If You Play With Fire...(CVU Closed RP IC)

Atop The Altai Mountains

It had been only moments since he had exited his dinner party in pursuit of something that piqued his interest. The man who watched his city this night was one he had expected to take a seat at the table yet, he instead chose to sit in the skies alone. The God King stood amidst the whipping snow and freezing cold wondering to himself, why. Why had he chosen to simply observe the night rather then take this chance of a lifetime and speak with a God in the flesh. He had no doubt the red and blue wonder would come to him after all, it would look rather suspicious for the host to leave his guests the way he had done. With little warning other then a glance to the sky where the Supra Man resided.

He wanted to pull the Supra Man away from his city on a night where he had given the promise of no violence for on this night he felt the man had delivered him a slight by refusing to enter and watching over the city. It was as if he had little faith in the God Kings ability to be civil, as if he assumed that Methodius was just a mad dog with no leash. In a way by allowing the actions of the man to get to him in such a way he was aligning himself with that accusation. That simply served to add to the already volatile temper of The Original Evil.

So here he stood, waiting for the one who watched to come to him and explain himself.

@supra-man

@methodius:

Approaching the Altai Mountains

Cognizance of social cues was an important component of any super-hero's arsenal, and that extended to interactions with non-humans as well. During Methodius' lavish dinner for the powerful, Nemo had secluded himself in the sky above, present only in the sense that he was protecting those dining beneath his feet. Listening upon their conversation for security purposes, he nonetheless picked up on a burgeoning alliance between France, Methodius, and Mega Justice of all people. Disturbed by the night's developments, and questioning Karrit's involvement, nonetheless decided to leave the French president be. Perhaps he was planning to betray the group, for allying with them seemed out of step with his nation's stance on powered beings...or perhaps he was simply seeking to guarantee his people's safety. Did he not see, though, how quickly Mega Justice turned on the people of the United States?

It was his knowledge of interaction with the super-powerful, however, which told him he had been expected to meet with the host of the dinner. The subtle inclination of Methodius' head upwards, just before vanishing, informed the Universal Man that he was expected to arrive and speak to the God King. Ordinarily as stoic as a statue, his lips had tightened in displeasure the moment he saw Methodius vanish, knowing exactly at that moment that a confrontation of some sort was inevitable. Methodius was a man of focus and desire; if he wanted to speak with Nemo, he would catch up to him, sooner or later. Better to get their conversation out of the way now, and not later, when Nemo may be needed.

With his feet pointed towards the ground, Nemo descended slowly towards the peak Methodius stood upon, wispy clouds swirling around his muscled form before dispersing. Non-threateningly touching down in the snow, he stood with his arms at his sides, a look of thoughtful concern on his smooth features. An upturned eyebrow, inquisitive, silently demanded an explanation of Methodius, a subtle request for information as to why their meeting had been called.

@supra-man:

"Ahh the man who watches decides to watch no more."

The God Kings words were spoken loud enough for him to here and carried a tone that conveyed his eagerness to speak with the man face to face. As the red and blue rapscallion descended onto the soft snow that crunched beneath his feet Methodius allowed his face to contort into a devious smile. Normally he would preform some display of power in an effort to intimidate the man however, he had learned from observing Amin that a more subtle approach worked better then a lavish one.

He took a few steps closer to him; allowing the difference in their builds to become clear. It was a silent display of dominance that simply told Supra Man that Methodius was nowhere near being afraid of him. Closing the gap would also make it easier for him to crush his skull should Methodius's original assumption on his decision to avoid attendance be revealed as the truth. In all honesty the act of skipping was simply one of the many actions tonight that pushed him forward. His immaturity in terms of godhood had not been taken into account before allowing people to disrespect him as they wished. Mr. Karrit refusing to acknowledge him as the God King and Lightning Lady's display of her blasphemous nature had built up.

