Life at The Citadel had a smooth, steady rhythm. Granted, there was a brief period of absolute chaos after Immortan’s demise – with Furiosa out cold for three days the former wives had to deal with a newly liberated mass of starving, thirsty and essentially brainwashed people not used to having any kind of autonomy. Then they had to face retaliation from Bullet Farm and Gastown, and eventually what was left of the troops Immortan had taken with him made their way back around the mountains and attempted to take the fortress back. The Citadel endured it all, however, and with the combined efforts of the newly-formed council and Furiosa as its de facto leader it grew into the strong, thriving community that it was now.  

Had someone asked, Bump would have to admit he enjoyed the slow, uneventful – at least by a post-apocalyptic wasteland standards – repetitiveness. Warboys born under Immortan’s rule were raised to love the idea of death in glory,  but with hindsight he could definitely see the appeal of…  well, not dying. When the news of The Citadel’s transformation spread more and more people started arriving, some old enough to have real medical training which drastically increased Warboys’ life expectancy. It was comforting for Bump to think that he may actually reach the age the Vuvalini from the Council were now.

He was in the repair shop as usual, tinkering with one of the Rigs’ wiring. A bunch of other Warboys and Wargirls were doing their thing around him, occasionally joking and teasing each other. Next to the Rig Ace was supervising a group of young Pups that Capable had brought to the workshop earlier in the morning to practice repairing cars. He was humming a melody he must have remembered from when they still had working radios. Bump didn’t recognize the tune but it was pleasant and catchy, and combined with the familiar hustle and bustle of the workshop it put his mind at ease.

He was about to invite some of the Pups to watch him work on the Rig when he noticed Fist’s tiny (Valhalla, would she kick his sorry ass if she knew he even thought that of her) frame enter the room out of the corner of his eye. Normally she would be working with him since morning, but her leg has been bothering her lately and today Bump finally made her get it checked. He had to practically bully her into going to the infirmary – seriously, she would take no care of herself at all if it wasn’t for him. Bump waved and flashed her a gap toothed smile as she headed towards him.

“Hey, how’s the leg?” he asked when Fist approached him. She shrugged and leaned on the side of the Rig.

“’s fine I guess. Cheedo said it’s probably acting funny cause of hu-mi-di-ty” she made sure to stress every syllable of the word, like it was something weird and foreign. It kind of was, really. They lived in the middle of a desert after all. “She gave me some ointment for the pain and sent me on my way. Also said maybe we’ll have some rain soon.”

“Nice. Hope it won’t be acid this time though.”

Fist hummed in agreement and crossed her arms with a thoughtful expression. Bump lifted an eyebrow at her.

“Somethin’ on your mind?” he questioned.

“Yeah, actually. Something weird happened to me on the way to the infirmary. I bumped-” she paused for a second and let out something akin to a snort. Bump grinned. “-into Furiosa.”

“How’s that weird?” Furiosa was the de facto ruler of The Citadel now, but she made damn sure to be the complete opposite of Joe. She treated all the inhabitants like her equals and frequently talked to them, trying to get to know them and meet their individual needs. It was not unusual to run into her in the common areas.

“No, but get this – I literally bumped into her. Like, walked straight into her. And that’s not even the best part – she was smiling.”

Okay, that was weird. The former Imperator was many things, but distracted was definitely not one of them. And smiling? It’s not that Bump thought her emotionless or anything, everyone in The Citadel knew she was anything but, but she was very reserved and kept her feelings at bay in front of people she wasn’t close with. The only time Bump saw her openly laugh was when Nux asked him to help in the garden and Furiosa happened to be there, playing with Dag’s little girl. But walking around The Citadel, smiling to herself and distracted enough to walk into people was a very un-Furiosa behavior. Bump’s eyebrows rose so high they almost disappeared under his bandana. Fist nodded at his expression.

“I know, right? At first I almost freaked out, I mean, it’s Furiosa.  But then I was like, the fuck? Cause, get this, she was the one to say sorry to me. And then she left. I didn’t even get to apologize myself.”

“That’s… very weird.” Bump nodded. “And you met her where, outside the infirmary? What could put her in such a good mood there?”

