a metal contraption as she walked.

"I am Miss Giddy," she introduced. She held Vex at arm's length. "Let me look at you my dear."

"She doesn't understand," the short-haired brunette snorted. "You can see it in her eyes."

"Shush Toast," Miss Giddy said.

"What's going on," Vex whispered.

"Come sit with me in my room," Miss Giddy said kindly. "You can meet the other girls after you and I have had our talk."

"Let me come with you, Miss Giddy," Angharad stepped forward.

"Yes, that would be wise." Miss Giddy turned to the remaining four girls. "The rest of you, back to whatever you have been doing!"

The four women turned away and headed back up the stairs that led to the back of the dome room. Miss Giddy and Angharad led her down a hallway to a small bedroom with two beds.

"Please sit, Vex," Angharad said as she sat down on a bed. She patted the space next to her and Vex sat albeit hesitantly.

Miss Giddy sat down on the bed opposite them. "Where are you from, Vex?" She asked kindly.

"Gas Town," Vex said. "Lived there my whole life until Gobbler betrayed me for water," she scowled. "But he's dead now for it."

"How much water did they get?" Angharad asked suddenly.

"Twelve gallons."

Angharad and Miss Giddy exchanged looks. "Untouched and bleeding. He must have been happy to hear that," Angharad said bluntly.

"I'm right here," Vex said coldly. "Don't talk about me as if I'm not in the room."

"I'm sorry," Angharad apologized.

"Vex, do you know why you're here?" Miss Giddy became solemn.

Vex shook her head. "I've heard stories in Gas Town about mother's milk but..." She hesitated. Suddenly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the truth anymore. "What did he mean about joining the ranks as his wife?"

"You, Angharad, and those four other girls are Immortan Joe's wives. You're here to bear him a son who will become his heir."

Vex felt as if all the air in her lungs was knocked out of her. "You're joking," she whispered.

Miss Giddy looked at her sadly. "I wish I was."

"T-that," Vex sputtered to find the right words. "This can't be real."

"It is," Miss Giddy said firmly. "Now you must listen to me as you need to understand."

"You've seen him for yourself?" Vex nodded and Miss Giddy returned the gesture. "He may have convinced his War Boys he is immortal but we know better. He is old and dying. The only two sons he has are unworthy of becoming his heir as a Warlord. Rictus may be strong and healthy but his mind is like that of a child. His other son, Corpus, is a genius but his body is disfigured and cannot leave his chair. Because of that, he looks for healthy, young women who could provide him an heir who is suitable to take his place."

Vex opened her mouth to speak but Miss Giddy held up her hand. "As soon as your bleeding stops, he will come for you. He will take you to your bedchamber and lie with you," she said. "He will do so until you become pregnant. Three chances he gives you to produce him an heir. If you miscarry, that is one. If the baby is disfigured, that is one. Three times and then he will send you to live among the Wretched for the rest of your full-life."

Vex's mouth went dry. Hard as rock, she reminded herself. Being hard as rock will get me through this. Survive at all costs. "What if I don't ever get pregnant."

"If you are not pregnant after a year, he will send you to live with the Wretched."

Miss Giddy reached over and took Vex's hand. "Do you understand what I have told you?"

Vex nodded. "Give Immortan Joe an heir or be sent away."

A thought struck her. "What if the baby is a girl?"

Miss Giddy stared at her for a long time. "Since Corpus and Rictus none of the babies who made it to term survived after birth," she said finally.

A chill swept through Vex and her eyes automatically went down to Angharad's belly.

Angharad placed her hand on Vex's leg. "Don't worry about me," she said.

She began speaking, even more serious than Miss Giddy had been. "You must remember what I'm about to say, Vex. He will call you his treasure, his wife. He will not refer to you by your name but rather a nickname. Every time he does, you need to tell yourself 'You are not a thing'."

"I am not a thing," Vex repeated forcefully. She believed Angharad's words. Vex would never allow herself to fall for whatever flattery Immortan Joe gave her.

"Good," Agharad said, satisfied.

-x-

And that concludes chapter two! I changed this chapter around a lot after the Furiosa comic came out to reflect the canon it presented in the dome where the Wives live. I'm trying to keep this as close to canon as I possibly can.

Thanks so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows guys! It means a lot to me that people are enjoying what I write.

So now Vex is a Wife, she's going to have to adjust to a drastically different lifestyle. And it's not going to be an easy transition.

Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter three!