The car cruised to a halt. My hands were braced against the dashboard to keep me from face planting against the hard surface. Blaze's driving skills were...Jerky. Every move he made sent a jolt through Botts' ride like an electric shock. At least he understood the difference between the gas petal and brake petal. At first every time I would yell for him to stop the car, he would slam the gas and do a two second burn out. He was going to need some work, that's for sure.
"It's gettin' dark, how about we quit for the day?" I suggested tiredly, opening the passenger side door with a nudge of my boot.
Blaze nodded in return, gently prying the steering wheel from its home and handing it to me.
I flashed him a grateful smile, wrapping my fingers around the bumpy copper. As I left the car, a faint echo of voices reached my ears. It was coming from the caves. For a fleeting moment, I thought those voices were fearful, and I froze. Then I realized that they were, in fact, raised in laughter. I led Blaze back into the maze of tunnels, one sided gaze flicking about for the source of the commotion.
It was coming from the fighting pits, which was the space that connected the black thumb's cave to the war boys' sleeping quarter. I ducked into the entrance, my mouth quirked up in a curious smile.
It seems as if all the war boys and new recruits have gathered here. There were playful fistfights churning at the base of the pits, as well as loud conversations and wrestling war pups. My heart surged up with warmth in my chest. War Boys were a ceremonious bunch, as they enjoyed indulging in their own culture. How could they resist a celebration? I suppose to the new recruits, this was the perfect way to learn to become one of us. I could spot the newcomers at once amongst their new comrades, their blows sloppy and their vocabulary free of war boy slang. I didn't even see any of the bitter sneers on the original war boys' faces. All of them seemed to have forgotten old grudges. There was only unity, and companionship.
As I had put my wheel away when we went past the alter already, I moved forward and melted into the crowd. No one cast me annoyed glances like they used to, before Fury Road. Most of these people never knew me before then, all they knew me as was the veteran Imperator. I searched for someone I knew, perhaps Darah or-
"Hey, Feral."
I gave a start, whirling around. Standing there was Nux, with a white bandage attached to the spot on his head where he was hit. He had been ordered to stay at the organic's for a day or so. I have missed his presence, no matter how short of a time he has been away,
"Hi," I responded, reaching up to brush my fingers against his dressed head wound, "Does it still hurt?" I asked.
He shook his head, "Jus' a little bump." then a devilish smile crept across his slitted lips, "Gotta show ya somethin'." With that, he took a hold of my hand and began to walk, tugging me along behind him.
I tripped over a few badly placed rocks and feet, struggling to keep up. His rough hand never left mine despite my clumsy gait. He took me to the far end of the pits, were a small group of two boys and one girl stood. Each of them had a dreamy grin stretching their mouths, and their forms swayed as if being pulled by strings. I furrowed my brows with confusion, trying to find what Nux wanted to show me.
Once we made it there, I caught sight of a metal canister being passed around the group, each taking a swig from it. Nux held out his hand to the woman now holding the canister, giving her a friendly dip of the head.
She hiccuped, giggling, "Sure thing...Buck-oh...!" Then she plopped it into his palm.
He held the container out to me, "Ya gotta try it. Like tastin' Valhalla." He prompted.
I raised an eyebrow, blinking slowly. After a moment of thought, I took the canister and drank a careful swallow. The liquid scorched down my throat like guzzaline, leaving a bitter taste on my tongue. I coughed thickly, making an overly-dramatic "Bleh!" Sound and shoving the metal container into his arms, "That, my friend, tastes like shit." I grumbled.
Nux laughed, "Takes a few drinks." he replied, taking a generous gulp himself. He let out a few coughs into his closed lips, eyes watering a bit, "Makes your mind all fuzzy..."
With a grunt, I snatched the canister from him, wanting to prove I could handle it. I poured as much of the strange substance into my jaws as I could hold, forcing it down. Then I lazily tossed back to one of the swaying war boys, smirking at Nux.
It hadn't even been five minutes later when I felt my mind...Loosen. It was as if the restraints keeping the words from spilling out, and my war boy nature at bay, had been turned off. I was cackling at everything, and was up for any dangerous activity thrown at me. Let's just say that that wasn't my last sample of the odd drink. With that, my body seemed to have stopped working more and more with every gulp. I was stumbling about like a freshly drained bloodbag, and slurring my sentences together like watery war paint. It really was a taste of Valhalla.
"So I...I jus'...fuckin' slugged 'im in the nose!" I finished, swinging a fist and pretending the Organic Mechanic was in front of me.
Nux doubled over laughing, despite the fact I had told him that story three times already, "Wha-" a hiccup cut him short, "Wha' did 'e say to ya?" This, however, was the first time he asked me that.