“Hell if I know. I feel like I’m in some sort of an alternative reality now.”

Bump rubbed his chin in thought. Suddenly he lightened up and flashed Fist a wide grin.

Fist cringed.

“Oh no, Bump. I know that look. You just got an idea, yeah?”

“Hell yeah. I’m almost done here for today, you know what we should do? We should investigate!”

Fist groaned and put her face in her hands in exasperation, but Bump could see the little smirk tugging at her mouth.

 ***

               There were two reasons why Bump got so enthusiastic about finding out what made Furiosa act so out of character. One – after Immortan’s death, the former wives (now called the Sisters) decided that all citizens of The Citadel should be able to read. Lessons were organized, and something the older residents called a “library” was established in the place of the old Vault. Many Warboys and Wargirls found reading to be quite a decent way of spending their free time. Bump was one of them, and he got his hands on a few books that were something called “detective novels” according to the old Vuvalini lady who took charge of the “library”. Fist laughed her ass off when she saw him read once, all wide eyes and mouth open in wonder at a genius investigator solving mysteries in a city thousands of miles from here, so big that he couldn’t even imagine it. And two – well, Bump  was just a good guy. There were not many opportunities to be happy in the Wasteland, and he liked seeing people happy, simple as that.

And so their investigation began.

The first place they visited was the infirmary. Fist followed Bump, his tall form practically bursting with excitement,  torn between annoyance (“It’s none of our business, Bump!”) and burning curiosity. She didn’t particularly like to stick her nose into other people’s affairs, especially if those people were technically your superiors by several levels. She had to admit, though, that Furiosa’s unusual behavior intrigued her. Life at The Citadel could get boring sometimes, especially since she stopped going out after her accident, and she had to admit that a little change was welcome. Plus, if she was honest with herself, it was really nice to see Bump get all lively and excited like this.

When they entered the infirmary it was almost empty.  The only people there were Cheedo, who spent most of her time there anyway, Dag, who spent most of her free time with Cheedo, Dag’s daughter lovingly called Little Keep, who was busy decorating the infirmary walls with chalk drawings, and some scruffy guy whom neither Fist nor Bump recognized, covered in bandages and fast asleep on one of the cots  in the corner. Cheedo’s head was bent towards Dag’s, the two of them talking and giggling quietly enough not to disturb the sleeping man, but she lifted it when she heard the Warboy and Wargirl enter the room. She furrowed her brow in slight confusion when she recognized them.

“Hey Fist, weren’t you here like an hour ago? Something wrong with your leg? Or is your friend hurt?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. Cheedo, like every member of the Council, tried to be on the first name basis with everyone in The Citadel, but it was not easy to remember the names of a few thousands of people. Bump’s strong built prevented him from getting hurt often, so he hardly ever needed medical assistance and Cheedo didn’t think she’s ever even spoken to him.

“No, no, I’m okay”, Fist replied and tried to discretely smack Bump, who was trying his best to look inconspicuous and failing miserably. “Bump here, though, has some, uh, problems?”

Bump nodded vigorously and Fist mentally face palmed. If she got dragged into this investigation, they could have at least thought it through.

“Yes, hello Miss Cheedo, Miss Dag. My name is Bump and I, uh, umm. My head hurts? Real bad. Can I get something for it?”

Cheedo flashed him her signature caretaker smile and motioned him to follow her to the adjacent room where medical supplies were kept. Before he disappeared behind the door Bump shot Fist a meaningful look. She rolled her eyes at him and the general ridiculousness of the situation. Then she looked at Dag.

“I guess I’ll just wait for him here, if that’s alright?”

Dag just nodded with a tiny smile and went to play with daughter. Fist sighed deeply and started walking around the infirmary aimlessly, looking for anything Bump might classify as a clue.

 ***

“Any luck?” was the first thing Bump said once they got out of infirmary.

“Nope. The only thing even remotely out of ordinary was the guy sleeping in one of the beds, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before. But we get new people all the time so that’s not so surprising.”

Bump just hummed in response. Fist shook her head at him – something she noticed she did every few minutes today.

