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DISCLAIMER: the title.
Chapter 3
With Parent's Permission
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"Mom, Dad, I'm off to the Wastelands!"
Angelica 'Angie' Diaz kissed her son on the cheek before he ran out to the backyard slashing a portal and leaping through, she sat across her husband, Rafael as he looked up from a magazine of Do It Yourself art and models.
He watched his son disappear before they went back to their reading and musings. It was a normal sight for the past two years for the parents, after their initial joy of their son back on Earth and working his way back into school, they decided to confront him why they found him passed out on the couch covered in bruises, cuts and an eye patch.
And sporting a more athletic bod.
Angie and Rafael looking worried at their son as they sat down in the living room, they could tell their son had an inkling of what was going to happen.
"Marco, I know we didn't want to ask when you first came back why you were so…hurt. You were so driven to go back to school so we let you be, but now that things have calmed we have to know." Angie said gently, Rafael touched her hand.
Marco looked guilty at the both of them, his eye patch had long since come off, revealing a wicked scar over his left eye.
"I…I got into a fight with Star."
"Fight? Whatever for?"
"Did she do that to you?"
Their horrified faces made Marco quickly speak up, "No, no! I—!"
"Marco." Angie said firmly, Rafael looked at him concerned, "We'll understand. When you wanted to go to Mewni, yes, Marco I know how to pronounce it, we trusted you would work out whatever you were going through. Why and how did it escalate to this?"
Marco hung his head caught so easily, it took a minute for him to muster up some courage before he spoke up again, "I…I went back to Mewni and I thought things would be the same: adventure, fun, good times…but when I got there, I was horribly mistaken. Mom, Dad, I did a lot of stupid things there. I thought being there would be no big deal and there would be nothing out of the ordinary between me and Star, we made up before I left…"
Angie saw him look at his hands, as if it held the answers but he later clenched it painfully, "When I got there, Star had moved on. She wanted to be a better princess, she got back with her ex-boyfriend Tom and I was sorta…lost in Mewni."
"Oh mijo…"
"Why didn't you just come home?"
Come home? When I was such a dick to everyone here for weeks? My parents…my friends…my sensei…my now ex-girlfriend…how could I show my face?
"I wanted it to work...I really did. I wanted things to be normal again with me and Star, but things kept happening…I became a squire and tried to do it but it was just a glorified pity position…then one thing after the other and before I knew it we just drifted so far apart…I felt so helpless there, I felt as if I served no other purpose than just goofing off, maybe that's all I did… then that holiday special…I planned Star's birthday but it went horribly awry, we said and did things…that made it very clear where we stood."
"But you spent your birthday there, didn't you have a party? Didn't you have fun?"
Marco laughed mirthlessly, his parents flinched and he just shook his head sadly, closing his eyes, "It…was a horrible 15th birthday Mom…Kelly tried to cheer me up, but it really…it really hurt having it thrown to your face."
Marco felt tears roll down his face, his parent walked over and hugged him, regretting their decision to let Marco go back to Mewni, "What happened?"
Marco shook his head, he understood why he was upset with the denizens of Mewni, but his parents
"Marco, tell us please."
"Mijo."
Again Marco refused.
Angie got a hold of Marco, tilting his miserable face at her. She wanted to know, she wanted to know what made Marco want to shut out his problems from them, he was open with them before and now he wanted to bottle it up inside.
"It's okay, Marco, we'll listen." She said softly.
Marco painfully recounted his day at the beach with Tom, Kelly and Star, confronting Tad who told him a deep and agonizing truth at what he saw, the events that led up to the Monster Ball Bash, meeting his teachers, his adventures and ultimately the day he left. Angie and Rafael were aghast at the emotional turmoil he experienced. Then the latter they couldn't believe Marco was capable of doing half the things he did, he risked his life and limb as if it was a normal occurrence and it got worse when he basically fought the police of the dimension.
Marco got ready and expected his parents to explode on him...
the disappointment
the disbelief
the chastise
the worse.
