The Power Hungry (Mad Max: Fury Road Fanfiction)

24: She Was Always Yours

     I wasn't sure how long it had been when I came back, but when I did the crowd had thinned out. Rowdy, Ozz, Skye, and Blaze were all gone. Nux, however, was still there. He seemed to be simply catching his breath. I felt a pang of guilt for running off like that. Leaving him all alone with not just his own apprentices, but mine as well? I approached him timidly, my face still a little flushed from the terror that had consumed me earlier.

    He jumped when I got close, not even realizing I was there. He wheezed out a hello, trying hard to hide his struggling.

    "You good?" I asked him, settling to the floor where he sat.

    He coughed into his elbow furiously, nodding as he did so, "Jus'....Larry...an'...B-berry..." he huffed.

    "Do you need to see The Dag? Or Organic?" I said as I began to rub him gently on the back.

     He shook his head, "It'll...Pass..."

    Just as promised, the coughing trailed away. He sat back with a sigh of relief, taking in a few grateful gulps of air.

     "The little ones tired ya out, yeah?" I laughed, though the smile didn't reach my eyes.

    He chuckled quietly, "Took a bit to calm Rowdy down. Skye and Blaze are watchin' 'em now." he explained.

    I nodded slowly, my hand rubbing the back of my neck guiltily, "I'm really sorry about before. I jus' couldn't take it...Been goin' soft ever since Hummer died..."

     An arm drapes over my shoulders, tugging me closer to Nux's side. "Not gettin' soft, just healing, is all." he reassured me.

    I leaned into him gratefully, sighing. "So did you tell 'em? About Hummer?" I mumbled, ignoring his words from before.

    He shook his head sadly, "I don't know how they found out. But whoever told 'em made it out like it was your fault."

    I turned away from the war boy, trying to hide the self-loathing written all over my face, "But it was." I croaked, "I was the only one who could've saved him."

     He put his hand to my cheek and made me look him in the eye. It was so surreal just how natural we were with each other. Anyone watching us would have been able to tell at once that we have grown up together.

    "There was nothin' you could do for him. You would have killed yourself by goin' into that fire." He said firmly, eyebrows raised as if asking me if I understood.

     I ducked away from his touch, "Maybe that's how it should've happened. At least I would've tried." I grumbled.

    "Don't say that." Nux said.

    "Isn't that how war boys work? Aren't we supposed to sacrifice ourselves for each other? Isn't that what you did on the war rig to block the pass?" I snapped angrily, my face burning. What kind of a war girl does that make me? So many times I have tried to save innocent lives, and I have almost always failed. I tried to save Splendid as she fell to her death, I tried to save my many mothers while battle raged around us, I tried to save everyone by taking on Rictus, I tried to save Hummer, I tried to save Botts. I tried, I tried, I tried, and I failed. Valhalla would never take me. I will never see the chrome dusted landscape filled with my once-lost loves ones. I am not worthy.

      Instantly Nux could detect the panic coming to life inside of me. Without saying anything, he leaned forward and pressed his forehead to mine. The gesture was something I taught him, and the Vuvalini taught me. It brought me comfort, and slowed my racing thoughts. I took in deep, long breaths, even though I felt like my tired lungs were refusing the air I gave them. Eventually the wild emotions died away.