Not a Game

In Promo, The Burned Man by Blaze

“A child picks up a stick to play fight with his friend.”

“They rush at each other with their ‘weapons’ drawn and ready to attack. They strike at each other without caution or the intention to harm.”

“When either child gets hit with their stick, regardless if they’re hurt or not, they’re able to continue playing and live to see another day.”

“A man, meanwhile, wields a sword to duel against his worst enemy.”

“They’re more careful with their approach, making sure not to leave themselves open for a fatal blow. They strike just as cautiously, but with the intention to kill the other as fast as possible.”

“When one of those men gets sliced open with the other’s blade, they’ll be left for dead, their wounds rendering them unable to continue fighting.”

“Whether the weapon is a blade, a rifle, or fire, that man will die. He doesn’t get to simply go back to playing, to living once his blood is drawn.”

“Children like Destructo Boy are merely playing pretend. He might wield a sword and don a hero’s outfit, but everything he does is akin to child’s play.”

“He never drew blood from flailing his weapon about like a stick. He has never killed a man with his blade and seen the light leave his eyes.”

“He hasn’t looked death in the face and pleaded for more time like I have.”

“While you’re running around with that blade of yours playing pretend, I’ve been on a quest to find the monsters that burned down my home. While you act like a boy, I’m busy being a man and seeking vengeance for my family.”

“Arcadia is a man’s world, Destructo Boy, and my vendetta is a man’s quest. It’s time you faced reality and realized that it has no place for children like you to run around playing superhero.”

“Your reckless charge into danger is going to get you killed. You might have saved me from Stubbins’s clutches one time, but he won’t hesitate to draw his weapon the next time you meet.”

“I’m giving you this one chance to move aside and grow up, Destructo Boy. If you’re smart and want to stay alive, you’ll take this opportunity to leave me alone and let me fight the scientist by myself.”

“However, if you continue to play pretend and throw yourself into danger, you’ll have to be prepared for me smacking some sense into you.”

“This is a fight between men that hate each other, not a game between children. I’m going into this bout with the mindset that one of us might not make it out.”

“We have our weapons drawn and plan on battling to the death if we have to. Meanwhile, you’re standing there with your stick thinking that this is just another game.”

“With what you’re about to get into, you aren’t going to live to see another day.”

“Your foolhardy attitude is about to lead you into the fires of war, and you just might get burned.”