He felt his mother hug him, Angie crying atop of him, "Oh Marco…"
"You're not angry…?"
Rafael sat next to him, "Marco, you're a good boy, a good son, your mother and I know you wouldn't hurt another without cause. Even then you didn't hurt them that badly. How deep did you put this, uh, Optimus Prime into the ground?"
"Deep enough, dad." Marco chuckled at the name his father used.
"Marco, we don't fully understand why things went the way it did in Mewni, but you do. I know you'll make things right."
Marco sighed deeply feeling his soul a bit lighter, his parent hugged him,
"Thank Mom, Dad. Thanks for not…"
Angie didn't hear the rest as she pulled Marco into a warm embrace, his face hidden, she gave Rafael a concerned look, as he did. Whatever Marco had done definitely was no small incident in Mewni, someday it would rear its head and they sincerely hoped Marco would be ready.
That they as a family would be ready.
Their thoughts drifted to the recent addition to the household.
Star Butterfly seemed just like any other foreign exchange student when she first arrived they were smitten with her, Marco and her had initially been on rocky ground but they became fast and the best of friends, partners in crime by Raphael. But extravagant things happened around her and while they took it in good stride, the night Star left they saw how much she meant to their son.
When he went back to Mewni, came back and then left again, by then the two sincerely hoped that their son would work out whatever he was going through but it seemed things got more complicated.
The two parents were startled when Marco spoke up again,
"Mom, Dad. I know what I said was troubling but I need to leave again."
The two parents looked at him surprised, "But Marco, I thought going to Mewni would be dangerous for you?"
"No, I'm not going to Mewni…remember my teachers? They are on Mewni yes, but they have friends in other dimensions, I'm going to them for advice and wisdom for my situation."
They were less that ecstatic at the words.
"How long would you be gone? You have school now, you can't be skipping it."
"I know, I'll only go after school and weekends when I have no schoolwork or any commitments, if we have to attend a party or a gathering I promise I will stay put, family always come first."
Angie and Raphael were worried, even though Marco had a rather violent ousting from Mewni, it didn't seem to dampen his desire to cross into dimensions. If anything there was an eager glint in his eyes.
"Marco, are you going to other dimensions for other purposes?"
He paused, before he nodded, "Yes."
"What is it?"
"I don't know just yet."
That wasn't the answer either parent was expecting or sufficient to say the least.
"Will crossing dimensions make you feel better after what happened between you and Star?"
"Honestly…I don't know…"
Angie looked at her husband, a loss for words, he patted him on the back, "Marco, I understand." He looked at him so did Angie, "That Jackie girl dumped you and your partner in crime is in a relationship, you're looking for someone."
"You're right I'm looking for someone but not like that Dad."
"Raphael, our son is not looking for inspiration." Angie stressed the last word. Marco couldn't help but laugh.
"Seriously, Mom, Dad, I'm not going to find girls so I can forget about Star, it's just something I have to do. It will help me unwind from all the things I got myself into, clear my head if anything else."
"By getting yourself into someon—something else?" Raphael corrected himself, Angie glared at him.
"Dad, I promise I'm not going to do anything remotely dangerous, just find those wise friends of my teachers, maybe check up on some friends and be back home."
Angie and Raphael looked at each other, Angie sighed before looking at Marco as motherly as possible, "Just promise not to bring too many girls home."
"MOM!"
"Marco, you are a very handsome boy. A Don Juan even."
Marco gave them an incredulous look, suddenly aware the two gave him permission to dimension hop so long as he was safe. And dating. At the very least he wouldn't need to sneak Kelly into the house.
[Later that night]
Angie couldn't help but sigh turning on side, Raphael next to her in their bedroom, "Honey? What's the matter?"
"Oh, just Marco and Star. How could they just…do a 180? They were so good to each other, now they are like cats and dogs."
Raphael hugged his wife.