Supra Mans potential assumption was just what would send him over the edge in terms of how much he could take. Spending his whole life being worshiped as the strongest and being respected because those who worshiped you for being the strongest had given him the feeling that worship was his right. That respect was his no matter what he did and that there were no others who could best him in combat. Had he been defeated in the past, yes but, he had the idea that those loses were gained by non-honorable actions from his opponents. This mentality was truly his greatest weakness.

"May I ask, why did you simply sit in the sky observing me like some sort of guardian angel. Do you believe my word to be that of a liars? Answer wisely as the rules that apply to my guest don't apply to you since you refused a seat at my table."

@methodius:

Silent before the God King, Nemo's serene features reflected the passiveness he felt towards the God King's subtle power-play. The suggestion that he "answer wisely" was an implied threat, the notion that an unsatisfactory reply would somehow warrant retribution on Methodius' part. It was a valid question, though, even if the Northern Bear had thus far mistaken Nemo's silence for arrogance. They stood head-to-head, equals in height yet opposites in temperament. He could feel exasperation boiling beneath Methodius' eyes, the derision with which he interrogated the Universal Man a sign of coming conflict. Tensing imperceptibly, Nemo returned the God King's gaze with a simple, solemn look.

"Politics are beyond my position, your Holiness," he said calmly, addressing the so-called God with professional courtesy. "I had nothing of value to contribute."

Blinking, he angled his head to the side, centering his eyes on Methodius' own. His minute control over his facial tics combined with the ability to perceive time at a fraction of its normal rate produced a statuesque effect in Nemo's appearance, his deadpan persona an essential element of his position as largely impartial protector of the planet. Yet, as he watched the God King seethe, his expression shifted subtly to one of concern, apprehension playing across his eyes for but a half-second. He did not want a fight.

Knowing when to walk away was key. Looking at the God King one last time, he blinked, and moved to turn around, cape fluttering behind him. He would not wait for a dismissal that would not come, gently rising from where he stood to leave.

@supra-man:

Methodius had convinced himself that this man thought less of him, that the Supra Man considered the God King beneath him in some way. He was certain of this and when that certainty was shattered he did not know how to react. He was taken aback even though he would not show it, the Supra Man had to have considered him beneath him if he felt so inclined to watch over the night with his hawk like eyes. The idea had cemented itself inside his mind; held tight by rage and leading him to the conclusion that this man was lying. Lying to his face about the situation at hand and as he turned to walk away Methodius simply could not allow it.

"I didn't say you could leave."

He gave a thought and the earth beneath his feet responded, a purple hand shooting up from the snow looking to grab hold of the Supra Man and bring him back down to the ground. Even if he had been courteous when addressing The Original Evil he had not been told he could leave. "I'm not done speaking with you mortal and so I will ask you again. Why did you simply watch the whole night, why even bother arriving if politics are beyond you?"

@methodius:

He hadn't left quickly enough, that much was clear. As he turned his back to Methodius and slowly lifted himself from the ground, the God-King's strong grip found purchase on his cape, stopping him mid-air. Whirling around, transfixed, he scowled, indignant rage filling his features as Methodius smirked back, continuing the interrogation with all the smugness of a self-perceived god. The magenta hand which had snagged Nemo's garb pulled at him, only to find that his cape was practically an extension of his own body in the realm of durability. Remaining still, he turned about in mid-air, eyes aglow with energies which suddenly shot forth, vaporizing the ghostly hand which had grasped him under the Northern Bear's direction. This was a fight, now, as far as he was concerned...and he wasn't going to take part.

He's mad, John thought, moving to accelerate away from the mountains. Goading a political leader, especially one as volatile as Methodius, was a mistake. He should not have come, he realized. Once more, his conscience had led him into danger. But that was the burden of good men, to take the hard path, so that others might walk in peace.

@supra-man:

No answer, he had the nerve to simply destroy an extension of the God Kings powers and then leave without answering the question posed to him by a divine being. Methodius now allowed his anger to come out as his body was lifted into the air and launched forwards. Following the Supra Man he would not allow the mortal to disrespect him any further. He had sinned and as such it was the duty of Methodius to deliver divine punishment. He had to atone through fire if his soul were to ever be considered pure once more.