It was getting late so they called it a day after that, but the next morning Bump woke up Fist early so that they could get done with their work faster and come back to the investigation right after lunch. Fist grumbled and complained, but smiled to herself fondly at her partner’s enthusiastic gap-toothed grin.

They checked some more places and talked with several Warboys and Wargirls over the next few days, but none of that helped them get any closer to what they were looking for. Ace overheard Bump talking about “Furiosa acting strange” and scolded him for sticking his nose in other people’s business. Bump’s enthusiasm, however, remained untouched, and he continued to drag (figuratively, of course, she’d be damned before she let anyone drag her anywhere) Fist around The Citadel. At one point, when they sat in the mess hall for an afternoon snack, Fist noticed the scruffy stranger from the infirmary eating alone at one of the empty tables. Some bandages were still visible under his heavy jacket and he had circles under his eyes so dark that they almost looked like Warboy make-up, but his hair was shorter than before and there was no messy beard obscuring his face. After a few moments Fist was surprised to see none other than Cheedo, Capable (whose pregnancy was starting to show and Fist had to admit she was glowing) and Nux join the stranger at his lonely table, surrounding him in cheerful chatter which brought a strange mix of fondness and uneasiness to his weary face. Fist squinted her eyes. Now that she took a closer look at him… She has seen that face somewhere before… but where-

Bump dragged her out of her thoughts talking about the next places they should check, and before she had to time to dwell on the stranger’s familiarity they were leaving the mess hall.

***

A few hours later they found themselves in the gardens at The Citadel’s rooftop, where they run into Nux and Capable again. The two of them were sitting under one of the apple trees, talking in hushed tones with their hands clasped together. Nux was still weak after having his tumors removed, but he looked happier than Fist and Bump ever remembered seeing him. His hair was starting to grow out and his skin, although pale, had a healthy color as he wore no white paint anymore. Fist would barely recognize him if it wasn’t for the intricate scars on his chest.

Nux waved at them when he spotted them.

“Hey Fist, Bump. What are you doing here? I thought you spent all your time in the workshop these days.”

Fist and Bump looked at each other. Why hadn’t they thought about it earlier? They used to work with Nux back in Immortan’s days and Fist thought she could safely say they were something akin to friends. Nux was among the people closest to Furiosa now. Surely he would know what caused her odd behavior!

“Actually,” Bump began when Fist nodded, “we were kind of looking for you? Cause we-“ Fist coughed. “-okay, I was really curious… You guys are close to Furiosa right? Have noticed she has been acting strange lately? I was just curious what’s up with that.”

Nux and Capable exchanged a surprised look. Then they burst out laughing. Bump and Fist just stared.

“Oh, yeah, she has been in a good mood the last several days, hasn’t she?” Capable said once she stopped giggling. “And of course Warboys have to know why. Valhalla, aren’t you guys gossips!”

She smacked Nux’s arm at his mock-offended “hey!” and continued talking.

“Seriously though, it’s quite simple. Actually – look on your six, you’ll see it yourself.”

Fist and Bump looked behind  them with surprise. A small distance from them – far enough to be out of earshot though – Furiosa emerged from between the plants, the scruffy stranger close on her feet. They couldn’t hear what she was saying but she was evidently showing the man around the garden, gesturing and pointing at the plants with a proud smile on her face. The men didn’t seem to be saying anything, his mouth unmoving, but he was watching Furiosa like she was the sun. Furiosa picked some fruit from one of the trees and tossed it at him with a smirk. He caught it and replied with a smile of his own, somewhat uncertain, like he didn’t quite remember how to do it, but so full of pure pride and adoration that Fist had to look away, suddenly feeling like she was interrupting a very intimate moment.

“Oh. Oooh!” Bump exclaimed. “That makes a lot of sense.”

Nux and Capable just smiled knowingly.

Bump tilted his head in wonder.

“Who is that guy though? Like, don’t get me wrong, but Furiosa wouldn’t be like that with some random drifter from the Waste, right?”

“You don’t recognize him?” Capable asked. “Oh right, I forgot you guys only got a glimpse of him. And it was like a thousand days ago, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Remember the day-“

“The day you came back with Immortan’s body!” Fist exclaimed suddenly, interrupting her. Capable nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I remember him. He’s the man who drove you here and kicked Joe’s corpse off the rig, yeah? I think we called him the Road Warrior, when it was still the no one topic of gossip.”

