Getting Up: Acceptance
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Welcome back to the story people, please review, fav, follow and enjoy. This chapter is pretty much a compressed bunch of chapters into one. I know I should try to squeeze out more chapters but Inspiration is hard to come by. So, I'm doing the best I can. Enjoy the story Kiddos.
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"speech"/ 'thought'
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ATFER LOSING CONCIOUSNESS (Play the Song: Soul of A Man from The Mad Max game trailer)
Marx was satisfied that he had saved Maka and soul. If he was dead he could live with it, if he wasn't he wanted to wake up. An indeterminate amount of time had passed, while he was in a coma his friends were probably visiting him every day. Within himself, He saw a world of desert and dead sands, a world gone mad.
Where the strong ruled, morality, justice, and mercy didn't exist anymore, and hope was dead, glory was lost, all consumed by the madness that surrounded him. A world where streets were paved to nowhere, he was taught it took a hero to change things. In that mad world, he wasn't a hero, he was a survivor, the man called Marx.
He battled his inner demons, who were led by the man he would become if he fell to madness, a warlord of darkness. The little devil and a Wandering Mystic battled quite often, and The Mystic helped Marx to resist the demon. Being trapped in your own head, coupled with a near death experience can change people.
For him his change was a sense of failure for not being there for his friends while he was asleep. He found a sage in his subconscious, The Wandering mystic who shielded, guided him and trained his mind, unlocking numerous new abilities within himself. He could use an M1911 form for close range engagement or easier carrying, a semi-auto shotgun for heavier firepower. And even flight while in his rage mode.
Now the only problem was what now? He could either wait until he woke up, or find the way out of that mad world. If time was the enemy then he had to train more. The Mystic's training is what would keep him from getting bored or insane so with his help, Marx sparred with his own reflection. Know thy self before knowing your enemy. If he had to, he would train, he eventually found the powerful form he retained while in the spirit world.
And used it to move about the realm of souls. He was able to find Maka and soul and give them he feeling that he was in there, trapped, but it was his choice to fight. It was on his head not hers. And soul was happy to have the feeling that his other best bud was alright. So, Marx had been battling his other self the warlord, at the wall of his comatose state fighting to wake up, regain his freedom and his sanity.
He defeated the warlord, and the gateway to the waking world was opened. The little devil was standing beside it waiting for Marx. "How did you win? I was sure I had you! The warlord should've won he was strong, cold, brutal, mad. How could you win?" The Little Devil stood there stunned.
"I won because, have something worth fighting for. I have a group of friends who have stood by me and I have been there for them. I know who I am, Hunter Marx, a hero, a wanderer, a friend. That is who I am, not that pile of waste dead in the dirt." Marx said to the little devil. His words caused the imp-like demon grow smaller, to the size of a mouse.
"So, I have to accept you as a part of me. Everyone is mad to their own extent, even me, I chose to not let it consume me. I choose to be better than that, true freedom is to walk my path, un-haunted by my past, or what looms in the future, and even what lays at the back of my mind. To me, if it's a resource, I intend to use it, and then discard it. But my friends are something more than that, they are more than just a means to an end, so much more that I cannot describe." He said proudly, as he picked up the depressed little devil with his hand, and closed his fist causing the little devil to disappear into small fading black wisps. Marx then walked into the bright light of salvation, his life waiting for him.
(End Song)
His awakening was much awaited by his friends and he greeted the school's new nurse. Something about her though made him uneasy. His uneasiness was noted by her, she was the witch he had fought in disguise after all. Marx didn't know this but his tactical sense was giving off a small alarm for suspicion. The problem was he'd have to wait for that suspicion to come to fruition.
Marx decided to start training, and didn't hang out with his friends very often. He wasn't avoiding them, he had lost a lot of strength, and needed to be ready to fight with soul and Maka again. They understood this and left him alone occasionally sparring with him.
ONE WEEK LATER
Marx used his new abilities like a pro and went on solo missions again. At first Maka and Soul disapproved but Marx told them if he didn't push himself it wouldn't be training. Eventually Marx had finally his 99th kishin soul. Marx allowed his team mates to continue on their own, he felt that he didn't always need to be there to hold their hands. They were partners before him, and would still be without him.
Marx had learned of the things they had done while he was asleep and told them he was proud to call them his partners. They told him of how they had fallen out of sync and risked never being compatible again. They also told him of the black blood being mixed all of their own.
Marx simply shrugged saying he already knew. They were curious to know how he knew, he told them that he met the little devil and accepted him. They stood back a bit fearing his sanity, he quelled their fears by telling them that the reason why he had changed so much is because of that.
He fought the demon, and eventually absorbed him, he also admitted that peace came with a price. He would now have less control over his rage form and risked their safety. He was crazy in his own way, but so was everyone else. They were relieved when he told them that. He was also informed of Free the immortal werewolf who had a witch's eye. Marx understood the tactical advantages that it brought, he knew that if he ever fought the werewolf to use extreme caution.
ONE WEEK LATER (Play the Song: All-Star by Smash mouth)
The written exam was coming up so Marx had decided to study hard. For Marx, the exam meant he could see where he stood in his knowledge of his school work. The test was definitely not going to be easy, he knew that off the bat. What's more is that professor stein had written. He knew soul would try to cheat, and he'd pay for it.
Marx enjoyed studying with Maka as a study buddy, for one she helped him concentrate on the harder parts of the subject, while he helped her stay on track. He knew black star probably wasn't going to score very high on it, but Tsubaki would do pretty well. He just went with the flow and stayed on track keeping his nose in the books until dinner. After that he went to sleep.
DAY OF THE TEST
Marx had gotten plenty of sleep, so did Maka and soul. The three of them walked to school and wondered what each of them would score. Soul was sure of himself as usual, Marx was feeling pretty good about it and Maka was thinking she score high as well. Marx knew why soul was sure of himself, he also knew Sid the zombie would be administering the test. Sid would have soul figured out pretty fast.
Once they were in classroom the pressure was on, Marx saw all of his friends working hard or most of them. Patty was making a paper giraffe, kid was trying to make his name perfect, Black-Star was goofing was caught cheating, and eventually soul was too. Soul got to continue the test and everyone else did just fine. Soul barely passed, Marx and Tsubaki were in the 20's and Maka was number 1. Marx gave her a pat on the back and a thumbs up. He was prouder of her than ever before and she could see it.
-END CHAPTER-
Marx's sanity is like that of the dimension 23 red hood from batman the brave and the bold: his sanity is bent, but not broken. He's sane but, he'll always be a little screw loose. Yes, in his mind he was Mad Max, it was his version of Griffa, who helped him along the way, and his alternate-self was like Scrotus. This Griffa was a bit more outgoing, in his approach. That's the last of the mad max cameos, enough said.