4.

THE MASTER AND THE STUDENT

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Exactly two weeks had passed since Jack recruited his new team when he walked into the convoy common room and noticed a commotion on its far side. A few War Boys were standing in a half-circle, watching a verbal exchange between another War Boy and the only woman in the team. Precisely, Big Mouth was the one doing the talking and Furiosa was listening. Jack walked closer, ready to intervene, but also curious about the reason for the argument. Even more so, he was interested in how his female recruit would handle the situation.

"You don't have any experience in driving the War Rig!" Big Mouth complained very vocally, pointing his index finger at Furiosa, who stood firmly with her eyes peering at the tall man in front of her from under her eyebrows. Jack noticed her stare was that of a General, quietly acknowledging he was ready to launch a fight.
"Just because you are the boss's dog, doesn't mean you should get all the privileges!" Big Mouth continued. "Who knows what dump your mother threw you in…"
At that point, Jack knew he had to step in – Furiosa's eyes went ablaze and her usually slightly hunched posture was even more pronounced now, as she resembled a wild beast eager to attack its prey.
"I'm sure we would all like to know which dump your mother threw you in," Jack said with a raised voice, with a slightly upturned head and a confident half-smile, hushing the crowd. A few War Boys stepped aside to let him pass. His eyes met Furiosa's glare for a beat, changing expression. It seemed his calm gaze had the desired effect for the fires vanished from her eyes, although the anger remained. Big Mouth opened his mouth to say something derogatory, but Jack's icy stare when he turned his head again made him reconsider his intention.

"I told you at the very beginning I won't tolerate any crudeness and disrespect in my team," Jack looked around at his team members. "Each and every one of you is here purely because of the merit of your skills. On every mission we undertake, you have only two choices: cooperate and rely on each other, or die. The success of the mission and your lives depend on it. You all are important, regardless of what position you are assigned to. That's how it works here. Whoever of you can't accept this is free to leave. But if you do want to stay, you will respect all of your teammates."

He paused, his challenging eyes wandering from one War Boy to another, and finally meeting the argument initiator's angry eyes again.
"Big Mouth, you pack your things and get out of here. I'm sure there is a position in the Citadel where you can be useful, but it's not the War Rig convoy or The House of the Holy Motors."
The disgraced War Boy inhaled sharply at the thought that the Commander robbed him of his War Boy status and didn't even think him a good enough serviceman. However, Jack's look was uncompromising, leaving him no other option but to comply with the Commander's order. He cast one final cold stare at Furiosa, then turned on his heel and hastily left the room. The rest of the War Boys realised the show was over and returned to their own business.

Jack finally met Furiosa's gaze again. It didn't shoot fires anymore but her discontent was obvious.
"I had it under control," she said, with a deep voice.
Jack chuckled. "I know that, but I already knew I'd be a man short after today and wasn't excited about the prospect of having to explain to Immortan Joe why that man was killed by another teammate."

Furiosa didn't expect this reply, but yet again, Jack managed to surprise her by expressing in his own way the high regard for her skills. As a member of the team, he didn't treat her like a woman, the weaker sex, more susceptible to breaking under pressure, or not strong enough. To him, she was his equal, like any capable man.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly then, genuinely feeling so, realising what trouble she might have caused him. After the past two weeks, that would have been the last thing she would want to do.
Jack smiled, amused, small crinkles appearing around his bright eyes. "Just try not doing it again," he said before sighing and changing the subject. "I'm hungry."

Furiosa couldn't suppress a ghost of a smile, then followed him to join others for dinner.

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The weeks were passing; the War Rig missions kept coming, making them a success under Jack's masterful tactical and skilled watch. He and Furiosa spent their free time practising different techniques of self-defence, attack and shooting from various weapons.

Jack was a strict teacher, testing his teammate's strength and resilience to the limit, although he never crossed it. They both knew it was necessary - to survive an attack in the Wasteland meant giving everything one's all and never missing, or losing attention. On the other hand, Jack never failed to praise Furiosa when she mastered yet another trick or made a special effort to do so. He used few words, but their weight made all the difference and meant so much more to her than even she would admit to herself.

