Come out and play.

I gripped the handles tightly in my fist as the gauntlet formed around my arms. Immediately that familiar sensation filled my gut, like having a leather glove on your hand again after years of exposed skin, it felt right, familiar and safe, all with a foreboding sense of danger. It was still a good feeling, and it could only mean one thing.

I heard them rattling off behind me as I stood there, but I wasn't listening. It was my time now, and I didn't bother with their prattle. The gauntlet was on now, it was mine again, I could feel it's weight being screwed into my shoulders like it had never left me. I didn't bother to discard my cigar, I just glared at it all. So how long was I in this hole? Why did they bother to bring me out? I had to admit that while it felt good, I wasn't about to thank them. I'm sure they still hoped I would go out there and get myself killed.

The arms of others surrounded me busily, placing each piece of armor onto my nearly naked body. The shackles that were on my legs and arms were gone now. They wanted me prepared for battle, they know that I was strong enough to take on the enemy, and that handicapping me would only handicap them as well.

There was the familiar feeling again of the shoulder plates, leg plates and shin guards as I stepped into the large, prepared boots in front of me. The massive weight of the suit would have crushed a lesser man, but being part of the military had made me tough, and being a prisoner had made me desperate and even tougher. I hefted it all proudly.

The feel of cold steel on my body shot goosebumps all around my body, I gritted my teeth as the bolts settled in, my muscles flexed as I felt around inside my tin can. The helmet was placed on my head by another set of arms, the voice drolling on in the background suddenly sounded more important. I took in as much of my cigar as I could.

"All marines prepare for launch."

I stared at the computer screen and glared briefly.

"Hell. It's about time."

The visor on my helmet closed, and as my HUD appeared, all I could think of was my old buddy, Jimmy.

The powered armor moved smoothly as the rockets fired up, lifting me away to the next battle again, this time, though, it would be different from all the others I'd seen.







Now, for those of you who don't know, this is a narrative for the character shown in the first Starcraft 2 cinematic. I found the entire cinematic to be moving, beautiful, brutal and grungy all at the same time. It is about time Blizzard, it has been for awhile. If you haven't seen the trailer, I suggest watching it. It's not hard to find.

I bought the game today, which is it's release date. Starcraft has, much like Warcraft, influenced my entire life in many way, particularly in regard to my art, but it also taught me strategy, lateral thinking, and logic. It's like Saturday morning cartoons, or Mario, it was there when I was a kid, and seeing the second part of it take off brings back such nostalgia. Here's to you, Blizzard, you've done it once again. Keep on doing it, so that this person can continue experiencing the incredible stories you create.