"Marco is trying to understand his feelings, he's growing up and he is bound to make mistakes, weren't we like that?"
Angie hummed and turned to face him, "I know, I know. But Raphael you didn't fight the police. Or watch me kiss another guy."
[PAUSE]
He was dead silent.
Angie poked him.
"Raphael."
"O-Of course not!" he laughed nervously.
He ran and dived for cover as bullets bore into the rock, he's hand fell for his holster before he cursed: his pistol was gone. He cursed again when a gust of dirt and gunpowder fleck above him, he tugged his hood over his head, keeping the debris off.
He sure the route was free from bandits and vagabonds, but even in the Wasteland nothing was ever peaceful. Or boring.
He sighed as he kick back and waited for the bullets to pause, no point griping about a missing pistol, he still had his trusty blade, when the time was right he would just slew them. He just gotta stay alive until then and NOT get the drop on.
He glanced at the sky, it was a smoky orange and gray, it was nearing dark and that was around the time no one daft would travel through the place, too many hungry critters looking for a meal. He saw a pair of yellow eyes looking at him from a crevice and he grinned, he offered a hand,
"C'mon…that's it…lend me your poison." He smiled when the critter came into the light: a rip viper. It slithered closer and closer, he could see the coldness in it's eyes.
"See them varmins? Been trying to tan my hide." He mustered up an accent, the viper glanced at the direction then back to him.
"Give them a nasty surprise?"
The viper seemed uninterested at the suggestion, it began to slither away, "Wait, wait, wait! Please, help a tired guy out! I promise a better place than that crevice."
The viper paused before slithering to him, it raised itself to look directly at him, boyish eyes meeting cold-blooded killer.
It stuck out it's fork tongue before darting for the gunmen, already having stop firing and waiting for him to flee. He smirked; they were in for a nasty surprise.
He pulled his blade and rubbed a smudge off the edge before he heard a yelp, eagerly leaping from his hiding place, he ran quickly, he laughed as they panicked, three of them and one had the viper on his crotch.
He jumped high and drove his boot into one's jaw and sending him rolling down the cliff side and slashed the other across the face, he howled in pain. The last one yanked the viper off and tried to stomp it but he threw his blade and it found itself between his eyes.
He panted at the grisly work, he picked up the viper before looting the bodies, "Sorry love, I'll get you patch up in a jiffy."
He paused when the viper hissed in his ear, he was careful and pulled the viper back, "Easy, I will do as I promised…"
He took the spare pistol and ammo from the bodies and any effects he deemed worth it before kicking the carcass down, he looked at his blade before walking away from the scene. He trudged through the Wasteland, he waved to others who had done the same, the piles of dead bodies littering the valley below, it was such a daily occurrence that the lawful just ignored the sight and smell.
The lawlessness of the Wasteland made it an ideal place to commit crime since no one wanted to play peacemaker unless they wanted to end up naked, dead and in the bottom of the valley.
And those who could, well, they had better things to do.
He smirked at the thought, he pet the viper as he walked up to one of the best establishments of the Wastelands: Sinful Sip. While law enforcement was near non-existent in the dimension and generally not a safe place to do business. It was an unspoken rule for anyone, rogue or wannabe peacekeeper, that attacking an establishment especially one that was a bar, that served good liquor at a reasonable price, would have their hide tanned by everyone in the vicinity without fear of legal prosecution.
You just don't fuck with good liquor.
He could smell the familiar savory scent of the bar from miles away, he happily took his time on the walk, seeing bikers and other bruisers go to the bustling watering hole. The viper hissed at the roar of bikes and loud chatter he petted it and nodded to the guard on duty, he glanced at the roof: two snipers lazily sipped their drinks and eyed him from their vantage.
Only the best shots were allowed above the bar, seeing as they would be the lookout and the first ones to assess troubling situations. He felt eyes on him, the viper got their attention and they knocked on the wood of the roof, he gulped when another guard came waltzing out of the door.
He looked at him before moving to the side.
