"Sir....e-excuse me, sir..." There was a hurried knocking on the door of the Man in Red's office, which opened quickly without even waiting for a response. "You have a...a guest, sir. A visitor."
"Yes, yes, I'm sure I do..." the masked showman murmured, not looking up from his errant scribbling of plans on his desk. "I'm afraid I'm rather busy at the moment, however. Tell him he'll have to come back later."
"He...really wants to speak with you very urgently, sir."
The deranged host's pen came to a stop, as his head slowly tilted upward. "And I said I'm quite busy. Send him away."
"Sir....he really wants to speak with you..." The man's face was pale and drenched with a cold sweat. "He's already caused...a lot of trouble and damage. You really ought to see what he wants."
"I don't really have time for this right now. I'm only interested in hearing details about your scouting reports." The Man in Red waves a hand dismissively, shooing the hapless employee away. "If this guest is causing so much trouble, send security to deal with him."
"I...I don't think that will work, sir! This one, he's—"
"I think I can speak for myself." A much louder, stronger voice spoke up. And the office door crashed open fully, its hinges a distant memory as it embedded itself in the wall, the masked attendant sprawling into the office. Standing boldly framed in the doorway stood...a true goliath of a man, clad all in red and blue, a long cape billowing majestically behind him back into the hall. "So you're the one behind this event?"
The Man in Red heaved a resigned sigh, placing his pen aside and folding his hands together atop the desk. It seemed like he wasn't going to get any more work done until he dealt with this. "Yes. I suppose, after a fashion, I am. Might I ask to who I owe the pleasure of meeting?"
"I'm not here to exchange pleasantries." The interloper slowly stalked into the room, his presence seeming to swallow the entire scene. "I'm here to make you stop this madness."
"Madness?" The scarlet showman gasped audibly, lifting a hand to lightly rest its palm against his cheek. "Why, whatever could you possibly mean? The only thing going on here is entertainment, my good sir."
"I'm referring to this insanity, of sending people out there to their deaths for your sick games!" The man in blue seethed through clenched teeth. "Making sport of their suffering, acting like it's all harmless fun and not hurting anything!"
"But, sir...!" The Man in Red feigned affront, recoiling in his seat as if slapped, hand fluttering to rest over his heart. "I assure you, it is all harmless fun! Everyone is restored to life after the conclusion of my games, with not a hair out of place on their heads!" He slowly recovered himself, leaning forward to rest both arms on his desk. "And besides...it isn't as if we're the only ones to do this. We're not even the most popular ones."
"I'm well aware of that. But at least Karl Jak and his Syntech games are all filled with willing participants." The man in blue's eyes hardened, his jaw clenching. "I've been watching how you and your...recruiters operate. The coercion, threats and even kidnapping to get your contestants and participants. It's sickening."
"My dear boy....your accusations wound me." The Man in Red threw his head back, lifting his hands to sweep his hat off and cover his eyes. "Yes, regrettably, we do at times have to resort to rather...underhanded measures to secure adequate participation. It is a nasty part of the business, to ensure we get up and running with enough popularity to draw in the crowds and viewership, I'm afraid."
For a moment he held his pose of faux sorrow....then his entire body shook with a mostly suppressed laugh as he lowered his head again. He set his hat aside, resting his hands half-curled into fists on the desk. There was a venomous gleam in his eyes, two shining points of gold, as his mask curled into an ugly smirk. "But the more pertinent question is...what exactly do you intend to do about it?"
For a moment only silence reigned in the room, the man in blue's jaw working, but no actual response coming. "I'll stop you," he finally said, fists clenching tightly. "Whatever it takes."
"And how, exactly? Will you kill me? Strike me down and assert your silly little heroic viewpoint?" The Man in Red raised his hands, arms spread out to either side. "I am but a simple man. Unarmed, powerless, and without a violent bone in my body. A simple civilian. Can you really, in good conscience, actually 'strike me down'?" There was a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he inclined his head. "That wouldn't be very super of you, man."
The man in blue recoiled somewhat, his expression twisting. "You...know who I am?"
"Oh come now...you walk into a place like this, knowing what we do, and assume we wouldn't know about such a splendid public figure?"
Superman grimaced, regaining his posture and composure as he straightened up. "....unfortunately, you're right. I can't just kill you...it wouldn't solve the problem. Someone else here would just pick up where you left off."
The Man in Red chortled, shaking his head. "My dear man....you are quite misinformed, if you think you could even kill me to begin with. Unarmed and powerless I may be, but unprepared...I certainly am not." And he slowly relaxed, reclining in his chair. "But suppose I were to offer you an...alternative to put a stop to all this?"
The Man of Steel crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing. "I'm listening."
"Join my little game. Take part as a participant." His eyes twinkled merrily as he snapped his fingers, and one of their suppression collars flickered into view on his desk. "Prove your heroism by winning the entire thing. Whether you kill anyone else or not matters little; they will all be revived afterward. But if you win....I will permanently put a stop to my games."
Superman's expression remained stony and unflinching as he absorbed the offer. "And if I lose?"
"If you lose..." The Man in Red's merrily twinkling eyes took on a cold, sinister glow. "....then you will get out of my facility and go tackle some actual problems in this universe, and never show your face to me again."
".....fine." The Man of Steel stepped forward, reaching down with visible trepidation as he seized the collar and lifted it up to his neck. With a teeth-baring grimace, he slowly put it on...and it clicked into place, sealing his fate.