His body dissolved into a purple haze before reforming in the path of Nemo and allowing his martial prowess to mix with his ability to manipulate Dark Octarine. Cloaking his fists in Dark Octarine aligned with Earth he clasped his hands together and swung downwards looking to send the man hurtling into the jagged peaks below. On contact with his body the energy would erupt in a burst of violet power adding to the desired effect.

"DON'T FLY AWAY FROM ME"

@methodius:

Lost in thought, even John's superior senses could not account for Methodius' sudden appearance in his path, poised to wreak havoc on his form through mastery of the unknown dark octarine. His reaction time marred by a desire to break away from engaging Methodius, Nemo could not hope to dodge the oncoming blow, instead only raising his arms above his face in an effort to mitigate the blow somewhat. The collision sent him spiraling downwards, moving at speeds that he dare not pull out of lest he waste precious energy doing so. The peaks were uninhabited, yet a beautiful part of the scenery; it was for that reason that the Universal Man cringed upon impact, not for the pain, which was fleeting.

A half-second later, he found himself on the ground, world upside down around him. A crumbling natural wonder brought him back to his senses, the Universal Man propping himself up on elbow. "Magic," he muttered derisively. The effect of the mystic forces of the universe on his body were unnaturally like other conventional energies, as though it was converted into kinetic impact upon contact with the universal positioning field around his body. That wasn't to say it didn't have an effect on him; he'd been vertically translated through the mountaintop in the time it took for a hummingbird to beat its wings, Methodius' strike ringing true.

The peak of one of the mountains had been obliterated as John passed through it, leaving a sizable crater in the ground where he landed. He blinked, rising to his feet and looking up towards Methodius with narrowed eyes. Unharmed, he stepped from the crater, rocky dust falling from his shoulders as he did so. Where there was once a stoic gaze, there was now a frustrated glare, eyes dangerously flashing red for a fraction of a second before returning to their natural color. Fists balled, he simply stood still, waiting for the God King to come to him. He would not play the role of aggressor, not today. Not after what he'd learned from combating Mega Justice.

@supra-man:

The god kings feet dropped to the ground in front of the supra man with no cushion other then the air. The stone itself gave way to him as his black boots impacted its surface with a violent THOOM that shook the earth. He spread his arms wide gesturing for the man to attack him, to reciprocate the violence, to fuel the fire that raged within his hate filled soul. The more he hit Methodius the angrier he would become. Yet there was no assault launched for the God King and the air was filled with only the sound of the wind howling past.

He dropped his arms and allowed his fingers to fold in on themselves creating mallet sized fists. He trudged through the snow towards him and let loose the first of a series of right and left hooks. After each blow he would utter the same phrase over and over again. "Hit me" it was his attempt to goad the man into lashing out and breaking this calmness he had. To affirm the God Kings idea that this man thought he was more then he actually was. Each time he spoke those words they would grow louder and louder until the one called Nemo finally decided to strike back.

@methodius:

Methodius approached, the ground shuddering as he approached, his arms opened wide. An invitation to surrender to violence, one that Nemo did not accept. Yet the Siberian Menace advanced, hands forming threatening fists that held the power to shatter mountains. Nemo's brain slowed time, analyzing the situation, demanding response. He was being physically threatened, drawn in the most primal way to react to Methodius' attack. But he recognized when he was being manipulated, goaded into partaking in a fight that could bring him no benefit. He stood only to lose from engaging the God King, the only reward being some fleeting catharsis in teaching the Northern Bear an anger management lesson. But what was the aggressor's goal, in attacking him almost unprovoked? To draw him into conflict, to justify future attacks from himself and his new allies?

Without further time to consider, Nemo was forced to react to the flurry of blows. The first punch was a hook directed towards his face, one he stepped back from. The knuckles passed near where his face had been, slicing through the air with enough force to send him flying. He ducked the second punch just as expertly, only afterwards noting it was punctuated with a demand to strike back. Each consecutive blow was presented the same way, the God King's intent clear to see. Nemo was pressed onto the defensive once again, raising his hands to block what he could not avoid. Methodius was deceptively fast, and without dedicating his energy towards dodging, Nemo was pressed to intercept his fists.

