A Case Of Mistaken Identity: The Champion Vs Acer

"Ladies and gentlemen" He paused for the briefest of moments as his hand wiped away fake tears from reaching his cheeks "I would like to thank you all for coming on this special occasion and for offering such wondrous donations all of which will help make the lives of children all across the world lead better and brighter lives" Looking out across the room, cold eyes were met with looks of business tycoons and world wide celebrities, each one only contributing to further their own celebrity status, they were all like him they only cared for their own well being and used others as a tool to further themselves. "Again I thank you.......Enjoy the rest of your night folks" He stepped off the stage and into the arms of a young Swedish model, her long blonde hair waved as a slight breeze from the fans caressed her form fitting aqua blue dress. The right arm of the toy tycoon wrapped firmly around her lean figure, she smiled lovingly and with hope in her eyes the two shared a passionate kiss, but like everything else in Acer's life including this event it was a lie, a cover up to hide the world from what he truly was. This girl as sweet and as innocent as the rest of society viewed her, to a devil she was nothing more than a puppet. 
 
The event continued for another 2 hours and as it did Acer continued to mingle with all of the guests, carefully remembering each and every single one of their names in order to use them later on if he so choose. As the venue was coming to a close the doll king once again made his way up on to the stage alongside the model he had come with. Leaning into the microphone he tapped it thrice to see if it was still working. "Ladies and gentlemen I am privileged to let you all know tonight's event has raised £283 million" The sound of thunderous clapping and inflated ego's echoed all around the room as he finished speaking. "Now I would like to ask you all to leave in an orderly fashion and as you do a card will be given to you showing a location were we can continue to party.....Thank you" As the masses began to leave Acer smiled with child like glee as his guests were completely unaware that they would be taken part in a play which would see a mighty hero fall into the depths of tyranny and become hated among the people and he would not be the first. 
 
Being the first to arrive Nathan was also the last to leave as he exited on to warm Athens night to a stream of bright flashes from the paparazzi's cameras, some of whom were applauding what he had been doing for charity over a period of several years. Taking the hand of his date he kissed her cheek and began waving and smiling for the camera before taking several questions. "Nathan......Can I ask what are you wearing tonight" A young brunette reporter asked eyeing the older man up and down. Tugging on the suit Acer laughed "Oh this was only a cheap $60 suit........I see no reason on buying expensive suits while children are starving out their" That was not a lie, the cheap suit only helped the public view him as a true humanitarian. He walked away and with a simple push of a button his plan was put into motion. 
 
Instantly the heads of all the guests and the paparazzi turned to look up at the sky as the son of Zeus known to the world as The Champion could be seen floating below the starry sky. The people looked at the God in pure amazement and ecstasy. He truly was a figure sculpted by the God's themselves. Every man could not help but be jealous and the women could not help feeling flustered as he flashed his angelic like smile, even Acer's date blushed. Instantly the crowd suspected their host had invited the man as a special guest, and they were right but not entirely as what they gazed upon was nothing more than a robot replica of the original, not as strong or with the same energy output but very close. Everything was in motion, he had played them all like a puppets, and with another press of the button The Champion came swooping down to a chorus of oh's and ah's, but what was about to happen could not prepare everyone in attendance as the robot let out two blasts of energy that demolished two nearby buildings as a roar of terrified screams and panicked feat could be heard from confused guests. Alceus face was now one of menace as he began to use incredible strength to cause mayhem in very little time. 
 
Crying erupted from the females and even some of the men. They all tried to run but fear would not let trembling feet move from site or perhaps it was that deep down they knew in their hearts that they could not escape the wrath of an angry God. Alceus began to move picking up a car as he did, some of the cameraman were still faithful to their jobs and had caught everything. It was then that The Champion tossed the car at the crowd, they all cowered expecting death to occur but as they looked up they noticed a life size mechanical doll had formed a force field around the group protecting them. "Do not worry......I will not allow tyranny to take grip of this world" With hope in their eyes they looked at Nathan and knew he had saved them from certain death. Commanding Ellysium to attack the robot, the two mechanical creations of a mad man flew high into the atmosphere away from prying eyes. In a few minutes a large bright light was followed by mighty explosion as Acer released a self desttruct command that destroyed the replica without leaving any traces. As Ellysium came back the crowd cheered thinking they had been saved and it was all over, but he knew that the real Alceus was in the city and would arrive soon in attempt to put things right, but he would be met with fearful eyes. This battle was not simply good vs evil as this night The Champion would play the devilish Hades and Acer would play the mighty and valiant Zeus..........

The Champion's fist clashed with Vasilias'. Their hand to hand spar was intense, their moves polished. First they tapped, assessed, then the true battle began as mighty Alceus threw a backwards roundhouse kick, colliding with a blocking Vasilias' forearm. "That was a very strong kick. Are you trying to knock my head off?", Vasilias joked. "Well you take all the fun out of it when you suspect", The Champion smirked confidently, parrying a devastating hook from his powerful uncle. Countering with a high head kick, Alceus sent his uncle flying across the air, crashing through countless tree trunks and eventually, knocking him clear through a mountain. "Now that was a kick!", Vasilias exclaimed, excited as he generated an explosive energy wave, reducing the mountain to rocky powder. The spar continued as the two relatives found themselves in a clinch. Their physical strength was now being tested. "Gnnh! You are strong, nephew", Vasilias complemented. "You're just holding back...RAH!", Alceus shouted, breaking free of the clinch and locking his uncle in a full nelson. "Well now let's see how strong you really are. Don't hold back", The Champion urged. With a nod, Vasilias agreed and almost instantly he was free from the hold.

"Looks like being stronger than Hercules means nothing against you", mighty Alceus chuckled, wiping the sweat dripping from his forehead. "Do not forget that Zeus needed help to defeat me", Vasilias laughed, patting his nephew on the back. Just then, without warning, a transparent crystal ball rolled up and struck against Alceus' feet. "You might want to take a look at this", a confident female voice said from behind Alceus' right ear. Turning round to face the instigator of the conversation, The Champion was approached by Artemis. "It seems as though some mortal is playing you for a fool. Either to degrade your image on the mortal plane and improve his... or he is deliberately trying to lure you into a situation", Artemis explained, pointing at the crystal ball as it's internal fog cleared to reveal a live-feed of the occurrences in Athens. A less powerful robotic version of Alceus was wreaking terror and havoc. "You know I would've expected Athena to be the one watching Athens", Alceus joked, attempting to lessen the seriousness of the current situation. "Looks like whoever is in control of that robot intends on killing everyone there", Artemis continued, "And now another robot has arrived. It's fighting your robot self and it won". Confused and wondering who would be going to such lengths to degrade his reputation, Alceus decided to confront the man responsible for the act his eyes had just witnessed. "Careful. This may be exactly what he wants", Vasilias warned, having remained silent for most of Alceus' conversation with Artemis.

Ignoring Vasilias' warning, The Champion acted boldly, knowing that he simply could not allow such a situation to slip past his fingers. His reputation was at risk. "I appreciate your concern but I can't just let someone make me look like a fool like that. I don't want the next time I'm on Earth for people to think I'm a villain", Alceus explained. "Open a portal for me to Athens please. To that exact location", he requested, and Artemis complied. Shooting a supernatural glowing arrow across the air, space-time was torn asunder as a dimensional rift formed. "I'll be careful guys", and without waiting to hear any responses, Alceus ran into the dimensional rift and was transported to the night sky of Athens. "Where is this joker?", Alceus wondered, looking around the sky. Suddenly, in a heartbeat, the Son of Olympus felt the left-over energy from robot Alceus' rampage. Quickly following the energy trail, The Champion found himself hovering above a fearful crowd of people who dared not utter a single word in his presence. Were they not convinced that he was dead? "Don't be scared. The one that attacked you wasn't me. It was some sort of robot clone. Don't doubt me, it's not like a clone is far-fetched in a world of superheroes right?", he chuckled, "Anyway, really that wasn't me. Why would I have saved the world so many times just to go Rambo on everyone?", Alceus didn't know what kind of reception his attempts to reason would gain but he would certainly not allow himself to leave while being hated by the people that he has sworn to protect.

Within mere moments of putting his master plan into action the night sky above a broken and torn Athens city began rumble with the sound of an oncoming thunderstorm, but what was about to arrive was far worse than any storm at least in the eyes of the millions of innocents than now were watching all across the globe. Even the God's themselves would bare witness on this night. The dimensional rift illuminated brighter than any star in the sky, instantly all in attendance felt panicked fearing that something had come to take revenge on Alceus sudden fall at the hands of the man they viewed as a savior and a prophet, but they could only see a small figure in the distance. Acer knew before The Champion had long stepped foot onto the mortal plane that he was destined to arrive to clash with the very man who within minutes had ruined his heroic reputation. Even those who knew the man best could easily be fooled by the charade. After only a couple of seconds of his arrival a trail of energy dance across the sky and the son of Zeus hovered above a crowd so frightened even a single breath was a struggle as it escaped past quivering lips.  
 
Only one man remained calm in front of a being capable of matching strength with the mighty Hercules. The stand user did not shake or remove his eyes from Alceus, and though he was ecstatic he did not smile not wanting to put doubts into the minds of those he viewed as common trash. At that moment Acer's very presence had the opposite effect on the crowd to the one that Alceus seemed to radiate. Shaken lips soon began to calm themselves and soft murmurs of hope began to dance from ear to ear. In that moment all their false hope was put into one man and they truly believed that he could be the one to slay a God.   
 
"Don't be scared. The one that attacked you wasn't me. It was some sort of robot clone. Don't doubt me, it's not like a clone is far-fetched in a world of superheroes right?" , he chuckled,  "Anyway, really that wasn't me. Why would I have saved the world so many times just to go Rambo on everyone?" 
 
The words the man spoke were forceful and yet gentle and all of them were completely sincere. People began to question if the man was telling the truth or if he was simply fabricating more lies, luring them into a false sense of security. Nathan looked towards the crowd with dissatisfaction and anger as they began to wonder if some madman had setup a great hero, after all it was not uncommon for someone like Gambler or any villain to go through such trouble in order to bring a hero to it's knees. Acer silently snarled at the man who hovered above him, but he could not help admire the man's natural charisma, a gift the two enemies shared greatly. Even a simple sentence could turn a crowd and The self proclaimed messiah would prove his way with words.  
 
"Do not listen to this snake" His voice thundered but remained soothing to the senses. "Look how he arrogantly hovers above you, thinking he is better than us mortals...........Simply because he is a God. For centuries they have treated us as nothing more than cattle and living sacrifices to be used for their own gain" Those words described Acer more than they did any God but stories told a different legend. "He views himself a hero but those are lies he tells to himself and to you. How many heroes have fallen from grace and spread fear..........Feral Nova.........Renegade Lantern and many more. All swore to protect you and yet they have made our lives a misery. Well is say no more. A revolution has begun and I will protect this world and it's people from false heroes" The crowd erupted with cheers as did everyone watching around the world. In just a few moments after one God had spoken another had turned the tide and now all heroes would be doubted by the public. Acer quickly ordered his battle doll to form a shield around the crowd and take them to a safe distance. They had played their part, now the battle was about to begin. 
 
"Prepare yourself son of Zeus" His words echoed allowing Alceus to prepare himself. He wanted to crush the man but he wanted him ready and at his best. Their was no honor in fighting a man unprepared. Nathan began to wave his hands as magical energy danced from his finger tips. With a quick flick of his wrist a rain of magical fireworks poured from the night sky, each one aiming for The Champion with incredible destructive power. It was a simple start to their battle but it would let Alceus know just how strong his opponent was.

A grateful sparkle twinkled in heroic Alceus' eye, it seemed as though he was successful in his righteous attempt to open the public's eyes to the truth. Unfortunately, fate had other plans as a mysterious individual, the very same who had orchestrated this malicious plot to publicly humiliate Athens' hero, emerged and spoke his mind. "Do not listen to this snake", the man snapped, yet managed to retain his eerie composure. Memories of Hades soon began to creep into The Champion's mind, recalling all the times that his nefarious uncle had done him and his family wrong with his lies and trickery. This man was attempting to do the same it seemed. Then the man began to question Alceus' stance as a hero, labeling the charismatic Olympian as "arrogant" and soon spoke of things that were simply not true. A god? Alceus has never considered himself a god and he never will as long as he is in his right mind. The man's words were powerful and they swayed the public to his side within seconds. The references to Feral Nova and legendary hero Renegade Lantern was the icing on the cake.

"You have to be kidding me", Alceus interrupted, "You all believe this man? Now I'm not insulting anyone's intelligence, but that man is playing you all for fools. What purpose would I have in attacking any of you? I hover because I know the moment I set foot on the ground, a stone will be thrown at me", Alceus explained, calm and reasonable. "I don't think I'm better than anyone. A god? Don't make me laugh guy. I don't consider myself a god anymore than I consider Kurrent the god of electricity or you the god of lying. And if there's a god, it's not me or Zeus or Odin or any of us. I'm just a hero who happens to possess a lot of power", Alceus chuckled, attempting to add humor in an attempt to lighten the tense atmosphere. He continued, "You can't honestly use other people to try and label me, just like you can't use a racist white man to label all white people. Everyone's different. I can promise you all that I'll never fall from the right path, and if something tries to pull me away from it, I'll damn well try my hardest to stay on it. If I was really what that guy's trying to make me seem then I wouldn't have risked my life over twenty times to protect and save the innocent", his words were painfully sincere, and those who can look into the souls of others through their eyes could see that not a single lie was told in valiant Alceus' case.

But there was no guarantee that the people would believe him. After all, he was set up by a cunning villain who knew exactly how to coerce the minds of the uncorrupted. "Prepare yourself son of Zeus", the man said, ready to punish mighty Alceus for his fictional crimes. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the man known as Nathan revealed a portion of his magical prowess as supernatural energy tingled at the tip of his fingers. And before an attack could be launched, The Champion uttered more words in his defense, this time, his passion was obviously apparent, "I'm not going to fight you. These people here, you made them think I'm a killer. I'm not stupid. Fighting you will only worsen my position. I won't fight. If you all really think I'm a criminal then I'll let him beat me to the ground with all his might and suffer even if I haven't wronged any of you, if that's what a hero has to do then so be it. Break every bone in this body. I'll endure my punishment, one that I do not deserve but I'll take it, for the sake of the people", The Champion said, the passion brimming in his eyes. He wasn't going to fight Nathan, not until the man puts an innocent life at risk though, then he will have to act and be a hero for the people once again. And within a matter of seconds, the Son of Olympus was bombarded by a barrage of deadly pyrotechnics, dropping him to his knees as blood dropped from both sides of his forehead. "Go on. I'm done yet. I'll do whatever it takes, to earn the respect of the innocents again. Anything!".

As Elyssium carried away the bystanders all of whom felt they were now safe. Alceus's voice once again roared across Athens, and like a proud lion of Olympus he questioned the very core of doubts and hate that had been spiraling around the collective worlds souls. His voice was as soft as it was thunderous and even humour to break unwanted tension was added into the mix. Once again his words spoke true and valiantly and the world once more found itself questioning what was true and what was false. Many were now rallying to the side of The Champion, others did not believe a single word and some minds were so broken by their exchange that they had simply quit caring. Behind Alceus eyes lies sincerity, without throwing a single strike or using any of his Godly power his very lips was unleashing power far greater than the God's themselves. Acer like everyone in attendance was hooked by the way the man wove a sentence like a fine piece of cloth. Their was admiration as well as hate in the false prophets eyes. He arrived with a simple plan but was now preparing himself to form a bond of rivalry with the Greek hero.  As the crowd was nearly out of sight the last thing they saw was Alceus being bombarded by the deadly pyrotechnics that for a moment turned the dark sky into daylight, and as the man dropped to his knees like Jesus himself his sacrifice poke louder than any word could ever do.  
 
"Go on. I'm done yet. I'll do whatever it takes, to earn the respect of the innocents again. Anything!" .  
 
Slowly and sarcastically Nathan's palms began to strike one another as he looked up at the son of Zeus who was now kneeling before him. It was simply beautiful that just one man could do something most heroes of Olympus would fail to do. The blood slowly dripped down below and landed on Nathan's own forehead. and trickled into his open mouth. As he wiped the crimson liquid away he tasted victory and despair within the man's Godly essence. "Your way with words are.........Beautiful. How you carefully select each word and alter your voice and very way to add even greater impact is truly impressive. We can all see your fathers authority in you, but I know and all those at home know that behind those eyes, behind your self proclaimed eyes lies the whisper of Hades himself. Do not lie........People are sick of false heroes speak with a serpents tongue" As he calmly finished his sentence with manipulative precision, more doubts had been placed into all who watched, and Acer loved it. It was those doubts that would grow through time. This was not a sprint, and though this was more a war of words between the two titans than anything else, and while both men were matched in their charisma Nathan was winning because while his opponent spoke of his own innocents it was every hero across the globe that the world was beginning to doubt. In time an uprising would happen. 
 
As a news helicopter hovered above capturing every movement, every exchange of words between the two men. Acer had already made his move. He knew The Champion would not attack but Nathan had a plan to not only make him attack but to add the final seeds of doubt in the peoples minds. Behind Alceus Acer's stand appeared. It appeared as a mechanical human with cat like featured. Only the two of them could see the creature but the rest of the world was blind to it's sight. They did not possess the spiritual power to see such a creature. Instantly it began to send gears which merged as one with the atmosphere. Using his stands ability Acer began to control the very weather itself and with a flash of bright blue light, lightning tumbled from the sky and began destroying several buildings. Nathan smiled because to the world it appeared Alceus was summoning the lightning, after all it wasn't far fetched for the son of Zeus down on his knees to summon the very element his father had supreme mastery over. The last thing the world would see was a bolt of lightning striking the helicopter. In one fell swoop Acer had taken away Alceus greatest tool in this fight.........his voice.  
 
Nathan quickly hovered into the night sky as his stand completely vanished even from the two men's sights. He floated towards Alceus until he was face to face. No one was around and the world had fell silent as their encounter was cut short. Sitting down with folded legs the toy king pouted and began laughing hysterically. "Oh little champion" He spoke mockingly "You must admit while your good, I'm better. Look how ive forced millions to doubt such a great man. You may view me as a villain but I am so much more because while we may yet clash fists and while you may defeat me I want you to know that deep in your heart ive already beaten you, because our battle is nothing more than a past time, my true goal is already been put into motion and you.....nor any hero can do a single thing to stop it." He paused for a brief moment "You see im not like most evil people, beaten the hero with my power is so cliche to the point of it being sickening. No I wont beat you, the very people you swore to protect will beat you and in time despair will creep into the souls of all heroes and when that day comes the very heroes themselves will slit their wrists in defeat" He moved closer his face twisted with glee and malice. "Now how about you take out that anger your feeling right now.....I know it's their. I'll even give you a free shot, lets see how hard a broken man hits" Acer positioned his head and waited for Alceus to make his move.

Disgrace slapped innocent Alceus across the face. The man standing before him was a true master at toying with the hearts and minds of the public. Effortlessly, he could alter anyone's worldview with his mere fingertips. Honestly, Alceus was sickened by the entire situation. This enigmatic puppet master, Nathan, played the public for fools, influencing through coercion and sly lies. The divine blood that ran down the sides of his forehead began dripping from his face, falling to the ground, for all to witness the spilled blood of a god. With his knees on the ground, his hands and head lowered, The Champion has placed himself in a sacrificial position. Devious Nathan couldn't help but commend Alceus for his talent with words, how he could charismatically hold a crowd, lock their attention, and make them see the light. But as fate has written it as so, a hero somehow can never truly match a villain's way with words. And while his attacker did throw some compliments here and there, criticism did not trail too far behind.

Nathan's continuation of manipulating the public was impressive. His words didn't at all seem forced, in fact they seemed... practiced. Nathan questioned Alceus' own free will and choices, stating that the heroic Olympian was nothing more than a follower of Zeus' word and that the misguiding whispers of Hades were slowly influencing him at the ear. Mighty Alceus was labeled a false hero, a cold snake that could not be trusted. Quickly without hesitance, the people changed their views, they were lured back to Nathan's side. Was this to be a battle of words? A memorable debate? Or would it escalate to a physical battle? Perhaps... however, Alceus could not allow such statements to continue unopposed, they were lies after all. Chuckling defiantly at the villain's claims, The Champion simply had no choice but to verbally defend himself, he was calm and confident in his words, a testament to the truth that would break free of his lips, "You speak of Zeus' authority and Hades' influence without knowledge. You are one who says things without prior knowledge to anything. If your words were true then currently I wouldn't be preparing a war against Zeus, Hades and the rest of the Olympians who have recently wronged the world and are conspiring for something dark. Unlike Zeus, I would never anticipate worship from any of you, after all I'm not better than any of you people", he said, ending his speech by addressing the crowd of people in attendance. Allowing his words to settle in the minds of the innocent, Alceus then went on to defend his honor as a hero, "You call me a false hero. Even after I have risked my life... my very existence to save the world? Not even the world but the entire universe? People might be tired of false heroes but I am the genuine hero. I'd like to think that people are more tired of sinister men posing as philanthropists and good people simply to manipulate everyone else. You can't have all forgotten about Gambler right?", The Champion said.

He wasn't truly expecting anyone to believe his words to be the truth but he would not allow himself to be disgraced in such a manner. A news helicopter boastingly appeared, this was simply too priceless an event to let slip past the media. However, despite the punishment he was suffering, Alceus would not fight back, apparently a fact that Nathan became aware of. Almost instantly after the arrival of the news helicopter, the Son of Olympus felt the presence of an entity looming behind him. But it became evident that the ordinary people could not hope to detect it, they simply did not possess the supernatural prowess to see such things. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, electricity surged in the air as wild bolts of lightning violently struck down buildings and ultimately the news helicopter. "Oh he's good", Alceus thought, observing the ensuing events. Generating a protective field around the helicopter to stop it from exploding upon crashing, The Champion gently landed the airborne vehicle with his mental control over the ambient energies around him. Floating towards Alceus, Nathan couldn't help but taunt the godling in victory. The Champion knew that at the moment his opponent's mouth fluttered open, crucial secrets would be revealed. It was at that moment that he used his mental control over energy in order to create an invisible finger-shaped energy structure that pressed a button on his Trinity communicator, activating it's recording capabilities. The entire conversation was being recorded by the device. And once The Champion's communicator had recorded the entire conversation, Alceus spotted that yet another news crew had arrived. He would wait for the right moment to strike with his piece of evidence but not yet, he wouldn't want to risk something unwanted to take place.

In defiance, Alceus simply chuckled, Nathan's words... they would pound away at the resolve of any other person, but Alceus was different. "I said... I won't fight you. You can attack me all you want but I won't fight you... but I won't die either. A very special person asked that I continue to live, and I aim to honor that request for her, and not die, it's the least I can do for Charmix. As much as you'd like to break me, you won't. My resolve won't be shaken by your words. I could've chosen to punch through your chest the moment you asked to attack you or I could've disrespected you by spitting on you, but I'm a bigger man than that. I won't fight, not until I earn the trust and respect back from these people", Alceus proclaimed, his sincerity and passion overpowering his voice and his soul. "So go on pretty boy, take your best shot. Smack me around all you want. I'm right here", Alceus said, offering himself as a sacrificial lamb. His fists would only be raised at his opponent once he reveals himself as the villain to the public and attacks them directly. While he was defending his dignity, The Champion was also testing Nathan's patience. It was clear that the manipulative puppet master wanted to do battle with him, perhaps a deliberate stalling would break his patience and he would resort to more extreme methods to force Alceus into battle. One tiny slip and Alceus will have found an opening to expose Nathan for the fraud that he really is.

Every thought the twisted mind formed into words of daggers, the charismatic and mighty hero Alceus had a verbal encounter which seemed form an invisible shield around the great Olympian. Through years of practice and solitude the master manipulator had twisted the minds of seemingly the most strongest of wills, using either his voice or more material leverage to get his way. Even as a child adults had viewed him as a danger because they could not understand how something so small could be so gifted. He had killed his adoptive father, slaughtered his wife and turned her into the same twisted doll that now protected the people he hated so much, and not once was he questioned. Not once did people doubt him, but Alceus was different he was Acer's exact opposite. Valiant and true to his word. Even in this world filled with heroes he perhaps the greatest of them all because no evil seemed to taint his heart. He had done something no other could do, he was making the world see Nathan for what he really was. This was not a battle of power but a battle of minds, like two master chess players every move was countered perfectly with neither man giving an edge. 
 
As the lightning struck the helicopter Acer noticed the faint residual energy protecting the craft. Alceus was indeed a hero he had acted quickly to stop the innocents die, but for now they would not cause any problems, but it was not the news crew he had to worry about. Nathan could sense something strange coming from The Champion. It was a feeling of a strange energy, completely invisible to the naked eye but Acer was well versed in magic and was smart enough to know what Alceus had planned. His left eye twitched because he did not want for the world to see his true face quite so soon. It had seemed his adversary had gotten the upper hand but Nathan did not go through so much trouble to be beaten by the most basic of tricks, now all he had to do was retrieve back the fowl words he had let slip, or perhaps it was more satisfactory that his opponent gave those stolen words back to him. Nathan grinned like a demented mad man as another news crew arrived on the scene. It was clear from their looks they had no clue what was going on. 
 
Even though Acer had goaded Alceus into taking a free shot. The great hero refused what would have been a very tempting offer to any other man. With the news crew watching down below a single blow would truly make the world doubt the man but more than doubt they would despise him and all those affiliated with him. Like before he took the root of honor showing his incredible resolve that showed no signs of breaking, even offering the now slightly angry villain to take a shot reversing the roles into what looked to be a checkmate on behalf of the The Champion, but through all those words Nathan only heard a single once caress his dark soul, a single name..........Charmix. Nathan did not reveal that just once single word held meaning above all others but he knew of the young witch and the help she could provide at a later date but for now Nathan had a battle to win. He leaned in close to Alceus and began to whisper so silently that not even the angels of heaven could grasp the words that spewed like lava from his mouth.   
 
"Beautiful isn't it............this grand city. So many lives, some bad yes but so many more good and pure. You see that building over there" Nathan gazed at a single old building surrounded which was unmissable to the eye "In their lies children like I once was. No families and no hope" He slowly began to crack his fingers and moved in even close to Alceus "If you dont give me back the words you stolen from me I will burn the flesh from their tiny bodies, but it's not their deaths that will cause so much suffering as they walk between life and death. No it is that they died without feeling a single once of love or hope in their small pathetic lives, and you may try and save them and you will probably save them I will attack another area of this city. How long can you keep saving them until they start to fall at your knees. How many innocents are you willing to sacrifice to beat me in our little word game. You may have faced down God's, you may challenge the king of Olympus and his infinite power but I am far more dangerous than anything you have faced in your entire life. Now return what is mine or I will burn this entire city and all those in it" His words were darker than they had ever been. Now the ball was in the heroes court.

In spite of all his heroics and sacrifices, valiant Alceus was still being doubted by some of the more cynical spectators. But the Son of Olympus could not fault them, they had done no wrong, it was however, devious Nathan who lured them away from the truth with his flawless trickery and deceit. Really, it wasn't since his encounters with Hades has Alceus confronted such a manipulative fiend, it disgusted him, but it also saddened him, how tainted a soul can be. "It always hurts me deeply to see such malice in one man", The Champion thought in sorrow. He soon began to wonder, just how it would have all been if the claws of darkness had not dragged Nathan's soul to the shadows... the potential for good would have been astonishing and his talents would have been put to better use. But he could no longer feel pity for the man who was wronging him and spreading his sinister message to innocent minds. Might Alceus' first priority is the safety of the civilians. Too many tragedies have taken place this fateful day. He would allow no more.

However, before any heroic action could take place, The Champion was interrupted by the vaunted villain. First, nefarious Nathan began by pointing out the beauty that Athens held, the grand city dedicated to Athena the goddess of wisdom herself. Pointing his index finger at a nearby building, Nathan made his plot apparent the moment he spoke of the children that called the old building home. Threatening the heroic Olympian with the death of the pure and harmless children if his communicator was not returned to him. But the devious philanthropist should have chosen his words carefully, for Alceus was yet again recording these dark words. Then Nathan continued his threat by claiming that despite any heroic efforts the Son of Olympus might attempt, he will eventually commit a mistake and a life that was his to protect will be lost. All of these statements, every single word, was being recorded by the communicator. But what struck Alceus the most was when Nathan challenged his morality, asking him how many lives he is willing to sacrifice to prove himself right against Nathan. While he might prove that Nathan was indeed a villain, he would in the process degrade himself as a hero by allowing the children to perish. With the final threat of burning the entire city to ashes if the communicator is not handed to Nathan, Alceus was nearly left with no choice, that was until the threads of fate were manipulated in his favor, how fortunate.

"Do not listen to him Alceus", a female voice echoed in his mind. "We are all here, spread across my city", Athena's voice assured, "Prove him the villain that he is. Do not fall before such scum. We are all around the city, ready to protect those who he dares threaten. Vasilias, Artemis, Hercules, Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, Dionysus, and I are spread across the city, our godly senses searching for any malice. We will protect however is in danger. Do not worry", a sigh of relief was released by the powerful hero, the blood from his head wound still spilling on the ground, sparkling in its divinity. Without yet replying to Nathan's demands, The Champion again with an invisible energy-construct used his communicator, but this time sent the recording to every open news network and internet connection in the city, and in mere minutes the city and the world would know of Nathan's maliciousness, his voice easily identifying him. Thankfully, the internet's speed would greatly benefit Alceus in his counter. "Thank you Athena", Alceus thought, his favorite sibling having aided him in moments dire. In minutes, the news crew had received the recording and played it out loud, with the aid of it's van's large speakers. The crowd, shocked at the revelation of Nathan's evil. Temporarily transporting the building's children to a far away location in the city by manipulating residual dimensional energy in the environment, Alceus had saved them.

While he was indeed incapable of transporting anything through entire dimensions, he could at the very least, rely on his energy manipulation to temporarily transport things to the other end of cities. However, the manipulation of dimensional energy had weakened him slightly, he would not be able to call upon his full power after perhaps an entire hour of waiting for his body to replenish its energies. Finally, the trust and respect of the people was instilled in him, they chanted his name and booed and spat at Nathan. Smirking, Alceus finally spoke to him, "Checkmate", he said, erecting protective barriers around the innocents in attendance as he adopted a fighting stance, finally ready to engage Nathan in battle. However, his temporarily decreased power would most likely render him incapable of fighting at his full power for the time being. But his power was not significantly lowered, only slightly, so he may still prove a challenge for Nathan. His eyes glowing a golden energy as blue electrical arcs surged around his body, The Champion was ready to pound Nathan's face in.

The sweet taste of victory warmly embraced wounded Alceus as he maintained his self-taught fighting stance, ready to strike once the situation calls for it. Nathan seemed a tad distraught yet his eerie composure did not abandon him. However, almost instantly after having bested his opponent in a battle of wits, Alceus grew increasingly serious and focused his full attention on nefarious Nathan as the man's facial expression became more deranged, adopting strange facial tics. The news crew along with the surrounding civilian crowd were deliberately knocked unconscious by a supernatural bulk of dark energy that loomed over the entire city, revealing a frightening amount of power possessed by Nathan, a power that even Alceus was incapable of detecting prior to it's generation. As Nathan engaged in a grotesque transformation, he suddenly halted, quickly reverting back to his normal, more human form. What was he attempting exactly? "Huh?", The Champion was trapped in a spiral of confusion, but he couldn't complain too much.

Enigmatic Nathan's cool and collected demeanor soon overwhelmed him, reverting him back to what appeared to be his usual eternal state of calmness and certainty. Raising his right eyebrow, mighty Alceus couldn't hesitate but grow slightly suspicious of what had just taken place. "Is he planning something?", he wondered, however, he couldn't truly decipher Nathan's intentions for the villain had masterfully masked his emotions. In yet another vaunted display of his advanced magical prowess, Nathan materialized a wooden table along with two chairs in mid air for both men to sit. The smile plastered all over Nathan's previously devious face was alluring. A man full of deceit, it was still astonishing how he could smile with something that so strongly resembled sincerity and truth. Even his eyes did not reveal any sinister intent, and the eyes are universally known as the gateways to the soul. If not for his energy-sensing capabilities, The Champion would question whether or not Nathan was evil or not, fortunately though, Alceus could still taste the negative energy generated by Nathan's dark and tainted soul. "I'd best watch my actions", Alceus thought, still not having uttered a single word since mockingly exclaiming "Checkmate" at his deadly opponent.

Nathan casually took a seat on the chairs he had conjured up. There were biscuits, a plate of cake and cups of tea on the table... it was eerily polite of someone as sinister as Nathan. Could it be poison? Who knows? While the Son of Olympus sat on the chair, he would not however, eat or drink anything. