Chapter Text
After the events on the fury road, Max had returned to the wasteland, still searching for his better self. He still made periodic visits to the Citadel to check up on the progress of Furiosa and the Wives, always making sure that they had enough supplies and that the war boys were staying in line. Nux always looked forward to his visit, since Max had a habit of bringing back gifts for them. They were always small, useful things, but were much appreciated by everyone.
It always took a while for Max to readjust their company, whatever horrors he had seen in the wasteland continued to haunt him for days afterwards. Sometimes the wives would cook him a meal and tell him stories about their new life, other times they knew he needed quiet and let him sit in his room until he was ready to rejoin them. However, Max had been getting worse after each return, sometimes walling himself off to their questions and sitting in his room for hours on end. It seemed every time he came for a visit he would sit in his room longer and longer and even after rejoining them, he still had a faraway look in his eye. Lately, Max had taken to lurking around the many caves the war boys used to fix their vehicles, inspecting their handiwork. Sometimes, Max would come over and watch Nux work, occasionally helping him tune and fix and his car. As he worked, Nux had started to take to himself, more for Max’s benefit than his, and would occasionally ask him questions to try and draw him into a conversation. Slowly, Max would start to respond with grunts and then eventually a few words and sentences. Soon, Max would be grunting and mumbling over the engine right alongside Nux, occasionally rubbing the back of Nux’s head for a job well done. However, Max seemed to progressively get worse and worse.
Worried about his friend, Nux sought the advice of Capable, knowing if anyone was able to help him it would be her. Not so long ago, the fiery red head had pulled him out of the grasp of Immortan Joe. She had saved and he knew she could help him save Max from his own demons. He had visited her in the pups den where she now worked, trying to caring and educating the young boys. She was tending to an injured pup, who was bawling in her lap as she inspected his finger. “What do you think Max needs?” Nux asked her, drawing her attention away from the injured pup.
“Max is complicated,” Capable said as she bit her lip, “He needs love and human contact.” They both knew Max would not agree to stay with them permanently, not in his current condition. Whenever they thought he was warming up to the idea, they would always find a note on his bed the next day saying he would see them again sometime in the future. Nux had begged to go with him several times, but Max had always insisted he stay.
“The wives need you here,” Max had told him as he rubbed the back of Nux’s head, “Someone has to help train the new recruits.” Max had turned to go, but Nux grabbed his arm holding him back. “You could help train them, we need you here too,” Nux had pleaded with him, but Max was firm. He would return soon enough. Nux had watched him get in his Interceptor and race off into the wasteland until he was nothing but a speck on the horizon.
“What if I made him something?” Nux asked Capable as he looked through a few of the pictures books on the ground, “Something he could use when he’s out on the wasteland.” Max was always bringing them useful gifts; it was only fair that he should get some too, Nux just needed to find the perfect gift. “He only takes the supplies he needs,” Capable sighed, “He refuses anything else.” She returned her attention to the young war pup, who was now whimpering and holding his injured finger out towards her. As she started bandaging the boy’s finger, she tried to think of another idea but grew frustrated when she came up empty handed.
“I don’t know Nux,” She sighed as she finished wrapping the boy’s finger, “He’ll come back soon enough and you can ask him then.” Satisfied with the bandage, she turned towards Nux but paused when she saw he had already gone. Shrugging, she picked up the picture book and returned to her lesson, “Now this one is a tree, see how it’s much taller and…”
Running through the tunnels, Nux was headed to the green room where they grew all their crops. As he reached the room, he saw the Dag walking through the rows of crops with a watering can in her hand, inspecting each crop to see if it could use an extra drink. She turned toward him as he walked up to her.
“Do you have any small tree things?” Nux asked as he looked around, trying to find what he was looking for. “Do you mean a bush?” The Dag questioned as she pointed to one of the smaller bushes in the corner. “No, much smaller,” Nux said, his hands only a foot apart, “About that big. It has a few colorful leaves with a big yellow sun in the middle.”
Frowning, the Dag replied, “You mean flowers.” Nodding his head, as he continued, “Yes, flowers. Do you have some?”
Shaking her head, “We only have food bearing crops and the ones that do produce flowers aren’t in season yet.” Nux’s shoulders slumped in defeat, where would he get flowers now?