Raising his wrists in conjunction with Methodius' Earth-shaking strikes, shockwaves causing avalanches all around with each met blow. A few slipped through, striking his head, or chest; the impacts pressed him backwards, stinging his face through the field and forcing him to slide backwards across the ground, tearing up ice and rock as his heels dug in. A lethal back-and-forth ensued, Methodius' constant strikes either dodged, blocked, or simply tanked by the Ultra-Man. Either unable or unwilling to sustain such a sequence, Nemo shouted in frustration, leaping backwards from where he'd been engaged and leaving another crater where his feet had pushed from the ground.

Landing fifty meters from where they'd been, he glared angrily at the God King, fury playing subtly across his face.

"Why?!?" he called out, his deep voice echoing around the Altai river valleys. Exasperated, stressed. Pressed to retaliate.

@supra-man:

"BECAUSE I'M A THREAT. ITS WHY YOU WERE WATCHING WASN'T IT. TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T KILL ANYONE."

He allowed his voice to boom across the gap that Supra Man had placed between them. Each syllable a clap of thunder filling the sky however, those in his city would not hear a thing. He had taken the fight away from there intentionally in order to allow himself the chance to cut loose without negative social repercussions. To vent his pent up anger and strike down someone who, in the end, didn't truly deserve it. He had committed only a small micro aggression but it was enough to fill the last few inches of the pot and cause the water to overflow. Now it began to boil uncontrollably and would continue to do so until Supra Man decided to finally strike him.

"You think I cant read you like I read them. You think I don't realize that you see my word as nothing more then lies. You consider me a liar don't you? DONT YOU?"

Alas it was too late, the flames now uncontrollable. Pent up feelings now erupting from him without his control like that of a moody teenager who just wanted to be understood. In a way thats all Methodius wanted, for people to understand that he wasn't the bad guy. That he was trying to help them but, instead they insisted on casting him out. They branded him a villain and men like this couldn't even bring up a shred of belief in his ability to keep his cool. Here we was trying to prove him wrong and instead proving him right.

"People like you RUIN EVERYTHING."

He allowed himself to move forward, power unchecked and unrestrained. He would vanish from view and then within a second appear in front of the Supra Man and deliver a blow on par with the one he used to Strike Phtar. An uppercut meant to send him rocketing into the air and snap his neck at the same time. In a matter of moments this man had become everything Methodius hated about mortals just because he wanted something to destroy.

@methodius:

There's no right way out, he realized, listening to Methodius' enraged cries. For the first time since their encounter began, Nemo began to listen, to truly attempt to see things from Methodius' point of view. He was unstable, dangerously so, but John had simply dismissed him for it, not thinking of where such an ailment may come from. He could see, in the time between seconds, that he and Methodius were not unalike in their circumstances. Men of great power, perhaps isolated by their difference to humanity...was it possible that the "God King" was just another victim of circumstance, of isolation? What benefit would striking him bring? He watched the man's lips rise and fall, veins popping on his muscled neck as he raged at the Universal Man. He blinked, lowering his stance. Looking to the side, then back to the Northern Bear, once more conflicted over their battle.

He watched Methodius conclude his anguished rant, seeing the Divine Striker wind up a blow. He watched him vanish from conventional sight, springing towards him fast enough to become naught more than a blur. To an ordinary man, Methodius would simply have become invisible, the human eye unable to process the sight of a being accelerating to such speeds. Nemo, however, could compensate. The pang of empathy he felt for Methodius did not weaken his position, but instead, strengthened it, understanding achieved of the man's potential motivations. Where before there was blinding fury, there was instead focused comprehension, a clarity which sharpened Nemo's senses and enabled him to even further slow down the world around him.