If I hadn't been this intoxicated, I would have flinched. But due to the fact I didn't seem to care, I just snorted, "Fuckin' shlanger thought we were ruttin'!" I snarled, "Said we was 'no better than them breeders'!"
I imagine that if Nux was in his normal state, he would have flushed red, with anger and embarrassment alike. He only shook his head and hiccuped again, "Glad ya broke 'is nose, then!" He giggled, clapping me on the back.
Then, in my drunken haze, a brilliant idea formed. I perked up, grabbing Nux's bony shoulders in both of my hands, "Nux! I've got it!" I slurred happily, "Let's get some scars." I said in a giddy whisper.
The war boy beamed, "Good idea!" He chirped, taking a hold of my hand again. If I thought I was clumsy before, I was walking like a newborn pup now. Though, this time I didn't bother trying to swerve around people. We had both left some irritated war girls and boys in our wake. The sound of drums danced in my foggy ears as I walked. I turned my head to see a young war boy of about fourteen pounding away on a small drum of scrap metal and leather. He must have been training to become one of the players on the doof wagon. The beat he was creating sang in the air around me, making my head bob a little. War boys and girls tapped their feet merrily along with the boy's drumming, their voices becoming louder and louder as the night went on.
"Slicer! Oi! Over 'ere!" Nux shouted, beckoning for a smug looking boy to come towards us.
I remembered him faintly, from the time Nux got the engine block cut into his flesh. As Slicer weaved around other bodies to get to us the memory rang out clearer. This one was very weak and more sick than Nux and I, so he didn't go out on Fury Road. The only real reason we kept him around before was because he was a hell of a marker boy.
"What is it?" Slicer demanded, taking in our wobbly demeanors, "Shit, you're both drunk, aren't ya?" he groaned.
I blinked slowly at him, jabbing his bare chest with a finger, "Hey...All I want are some scars, think ya can handle that?" I challenged with a grin.
He narrowed his dark blue eyes at us suspiciously, "Depends, where did ya get the juice?" he countered.
So that's what they call it? I made a mental note to make sure and stock up on that stuff from now on. The despair, for the first time, was lifted from my shoulders. I could carry through my day as if I hadn't seen a wink of death in my lifetime. I could pretend that I myself didn't almost fall headfirst into the black trench all those months ago.
Nux rolled his eyes, "One of the boys found some out on a raid," he told Slicer, "They're drinkin' up over there." Nux pointed with his thumb behind us.
Slicer nodded once, "Alright, jus' a quick one. What do ya want?" he asked impatiently.
I pumped my fist with excitement, letting out a gleeful, "Yaaaaaaaay!" Before taking in consideration what he said. I pursed my lips in thought, glancing around and the decorated bodies of the war boys around me. Then I decided, and I flashed a toothy smile at Nux. With one quick motion, I slipped my shirt over my head. I was only wearing some cloth wrapped around my chest area underneath, resembling the tops the sisters wore when I first met them. I ran a hand down my left side, over my slightly protruding ribs and toned stomach, "How 'bout some flames right 'ere? That'd be real shine."
Slicer's eyes sparked with mild surprise, but it was gone the moment I noticed it. With a wave of his hand, he gestured for us to follow him. We all walked to one of the vacant corners of the cave. Slicer had already taken out a few small blades, and was twirling them around in his fingers expertly,
"Lay down, an' don't struggle too much or I might jus' stab ya." he ordered sternly.
I snickered, giving Slicer a mock V8 salute, then plopped to the floor. I lowered myself onto my back, resting my head on my hands. Nux was sitting with his legs criss-crossed next to me, patting my bare shoulder with his blackened hand,
"Just a pinch." He reassured me.
I playfully punched him in the arm, "That's what ya said when ya cut my lips up, asshole!" I retorted.
"Will you hold still?" Slicer snapped, glaring at us.
I pressed a finger to my lips, "Not another peep." I whispered, fighting off another giggle.
Slicer's knife came in contact with my tender skin, piercing it with a sharp pain. I didn' react other than scrunching up my face. I felt the familiar, satisfying rush of blood as the war boy continued to carve into my belly. I wasn't sure if it was the juice that kept the normally writhing pain away, or I was just more brave since my first set of scars. Slicer fished a small bag full of some sort of gray power from his pocket with his free hand, setting it in the floor next to me. For some reason that action was hilarious, and I suppressed the burst of laughter that swelled in my throat.
I could practically imagine the inferno of red life-blood running over my pale skin, staining the tip of Slicer's knife crimson. Nux was watching the progress with wide sapphire eyes, leaning down to get a good look. Why did I choose fire? Out of everything? Surly after Hummer's death I would despise anything to do with flame? But it just felt right, like the sensation of a steering wheel under my fingertips. Fire was strength, it was power. I was going to be the one to burn Gastown to the ground. For Hummer.
