Piloting ranged SAs only require one to pull a trigger, but to pilot melee combat SAs require one to possess superb skills and reflexes. Seasoned in all sorts of combat arts, Douglas believed this was his chance to shine, a shortcut to the top. Therefore he, much like everyone else, took part in the SA games hosted in the Tartarus arena, and the result did indeed rewrite his life. He performed well early on in his career, and he finally got the chance to be selected as a participant in the upcoming official tournament. Even without the support from royalty or corporations, he believed he could make it all the way to the top with his own two hands. But when he was utterly crushed by an opponent piloting a highly advanced SA heavily sponsored by the royalties, he realized that it was never possible to overcome the difference in strength from the beginning, he came to realize the harshness and unfairness of reality. Douglas lost everything in that match, his body was damaged beyond any normal means of recovery. He cannot help but accept his fate to undergo the cybernetic transformation into an Abaddon Reborn Trooper. He was assigned the experimental flame troopers unit, serving the army was never his dream, but Douglas was not one who took self-pity. Once he adapted to the new battlefield, he decided to start over with a newly fueled pragmatism. With the experiences and lessons he learnt in Tartarus, Douglas eventually made his way to commander.