Blinking as he watched Methodius advance across the snow, particles frozen in the air around him, he contemplated his next move. His foe was acting irrationally, but that was expected of most sentient beings. It was imperfection which put life into perspective, enabled one to appreciate anything at all. Methodius, ironically, was no different from those he lorded over, when it came to emotional maturity. Suddenly, Nemo was placed in the role of an authority figure, consciously or not. He could mete out discipline with the justification that he was defending himself, yet if that were unnecessary, wasn't he just making an excuse to strike another? The repercussions of harming Methodius might bring about more harm than any short-term catharsis. Perhaps the better option would be to allow Methodius to cool down, to exhaust himself in battle. But dodging the attack would only further frustrate him. Perhaps, it seemed, the right thing would, as usual, be the hard thing.

Taking a deep breath before Methodius reached him, he closed his eyes, keeping his posture relaxed. The uppercut struck his jaw at mind-shattering speeds, propelling him upwards with force that broke the sound barrier and collapsed the land beneath his feet. Spiraling through the air, Nemo lapsed into unconsciousness, eyes fluttering as his jaw re-set itself. He was ragdolled for hundreds of miles, knocked with a force that reminded him of his duel against Mega Justice in Grim City. Spinning head-over-heels, he breached the clouds, wisps of white swirling around his red cape. Half-aware of his surroundings, he winced, shrugging away the pain and simply allowing himself to fall. Not diverting any attention towards controlling his descent, he instead dedicated himself to recovery, clicking his jaw from side to side and keeping the rest of his body utterly limp. Aerial friction tore at his form, the universal positioning field the only thing preventing even more damage.

He stopped before hitting the ground, righting his body in mid-air so that his toes pointed towards the Earth. Lowering himself, he landed, knees weak. Straightening his posture, he felt his face, using his thumb to wipe away a stinging tear. Inhaling, he collected himself, the pain in his mouth subsiding. Perhaps it had been enough to calm the Original Evil; perhaps, he hoped, that would be the end of the battle.

Yet as his eyes turned towards the West, atomic sight scanning the horizon for his foe, he somehow knew that the fight had only just begun...

@supra-man:

His face twisted into a wicked smile as his flesh connected with the flesh of Nemo. Even if it was only for a fraction of a second it made him feel powerful, made him feel stronger then he truly was. It inflated his ego to watch the body vanish from sight as it was sent hurtling through the skies with the only sign it was still intact being the sound barrier shattering as it moved. It pushed him to want more, to let loose all the pent up anger he had accumulated. Anger from the loses he incurred at the hands of foes he considered inferior to the constant disrespect he received from those he considered beneath him. It made him begin to enter that state of mind where he only cared about one thing...bloodshed. He was approaching the point of no return now, the place he had been in when he fought the Necromancer's toy, the place he was in when he fought the giant Typhon, the place where he struggled to come back from.

A part of him wanted to stop this, to turn back, and to listen to reason. That part was the mortal portion of his mind where his vessel's soul still clung to small scraps of life. Yet its whispers were not enough to overpower the roaring hatred of his bloodline. His God brain simply pushing those thoughts aside and telling him that it was okay to kill this man. That it was okay to rip his spine from his throat and use it to slice his body into ribbons.

He followed the tumbling body at the fastest speed he could fly. He sought to use his shoulder and slam into Nemo before lifting him up into the sky. He wanted to bring him to a place where he knew he could make him fight back. He wanted to take him to the cold expanse of space where he would show the man a true display of his power. He wanted Nemo to hit him, to make all of this fighting okay. To confirm in Methodius's mind that he was right here. Every moment that he didn't fight back was a moment where Methodius questioned his own decisions. Every time he questioned himself he only grew angrier at the man for making him question himself. He had become trapped in a cycle of hatred that would be nearly impossible to break.

@methodius:

Having already landed before Methodius' approach, Nemo had the luxury of anticipating his charge. Turning his eyes towards the West, he bent his knees, waiting until the very last second to dodge Methodius' crushing tackle. Springing to the side, the God King passed by him in a blur, debris and gale-force winds in his wake. The Northern Bear passed within arm's length of Nemo, their eyes meeting for a tenth of a second. Eluding the Bear's grasp, he dodged back and forth, breaking loose of whatever grips were applied to him through a combination of strength and speed.