As if on cue, a burning sensation ignited through the fresh cuts. I craned my head towards my stomach a little, a single eyebrow raised, "What are ya doin'?"
Slicer had sprinkled liberal amounts of the gray powder onto my wounds, patting them into the open flesh, "It's ash, makes the scars heal right. So they show up good." He explained briefly.
....right. I remember now. The soot made the skin come together in raised, fleshy lines rather than flat ones. These marks are going to look great, but man did it hurt. The cuts screamed in protest with every handful of ash, rattling my sluggish brain.
Slicer got to his feet, wiping the blood and soot from his hands, "Alright. You're all done. Don't fuck with those cuts too much, or they'll get all infected." He warned me, stalking off towards the corner with the drunken war boys.
Nux offered me a hand, helping me stand. I looked down at the wounds with excitement, tightly touching them with my blackened fingers. The flames I had requested seemed to rise up from my side and hip, stretching up towards my rib cage. They sent shock waves of sting through me every time I moved, but I didn't care.
"Shiny!" I commented, grinning brightly.
"Scars fit for an Imperator!" Nux chimed in, throwing his arm over my shoulders.
We both mingled back into the crowd, laughing and leaning heavily on one another. The sound of the war pup's drums got closer and closer with every step. I had begun to bounce a little to the beat, causing Nux to do the same.
"What... are ya doin'?" Nux slurred.
"Dancin'!" I answered, "Ya know, like in the books?" I ducked away from his arm, facing him. He gave me a puzzled look, but didn't say anything. I took both of his hands in mine, then started swaying them back and forth in time with the drums.
A smile tugged at the edges of Nux's lips as he tried to copy me. I allowed the hypnotizing beat take control, and my hips swung from side to side a little. We both looked completely idiotic, but it didn't matter. The care free juice pumped through my veins, making all of the other voices blend into static noise.
"I like dancin'!" Nux decided, shrugging his pale shoulders one at a time.
What we didn't realize was that we were teetering ever so close to the edge of the fighting pits. I closed my eyes for a second, in order to soak in the moment of glee, and I felt something yank me downwards. Nux yelped with shock as he stumbled back and tumbled over the edge of the pits, dragging me with him. I was lost in a cloud of blurring stone and flailing limbs as we descended to the bottom. It wasn't really that far of a fall, but enough to jar us both.
Once we landed, I had lost track of which pair of legs were mine, and I had to wiggle my toes to find out. We ended up with Nux lying flat on his stomach and me sprawled over his back. I groaned with new found pain, and I noticed that my fresh cuts were bleeding again. Nux sat up so quickly that I was sent rolling onto the floor. I cursed quietly, fighting off the fit of laughter that threatened to burst from my chest.
"You guys okay?" A female voice cackled from above us.
I struggled into a sitting position, looking up to see Toast standing at the edge of the pits with a mocking smirk painted onto her pretty face.
I wiped away the blood running down my abdomen with a flick of my fingers, "Fine! Juuus' fine..." another hiccup popped from my open mouth, and I giggled.
"We tried dancin'!" Nux called up to her.
Her brows knitted together, "Wait..." Toast gasped, "Are you guys drunk?"
I hauled myself to my feet, my legs wobbling dangerously, "Nooooo...." I said with a wave of my hand. Then, having tripped over my own feet and ran into the wall, I sheepishly smiled at Toast, "Okay, jus' a little." I lifted my hand and held my index finger and thumb centimeters apart to show her.
She got down on her knees and held her scar-free hand out to me. I reached up gratefully and took it, allowing her to drag me up and over the side if the pits. Then we both helped Nux out of the pit, as he seemed to have the climbing skills if a two legged turtle at the moment. Once we were all accounted for, Toast patted my bare arm,
"Why don't you two go on to bed? You're kind of...Dangerous to yourselves right now." She said slowly, gesturing towards the exit with her other hand.
I let out a whine, but grumpily trudged away nevertheless. She was kind of right, we weren't really of sound mind. It seemed to take ages to make it back to our sleeping quarter, because by now my legs where nothing but blocks of led. Nux and I were each others crutches, holding the other up when they fell over.
Once we made it inside, I flopped onto one of the blankets, not caring who's it was. I felt the war boy lay down facing me, snuggling close. Our breaths wound together like thread in fabric, as well as the pulsing waves of heat radiating from our bodies.
"Goodnight." I murmured, lifting my head up and planting a kiss to his cheek. In my sleepy, impaired state, that seemed to make all the sense in the world.
"G'night." Nux whispered.
That was when dark, heavy sleep crashed down on me, sweeping me into its embrace.