Tournament

It was certainly a strange sensation, having the new arm be attached. Flesh connected with metal. New fingers to move. It wasn't a required surgery - it had been the prize that Moriar had won in the tournament. And he was hopeful that it would not be the last prize that he won, because he still had a long ways to go before he reached his goal. A whole new body... One with which he could create an entire new future for himself. New capabilities. New lifestyle. New possibilities.

He wasn't the only one trying to get that particular prize, of course. There were hundreds of competitors vying to get in and work their way towards that new body grand prize. The new body was created bit by bit as they made their way through the various stages of the tournament, which made each set of rounds more difficult than the last - having to adjust to the way your new body worked took time, but that was not a luxury that one had. If you were lucky it would be a week between receiving a new limb and entering the next fights. And it could take well over a month to fully adjust.

"You sure you want this model, buddy?" the doctor asked, watching Moriar flex his fingers. "I mean, it's a nice color and all, but you only have so much time to change your mind. By the time you can get the next one installed, it'll be too late to change your mind. And you sure as hell can't mix and match. Won't do you any good in their world like that."

Moriar nodded in agreement and understanding. "I'm sure," he assured the doctor. "I've been thinking about this for years. I decided what skin color I wanted a very long time ago."

"Well, I'm glad. It suits you anyway. You'll fit in well with the humans. Just be careful in the arena. The flesh on that arm is significantly weaker than the metal that you're used to. Your opponents will aim for it first, try and tear it to pieces. And you already have pain receptors hooked up to that, so it sure as hell isn't going to feel good. Still, better than doing the head first. You can lose that arm. You can't lose your head."