Way of Peaceful Warrior

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WHO—WHO AN ORPiNARY ARE YOU? WHAT MAN. ARE YOU? NO, YOU'RE NOT/ USELESS THERE AIRE THINOS UNLESS X PASS YOU KNOW—THINOS THEM ON. YOU CAH VO... YOU PON'T WANT TO KNOW. I HAVE TO KNOW/ X SAN SEE THIS- \\ : ' ' .'••••' >• ' •' , •' • >- ■ , * *. . YOU'RE OOINO TO HELP ■; ' MANY PEOPLE IN THE ■ .- YEARS TO SOME. THAT IS, IF .. .■ YOU SURVIVE WHAT'S A V AHEAP. SURVIVE WHAT?

X CALL MySELF A WARRIOR—A -s PtACZfUL WARRIOR—BECAUSE THE IMPORTANT BATTLES WE FACE HAPPEN INSIPE US. ANP EVEN NOW, AS WE SPEAK, INVISIBLE FORCES—FORCES OF LIC-HT ANP PARKNESS—ARE FIOMTINO A OREAT BATTLE. BUT WHAT ^>^ r POES ALL THIS HAVE A TO PO WITH- A OREAT WAR CAN SOMETIMES BE WON BY A SINOLE BATTLE. THAT BATTLE IS BEINO FOUOHT RIC-HT NOW, PAN... INSIPE YOU. WHAT? k fo, THAT'S CRAZY! I'M NOT WHO YOU THINK X AM. I PON'T WANT TO BATTLE WITH THE FORCES OF PARKNESS/ I JUST WANT TO GO TO THE NATIONALS, ORAPUATE, LIVE A NORMAL LIFE. 52

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^ LOOK, AAAVBE EVERVTHINO > YOU SAY 16 RIOHT. BUT THERE'S STILL. SOMETHING I HAVE TO PO, ANP ^ I'M NOT HERE TO FULFILL yOUR PREAMS K I BELIEVE YOU CAN HELP. yi I'M HERE TO WAKE CAN you? ^I YOU UP. ^ WHAT PO you AT NIOHT, IN yOUR ^ MEAN, “WAKE UP\"? PREAMS, yOU WALK, TALK, MAYBB I'M ALREAPy FLY, ALL THE WHILE THINKINO UP! ^ yOU'RE AWAKE. yOUR LIFE IS ^ LIKE A PREAM. ^ / SAME IS TRUE FOR \\ ' MOST PEOPLE. YOU CAN'T so you * ^ WAKE UP UNTIL yOU BELIEVE I'M \\ REALIZE yOU'RE PREAMINO ALL ASLEEP. THIS? y 66

...DESPERATELY TRYING TO STRENGTHEN HIS ATROPHIEP LEG. 61

ONE NIOHT.. ^ THINKS A LOT, SAM. X REALLY ^ X PONT APPRECIATE THIS. WANT THEM TO r WHY PONT ^ SEE ME LIKE v THIS. . YOU PRACTICE PURINO THE PAY WITH THE V TEAM? Y JUST BE X■ CAREFUL, MILLMAN/ ^- YOU OET^ ( HURT ANP WE'RE V BOTH IN TROUBLE 68

HIS LEO ACHINO, PAN SEES CHILPREN AT PLAY, ANP HE REALIZES WHAT HE HAS LOST- THE LIFE HE MIOHT HAVE UVEP 69

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JUST BEFORE PAWN, A PEPRESSEP PAN WONPERS WHETHER HE HAS ANYTHING LEFT TO LIVE FOR... mr T^:

^ BEFORE YOU ^ SAY ANYTHING, PLEASE . JUST LISTEN. YEARS AGO, I ~ FOUNP AH OlV TRAMPOLINE. IT WAS LIKE I CAME ALIVE FOR ^ THE FIRST TIME. ^ ^ IT'S NOT ^ JUST ABOUT COMPETING OR ABOUT WINNING... ^ GYMNASTICS ^ IT'S ABOUT ^ ISN'T JUST SOMETHING I VO, HAVING MY LIFE COUNT ^ SOC. IT'S WHO I AM. ^ FOR SOMETHING. 77