"Methodius, stop! This - is - madness!" he yelled in between dodges, the two little more than hypersonic blurs tearing through the Russian countryside. Anything in their path was cast aside through their sheer force of movement, a rampage through the foliage and ice leaving behind only devastation. Nemo was forced to backtrack wildly to avoid being caught in Methodius' iron grip, pressed onto the defensive and pressured to retaliate.

@supra-man:

He had avoided the grasp of a blood thirsty god and yet he still refused to fight back. He refused to give the God King the satisfaction he desired despite the fact that Methodius only wanted him dead. Like an enraged bull he kept charging, wanting to wrap his arms round the mans knees so he could lift him into the sky. Yet the hero would not allow him the chance and had forced a play Methodius didn't want to have to make. He smiled at the man with that same devious grin he had given before; the same grin that told him something very bad was about to happen. He would force the Supra Man to strike out and validate their fight, if he did not then it would be utterly pointless to go to such lengths to kill a man.

"Madness...madness is what pushed the gods to make their decisions. Madness is what pushed humanity to strive to be like them. Madness is rejecting the one being who simply wishes to show you that as nothing more then a simple villain! Well if the world wants a villain then its a villain they'll get."

He allowed his body to fly into the air shattering the barrier of sound as he did so until he was no longer on earth. Until he was hovering above the blue and green world looking down upon it. In his hand a sphere of Dark Octarine began to take shape, its size increasing as time went on. The Supra Man would follow him, his sense of duty would force him too. Methodius's lies would push him to wonder if they held any truth. Maybe the God King was planning to hurt people, to lash out against them. The sphere in his hand only served to further his ploy, he wanted the Supra Man to hit him. He wanted this fight to mean something.

@methodius:

Granted a moment of rest as Methodius halted his furious advance, Nemo backed away from him, booted feet tearing soil and stone from the Earth as they came to a solid stop. Cape falling to a rest over his shoulders, he breathed deeply, keeping his gaze on the Northern Bear in the event he rushed him again. He panted, composing himself and righting his posture. Methodius continued with his ranting, gripped by anger and a hidden immaturity that he was now seeking to exorcise from his form. He had bought into some false perception of himself as a villain, now rising to the expectation he perceived. Imposing upon himself a need that could never be healthily satisfied, he rose threateningly into the sky, impossible to be seen by the naked eye.

Nemo's atomic sight, however, was more than adequate at keeping track of pinpoint threats. Tracing Methodius into the sky, he rose to intercept him, joining him in the upper atmosphere. Drawn into conflict not for his own sake, but out of fear for what Methodius may do to others in his shocked state.

"What's your game, Methodius?" he demanded, fists balled, cape blowing behind his back in the wind. Where they hovered, the air was thin, but they may still communicate. Nemo eyed the glowing purple ball nervously, seeing it was composed of the same foreign dark octarine as before. Was he planning to unleash it on Earth?

@supra-man:

The God King looked down at his world with a sense of satisfaction, this man had walked into the trap and now all Methodius had to do was play it right. The bait had been bit leaving only the reeling in to complete before his goal would be complete. The sphere in his hand flared purple as it grew bigger once more, now nearly double the size of Methodius. He looked towards the Supra Man once more, allowing his voice to ripple through the upper atmosphere.

"I'm going to give this world what they want, a villain. If they wont accept me as their God then maybe they'll accept me as their devil."

He propelled himself higher now, exiting the atmosphere so that no more words could be said. Now Supra Man wouldn't be able to negotiate with him and would be left with only one choice to save the people of this planet. If he didn't see through the plan Methodius had crafted but, hopefully the 0.001% chance that he was serious would push Nemo into action against him.

@methodius:

"Stop!" Nemo shouted in vain, the word echoing intensely throughout the sky as he watched Methodius ascend, his menacing sphere growing in size. The intent was clear, to use it against the people of Earth; John had no idea the sort of damage it might cause, but coming from the Northern Bear, it could be enough to level a city. "Don't!" he shouted soundlessly, now beyond the point at which air might carry his words. Eyes wide, practically pleading with Methodius not to turn his power against innocent lives. He could not peer into the vessel's heart to see if his conviction was true, for he had no time...there was only time to act.

In Grim, he'd had a choice between action and inaction. Here, the God King attempted to force his hand, clearly, to provoke him into combat. But the alternative was to accept that innocents would suffer in the chaos, and it would be by the Original Evil's actions. Nemo would not be manipulated into fighting, instead choosing to act preemptively. His limits pressed, broken, he accepted that it was his burden to wage war against this being, if it were for the sake of humanity.

In a literal instant, his form would collide with Methodius' own, the physics of space-time bent to accommodate his onslaught. A red-blue blur creating an impact of devastating magnitude, accelerating the God King away from the Planet Earth in a terrific tackle. Arms wrapped around the God King's torso, if possible, an adamantine grip physically exiling him from the planet he had become determined to rule.

@supra-man:

As the Supra Man vanished from sight Methodius knew he had won this day. The Supra Man had validated their fight off of a lie and had proved to Methodius that he was right about the world. That he was right about all of it, that the world was at fault not himself. He was the strongest and they didn't want to accept that so they rejected him in favor of the old gods. His mind was now set on that conclusion however, that conclusion would only last for moments.

Methodius had never felt a pain that made him stop before, he had never felt a pain that penetrated through his vessel and managed to disturb his real body. He had never felt a pain like that until he felt the iron shoulder of Nemo slam into his gut. Black blood was forced form his mouth and added to the floating piles of space junk that orbited the planet. He felt his body accelerate faster then he wanted towards something, chunks of satellites shattered under the impact of both beings moving deeper and deeper into space. It was a pain that made him realize something about the world.

He was not the strongest and because of that he was wrong. He had never thought himself truly wrong until he literally had the sense knocked into him. He didn't like being wrong; being wrong angered him more then any other being had done before. Looking to break free of the Supra Man's grasp he brought up both his knees and brought down both of his arms in an attempt to crush the man between the two impacts. He made use of Dark Octarine explosions to move his limbs quicker then he normally would be able to.

@methodius:

In space, nobody would hear Methodius scream. There would be no judgment passed upon the Supra-Man for defending himself in the vacuum, for potentially saving the lives of countless innocents in the process. No man would fault him for his actions, for no man would see them undertaken. He would take the role of a hero, defeating a man who was a self-proclaimed villain. But to do so, he would be required to brutalize another living being. A being whom he could, in the moment before, empathize with, sensing the isolation and victimization Methodius had undergone as a result of his great power. Even though he'd been struck, even though Methodius was threatening the planet...what right had he to pass judgment?

Internal conflict ravaged him just as Methodius brought an assault to bear on his body, the potent dark octarine devastating his shields and weakening him. Pain disrupted his focus, but he persisted, now attempting to tighten his fingers around Methodius' neck. To maintain a hold on the Self-Proclaimed Devil was to secure the future of the planet; to relent, it seemed, would be to doom thousands. But was such an outcome assured? Even as the Northern Bear's black blood streamed behind him, as ruined satellites accelerated along with the two, Nemo knew he had to make a different sort of choice.

Damn me, he thought, their forms stretching in space-time as Nemo accelerated to light-speed, hopefully with Methodius in his grip. Warping distance as a result of his universal positioning field, the two would reach the intended destination in far less than the standard eight minutes. Striking Methodius with a barrage of blows between the passage of microseconds, Nemo squinted his eyes as space suddenly shifted from being the pinnacle of dark to the full presence of light.

The Sun. Perhaps the only way to end the threat Methodius posed, to vanquish the Evil God who had so many times threatened those beneath him. A victim of his own power and hubris, one that the Supra-Man did not hate. He was one that he sympathized with, he sought to redeem...yet he'd been closed out. And that made what he was about to attempt that much harder to do.