He paused before walking in, the temperature inside was warm but not overbearing, he saw many tables and booths, the bar was the central focus and to a corner was some darts, a table for cards and gambling.
He moved towards the wide wall, the bounty board taking a good chunk of it, he looked at the many requests and bounties to be had. He glanced back to the bar, seeing the barmaid, servers and bussers walking about, he liked the uniform: casual bandit attire and they got to carry at least one pistol or dagger when things got frisky.
He caught the eye of the barmaid, she smiled demurely and he blushed. While he would have been happy to catch her eye among the many he knew better, he once saw her throw a patron head first through a window.
She was a beautiful brunette, hair tied in a tidy bun, her skin a creamy alabaster, soft angled ears, bright blue eyes and a bombshell for a body.
He felt a tap on the shoulder, he shook himself out of his love-struck face and saw it was a gruff looking guard.
"Long walk."
"Sure was, hankering to wet my mouth."
The guard scoffed to the side, eyeing him up and down, he gestured to the side, "Sure it was, why don't you tell me about it."
He followed as the viper raised itself, the patrons gave him wary looks but continued to drink and eat, leaving him to his business. The guard pointed at the wall and he leaned against it, he could see he wasn't going to talk his way out, "You know, the owner of this fine establishment doesn't like snakes…especially rip vipers."
"I can't say why not, they make good pets." He tickled the viper.
"He makes liquor out of them. Gives the Hellfire Shots their 50/50 mortality rate."
Even the rip viper shrunk at the information.
The guard pointed at the cactus farm out the window, "Toss it there."
His face darken, the guard took notice, "I can't do that: I'm a man of my word."
"…fine. Take it up with StudMuffin."
The guard walked over to the side of the bar and knocked, he waited before wall glowed and a door appeared, he gestured to it, he looked at it before walking through, the guard muttered under his breath.
"Abandon hope…ye who enters through the employee entrance…"
He frowned as he walked through the hallway, it was so much bigger on the inside than the outside, he kept walking until the viper hissed and he turned to a doorway, there sat a rather foreboding figure, draped in darkness he could make out a porcelain skull mask.
He cautiously walked in, he waved, "Er, hi?"
"…"
"Are you…Studmuffin?"
"…"
"I was wondering if I could bring my rip viper in the bar."
"…"
"Uh…hello?"
"Why are you talking to a mannequin?"
He nearly hit the ceiling at the voice behind him, he grabbed his chest, breathing mercifully. A well-dressed rogue looked at him, he stood up and held the rip viper from lashing out, apparently he frighten the snake too. He flicked on a switch and the room illuminated, revealing a tidy study, nothing out of the ordinary other than the armor-garbed mannequin.
"I, uh, came here to talk to StudMuffin."
"…right. And you are?"
He felt like the rogue was studying him, "…I'm Marc."
"Well, Marc, welcome to the Sinful Sip. He's not here."
"Oh. Thanks."
The rogue peered down on him, he felt a little intimidated by him.
"So why don't you tell me about how you killed those shit stains over yonder. Fancy stabbing and snake speaking you got there."
Marc's face tighten, the rogue just looked at him as if he wasn't the least bit threaten by him or the viper.
"They wanted to kill me. I killed them instead." Marc growled.
The man carelessly shrugged as if already expecting the answer, "That's how it works in the Wasteland. Just so you know…we don't tolerate that kind 'behavior' in this fine establishment. We'll drop you faster than you can regret it."
Marc nodded, taking the open threat to heart. He glanced at the suit of armor of StudMuffin, it was impressively built and most likely handmade, just like any rogue living in the Wasteland worth their salt. The mask though…it looked foreboding enough that even the wild critters would likely steer clear of the rogue.
"C'mon…best not stay in his office."
"He's not here?"
Marc never received an answer as his vision suddenly went dark.
XxXxXxXxX
Tada, another update.
...yay.
Ciao,
I AM NRG
END OF TRANSMISSION