One hot afternoon, a day after the team went on another drive on Fury Road, Jack and Furiosa had been training for a few hours already. The training spot was another of the countless, nondescript cave-like rooms in the Citadel, on the same level as the team's common, sleeping, and dining rooms in the Second Tower. It was the training and practising room for all War Boys, but Jack chose times when it was empty, allowing Furiosa a more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, one where she did not have to feel the need to prove herself to other team members – only to herself. She took the training very seriously, her face always had a fierce and determined expression, and Jack liked that very much.

"We'll take a break," Jack stated, seeing the beads of sweat mingling with the dust covering Furiosa's few exposed bits of skin and her face. The truth was that the heat was getting to him as well, and he was gasping for something to cool him down.
"Let's get out of here for a bit," he said and walked out, with Furiosa on his heels.

He led her through several dark tunnels and various rooms she had never entered before until they suddenly emerged in daylight. Although it was very hot that day, and the Citadel resembled a giant steam room, the place where Jack finally stopped felt surprisingly fresh. Furiosa immediately understood why: a circular pool with rocky ledges formed the centre of an open platform, surrounded by what was probably in the past a tall wall but then someone decided that an open view into the Wasteland would be a better idea and tore the middle section of the wall down. A few small trees were growing here and there from the rocks, defying the laws of nature.

"A hydroponic garden," Jack remarked, noticing Furiosa's curious look studying the place. "One of the few places with a bit of green." He dipped his hands in the pool and splashed his face, immediately feeling the relief from the heat.

"Go on," he encouraged her. "At least you don't have to fight over it here."
Her penetrating eyes watched him for a beat, but then Furiosa did as Jack said and followed his example. At the cool, soothing feel of the water, she briefly closed her eyes and sighed. Jack understood her relief came for a different reason when he glanced at her small hands with long fingers – they were red and bruised.
"I think we've done enough for today," he said, sounding casually. "We'll continue tomorrow. I won't mind a little rest before tomorrow's work again."
Furiosa looked at him but didn't protest. As long as they were in training, she ignored the growing pain in her hands, but as soon as they stopped, the dull but pressing burning and aching became more prominent. A rest is what she needed too if she was even to lift a finger the next day.
"You are probably wondering how come I have access to the first tower," Jack spoke after a moment of silence between them.
"I know you are in good books of Immortan Joe," Furiosa replied, speaking for the first time since they had left the training room.
Jack chuckled. "I often have to wonder if it's a good thing. However, I suppose, it comes with privileges."

Furiosa observed him with mixed feelings. Jack didn't appear to her as someone who would use his reputation to get privileges of any kind. Could she have judged him wrongly?
"I only mean that it can be beneficial in times of need, for anyone who's with me," Jack explained, reading her thoughts in her eyes.
Furiosa nodded, inwardly relieved he didn't change her opinion about his character. Her eyes dropped to the water in the pool again. Sitting here alone with him, distant from the noisy and crowded main rooms of the Citadel caused a strange feeling in her heart. She couldn't identify it but it felt… peaceful… A feeling she hadn't had for years.

Jack pulled out a piece of cloth he used as a handkerchief from his leather jacket pocket and dipped it in the pool. To Furiosa's surprise, he took one of her hands and started gently cleaning it with the wet handkerchief. He might have appeared as doing a routine job had he not looked at her in an unguarded moment, letting her see his eyes. There was something in them that Furiosa saw a long time ago, when she was still living happily in her home, far away from the rough Citadel. Apart from the glittering of the liquid surface, his green eyes also reflected something else – deep care and protectiveness.

"We'll practice shooting tomorrow," Jack stated when his eyes dropped back to her hands.
He finished his work silently, without expecting any reply. The thoughts and feelings assaulting him inside were confusing and distracting. He knew he had to push them away; anything even resembling what his heart was filled with was pointless in the Wasteland and yet… He couldn't drown out the calling resonating within the deepest part of his being. The acknowledgement of the truth was painful, but Jack was helpless to do anything to defy it.

"We better get back," he said then, rising to his feet again.
Furiosa sat up from the ledge and joined him without a word.

They entered the Citadel side by side, as was the habit of late, but both felt that something fundamental had changed between them. As always, each in their own mind, they decided not to talk about it.

It was safer that way.

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