“Yep, one and the same. He’s been gone a while, but he always knew he’d come back sooner or later. He and Furiosa got awful close when we were on the Fury Road. Like, almost scary close” Nux explained. “Cheedo says it’s a… soul-pal thing?”

“Soul-mate thing, Nux, jeez.” Capable rolled his eyes at him. Nux just shrugged.

“Hey, she’s the one who found that term in some book, I never read it. Give me a break. Yeah, well, anyways. He showed up here a few days ago, looking like hell, but in one piece. And it’s like they picked up right where they  left off. It’s kind of weird to watch, to be honest, but we’re happy for her. You should be too… oh, and don’t even think about bothering her about it. She may be in a good mood, but she’ll still kick your sorry asses if you do.”

“Jeez, Nux, do you think we’re stupid or something? Of course we won’t bother her,” said fist and Bump nodded solemnly. Then she looked up at her partner. “So, Bump, you satisfied now?”

“Yeah, I am. I really am.” Bump look above his shoulder and the corners of his mouth lifted. There was something tender in his smile, something that Fist couldn’t quite name. “It’s good to see people be happy… you know, despite it all.” He gestured vaguely around, most likely referring to the reality of the world they lived in.

Fist and Bump left the gardens and went back to work after that, no mystery left to be solved. Bearing the revelation in mind, Fist guessed that they would have to get used to Furiosa acting more… human.

Her mothers are careful when they tell her about what happened in the Days Before, but she knows that bad things happened in this room. She knows about the women who lived and loved and cried and laughed and bled and died here. She thinks that maybe the magic came from them.

She doesn't tell anyone at first because she doesn't think they will understand. Even her mothers who survived the Fury Road, even her birth mother with her gods and her prayers and the strange things she says sometimes. They couldn't understand. They wouldn't.

But one night, when her heart is heavy with the secret, she tells Capable's baby boy.

“There's magic in here,” she mouths against his ear, the words spilling out as her pulse quickens. “That's why I didn't get hurt when I fell down the stairs. That's why Max doesn't have nightmares when he sleeps here. It's why there's always moonlight even when there's no moon and why we always find another piece of chalk just when we think we ran out. That's why you and me didn't die inside our mothers like their other babies. They're protecting us, our brothers and our sisters and our mothers' sisters and their babies. Listen,” she says, because she can hear the magic, too. “That's my namesake, the mother with scars on her face. She sings to you every night. Sometimes she sings to me too. Listen.”

He does, and she knows that he can hear the woman too. It's a sad song, one that doesn't have any words, but she carries it in her heart for a long time after that.

“What are you humming?” Capable asks her one day when she forgets to be careful.

“I don't know,” she says truthfully, because she doesn't, really.

“I've heard it before. I can't remember where, but...I know it.”

She wonders if her namesake sings to Capable, too. She wonders if the mother with scars on her face sings to all of them. Maybe they don't know it's her. She remembers what her mother said—It's not that you can't hear, it's just that you hear differently. Maybe she isn't the only one to feel the magic—she just feels it differently. Maybe they can all feel it.

She starts watching her mothers. She watches the way Cheedo always knows where to find odds and ends and the way Toast never burns food even when she leaves it on the stove for too long. She watches the way Capable can fix anything you put in front of her and the way her mother can make anything grow.

“It's the magic,” she tells Max one day without thinking.

“What magic?” he signs with a furrowed brow.

She almost doesn't tell him, but something (she thinks it might be the magic) makes the words form in her hands. She tells him about the magic, how it happens and why. She tells him about the singing, and the look on his face tells her that he's heard it too.

“What makes you think it's magic?” he asks her.

She considers this for a long moment. “What else would it be?”

Max thinks about it too, and then he laughs.

When they talk about Men, when they talk about Him, when they talk about the Days Before, the women say, “Who killed the world?” They paint it on the walls, ink it into their skin. She has heard it her whole life.

“Where there is death,” her mother tells her, brushing the soil from a budding sprout, “There is also life. They killed the world, but we can make it live again.”