Prologue: Sin City
Standard Universe, Cross-World, Las Vegas. 24 hours before the start of the tournament..
A man leaned on his cane as he watched from the deluxe suite of the MGM Grand he had taken up residence in. Below him, on the streets of Las Vegas, a bumper to bumper traffic jam had the street deadlocked. Even from his perch on the top floor, the honking was loud and clear.
A knock was heard on the door as an attendant came in to see the man.
"Sir, preparations for the upcoming tournament are complete. Evacuations are on schedule, the Warzones have been selected, and advertisements were posted all over the Multiverse. No doubt everyone who's looking for a fight will see them." he said.
"And what of my guests of honor? Did they perchance catch wind of my…direct invitation?" the man asked.
"A large ship has been spotted heading for Cross-World. We can confirm it as the Galaxy King, ship of the Hero Alliance." they said.
"Very good. I had no doubt in my mind they would not resist the chance for competition." the man said.
"But sir, are you positive they'll even enter? Some of them are pretty smart on the uptake." the attendant said.
"Nevertheless, they'll still participate. After all, I have something of interest they require, at least according to our sources. And they have no reason to suspect ill of me. They don't know who I am, not yet at least. And I have no ill intent to engage them in direct conflict. Not unlike some of the members from my fellow branches who take a more direct approach." the man said.
"So then… why did you invite them at all?" the attendant asked. "Need I remind you that your…recent actions have landed you in hot water with-"
"That can be ignored for now. As for why…Negativity seems to have an interest in them. As well as many other figures of importance throughout our wide multiverse." the man said. "I have only just started leading Dark Combat, so I do not know much about these heroes. This tournament is a way of satisfying my curiosity. I want to know why they attract so much attention."
"I'm surprised they would even come to compete in a tournament like this." the attendant said.
"When it comes to combat tournaments, the procedure is all the same. Prepare a crowd, an arena, and a prize… and people swarm in like moths to a flame." the man said.
"That they do, I guess. Well, if you're so calm about hosting a tournament right here in Sin City, then I'll just trust your judgment." the attendant said, before a watch on their wrist beeped. "Ah, the representatives have arrived. I'll go get them situated, sir." they said, about to leave.
"Come to think of it…" the man said, making the attendant stop. "Bison himself had a penchant for incorporating martial arts tournaments into his plans for world domination."
"I… didn't know you knew about that, sir." the attendant said.
"Well, you could say he and I shared something of an… acquaintanceship, shall we say." the man said. "But I didn't have much regard for a lot of his methods, including the former one I mentioned. Utterly illogical-and yet…."
"What?" the attendant asked.
"I think I'm beginning to understand the appeal." he remarked, as he looked across the city skyline, the town lights still shining, as if to keep its dark underbelly at bay.