“Why do you want them?” The Dag asked as she put her arms around Nux in an attempt to sooth the war boy. “I was going to use them for a gift,” Nux sniffed, “For Max.”
Trying to think of another idea, the Dag suddenly pushed them apart and stared excitedly upward at Nux, “Do they have to be real flowers?” Wiping his nose on his arm Nux scoffed, “Are there any other kinds?” She grabbed his hand, startling him and took him to through the tunnels towards her old prison where the Immortan and kept his wives. “We used to make art for the Immortan in the biodome,” she shouted as they ran through the tunnels, “Miss Giddy taught us how to make flowers out of paper, we use to decorate the Immortan’s room with them!” Confused, Nux could only follow behind her until they reached the biodome. She guided them to a box on one of the shelves and opened up, showing Nux the contents inside.
“It’s just wired and paper,” He sighed, cautiously taking out one of the pieces of colorful paper out, “Soft paper, not as soft as fabric, but soft.” He took it out and rubbed it to his face. Rolling her eyes, the Dag took the piece of paper out of Nux hands and grabbed another out of the box.
“You can use it to make flowers, see?” She said as she placed the pieces of paper on top of each other, took one of the edges and folded it inward an inch. She then flipped it around the other side and folded it inward an inch again. The Dag continued until the paper was completely folded and it resembled a flattened spring. She placed a piece of wire at its center and tied it around the paper. As she started to open up the paper around the wire, it started to resemble a flower. Handing it over to Nux, his eyes opened wide, “Can you teach me how to do that?” The Dag laughed and started showing Nux how to make the paper flower. Once Nux had gotten the hang of it, the Dag gave him a pat on the head and left him to continue his project. Soon, the ground was littered in paper flowers of all sizes, shapes and colors.
Gathering up the flowers around him, Nux was almost done with his project, he only needed to weave them together. In Capable’s book, he had a seen a woman with wings, surrounded a sparkling staff wearing a crown made of flowers, surrounded by trees and flowers. Thinking it looked very shiny and chrome, Nux decided to weave paper flowers together into a crown. It took him several tries and few wire cuts to his head from sizing it, but eventually Nux was finished. He knew once Max saw how chrome it was, he couldn’t help but smile. Grinning to himself, Nux gathered up the rest of flowers, as a shiny idea popped into his brain. He knew just the place for the rest of these flowers, hopefully his lancer would understand. Chuckling to himself, he carried the flowers and crown out of the biodome and headed back into the tunnels.
Several days had passed before one of the lookouts had spotted Max’s car in the distance. As Nux scrambled through the tunnels, trying to get the flower crown from his room, he could hear the war boys cheering Max’s name as they lift up both car and driver. Finally getting to his room, Nux carefully took out the flower crown, hiding it behind him as he made his way back up to greet Max with the others. Right as he arrived, Max had stepped onto the landing, looking around him uneasily as the others started fusing over him. Max looked worse this time, his jeans and jacket were torn around his many wounds, some still bleeding. Trying to snap out of it, Nux shook his head and went up to the man with the flower crown behind his back.
“I made you something, a gift,” Nux grinned as he pulled the flower crown out from behind him, causing Max to twitch backwards instinctively. The wives stepped back, giving Max his space and hoping for the best, but Nux continued forward closing the distance between them. “I thought you could use something to cheer you up,” Nux continued as he handed the flower crown to Max and waited for his reaction.
Max’s flickered back and forth between the flower crown and Nux, unable to process what the offering meant. Noticing Max’s confusion, Nux went and moved the crown onto Max’s head, causing him to visible tense. Stepping back, Nux admired his work, while Max slowly started opening his eyes, looking around the room as the wives tried to hide their smiles and laughter. Curious, Max spun around and saw his reflection in the Interceptor’s window. After a few moments, a faint smile reached his lips as he turned around to face Nux and grunted in what appeared to be approval. Taking on last look in the reflection, Max turned around and rubbed Nux’s head. “Show me what you’ve done with your car,” Max mumbled as he started to head into the tunnels. Smiling, Nux followed him, he couldn’t wait to see Max’s reaction when he saw Nux’s car covered in the paper flowers.