YOU'RE GOING TO FACE HURPLES YOU NEVER KNEW . EXI6TEV. . YOU'LL HELP ME? SOCRATES NOUS. 78

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CLEAN LIVING 30

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^ I OUESS I ms EXPECTING A MIRACLE. ^ X SOME MIRACLES TAKE X 4 LITTLE TIME...ANP A LITTLE HELP. MAKE TEA WITH THIS ONCE A PAY. ALSO, MIX TPE HERBS v WITH SOME URINE ANP RUB IT INTO YOUR LEO. URINE? OLP PAMILY RECIPE NOT IN MY FAMILY.. .ANYWAY, HOW PO YOU KNOW JOSEPH? ^ ^ X MET HIM YEARS ^ AGO. I HELPEP HIM, HE HELPEP OH, OREAT. ME. IN THE MEANTIME, HE PAS MASTEREP THE PREPARATION V OP POOP. __ SO HE'S THE COOK HERE? HE POESN'T ^ ACTUALLY COOK. HE SPECIALIZES IN RAW POOPS—SALAPS, THAT SORT OP THINO. ^ S3

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VAH AW SOCRATES GET UP TO LEAVE. as

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e>9

□□□ □DO 90



XT PAYS LATER AT AMAZING WHAT 1 JOSEPH'S RESTAURANT... NO POOR POR A WEEK I GOTTA ROES TO THE TASTE TELL YOU, JOSEPH. THAT BURS. WAS THE BEST STRAWBERRY PIE I'VE EVER TASTER. MAYBE I WAS A PUNK J THESE RAW POORS AREN'T, KIP IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW. ONE NIOHT X NEERER SO BAR... MONEY ANR RECIRER TO & HUSTLE THIS OLR MAN I'VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK YOU. I'P SEEN AT A GAS HOW PIP YOU MEET SOC? STATION. WERE YOU A STUPENT? YES. I PUT ON MY BEST NO! SCARE, BUT HE WASN'T BUYING- IT. HE TOLP ME HE'P GIVE ME A CHOICE. <T/> I GOULP TAKE THE MONEY ANR RUN, OR STAY ANR WORK FOR HIM I GHOSE THE MONEY- THAT'S HOW MY TWO HUNPREP BUCKS. BUT THERE TRAINING- BEGAN. I LEARNER MORE WAS SOMETHING- ABOUT THE OLP THAN I BARGAINER POR...BECAME HIS PERSONAL GHEF. FOUNP OUT I LIKEP GUY X GOULPN'T SHAKE. WORKING- WITH FOOP. TOOK SIX YEARS THINKING- I'P LOST MY BEPORE I EARNER ENOUG-H TO MINP, I WENT BACK ANR RETURNER OPEN THIS PLACE. THE MONEY. HE GAVE ME A JOB. THAT FIRST WEEK WAS HELL. NO PRUOS, NOT EVEN BOOZE. I'M STILL AMAZER I MANAGER IT BUT I PIP. 92

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f WHAT A JERK/ POES HE EVEN KNOW HOW HARP IT IS TO OET A RAPIATOR PIXEP IN THE MIPPLE OP THE NIOHT?; I WOULP HAVE TOSSEP HIM OUT OP HERE/ I»» V YEAH, BUT SUPPOSE X TOLP you HIS NAME WAS JOE HARRIS. RL\\ ...ANP THAT SIX MONTHS APTER HIS WIPE PIEP, HE LOST HIS JOB ANP HE'S TRYINO TO TAKE CARE OP THREE CHILPREN?^ ONE SIRLOIN, TWO CHICKEN CASSEROLES, TWO VEAL PARMIOIANA. ANP YOU, SIR? 94

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MaKyy I PONT THINK YOU UNPERSTANP WHAT I'M TRYINO TO VO HERB/ X HAVE TO OET BACK IN TOP SHAPE IN FIVE WEEKS. WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE. ANP YOU TELL ME NO SEX, NO SWEETS, NO MEAT, NO REST, ANP NO FUN/ I'M A OYMNAST, NOT A MONK/ WHY AM I POINO ALL THIS STUFF—SO I CAN BE MORE SPIRITUAL OR SOMETHING? 96

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AS THINGS MOVE INTO THE BEPROOM... WHAT THE HELL. SOCRATES WOULP UNPERSTANP. OF COURSE HE WOULP. SO WOULP PLATO... 98