To release the Original Evil from the bane that was purposeless existence, to put an end to what Nemo perceived as suffering. Lest he break the world, deprive millions of their lives...Methodius had to perish. And it was the Supra-Man's terrible burden to kill him, if he even could. As the star at the center of the solar system drew ever closer, Nemo could only mouth: Forgive me.

With another series of blows, he attempted to complete the deed, to force the Northern Bear into the supermassive sphere of energy. To put an end to his tragic reign.

@supra-man:

It hurt, it hurt him to watch it all fade away. To for the first time in his life feel weak when he had felt so strong moments ago. He had shown no signs of his rage at dinner, he had overcome them until he met this man face to face, he was pushed by a life he had forced himself to live. One filled only with an endless need to be worshiped and praises by those who only wished to cast him away. He knew he should be upset but, the rage slowly left his body with each blow delivered by the Supra Man. He wanted to be enraged but he could only bring himself to feel an emotion he had never felt before.

He was sorry for something and was presented with two paths. The first path was to become sorry for the actions he had performed in the name of protecting his divinity. To feel sorry for killing those who had done something as minor as speak to him the wrong way. The path that would lead him to regret incidents such as Miami, the fall of the nGod city, and the incidents in Africa where he had allowed his rage to take control of his mind.

The other path was one where he was sorry for not being more strict with his rulings, for not embracing what it was that made the old gods so respected. For not utilizing the fear he could instill in millions to portray himself as a God. A path that lead him closer and closer to becoming exactly what he didn't want to become and in this moment he had to chose between the two. His desire to feel upset made the choice for him, he chose the latter.

It was the Supra Man who brought out the anger in him because he stood for everything that was righteous in the world yet, he didn't value Methodius's word that night. It was the Supra Man's decision not to fight back that had pushed Methodius to the point of no return. It was the Supra Man who had, in his moment of retaliation, brought Methodius to the choice he just made. However, it was Methodius's own immaturity that allowed these actions to become his downfall. A downfall that had only just begun and would continue to spiral out of control until there was nowhere left to go.

Methodius the God King was a being who resided on the line between good and evil. If things had gone differently he may have made a different choice however, it was his going unchecked mixed with the rejection of not only the Gods but their creations that pushed him to the side of evil. That pushed him to fall off the wrong side and now there was no going back. As he felt the surface of the sun begin to engulf his vessel in its flames the only thought going through his mind was that the world would never be the same. Then BOOOOM his vessel erupted into a cloud of purple gas that signaled its eradication. This was the end of the first Methodius.

@methodius:

It happened in an instant, the end of Nemo's foe. In the final moments before his release, Methodius had ceased to struggle, the intensity which had defined their interaction now absent in the face of its apparent climax. Even as Nemo struggled with finally pushing the self-proclaimed enemy of all mankind into the heart of the star, he felt less resistance, perhaps indicative of a subtle acceptance on the part of the God King. He was no empath, and he could not say what the divine being felt, in those last seconds before his obliteration. Nemo wanted to believe it was peace.

He had been in the Sun before, but never quite like this. As the magenta nebula that was the only sign of Methodius' existence dissipated, Nemo was left with a marked feeling of emptiness. There was no victory to be had here, no relief in the destruction of the Siberian Menace. The Universal Man looked down at his hands, eyes blocking out the intense light of the Sun to instead focus in on his fingers. There was blood on them, now, even if it had faded in the heat. He bowed his head, and simply floated above the star's corona, eyes shut, unconsciously resisting the heat, the gravitational pull that would disintegrate any lesser being.

It was ironic, he thought, that perhaps the only being who would mourn for Methodius would be his killer. The thought only further upset him.

With a lengthy, soundless sigh, he turned away from the Sun, away from Methodius' faded remains. Atomized dust and foul magic was all that remained - the untold tragedy of the Original Evil.

Nemo returned to Earth, solemn, exhausted. Changed.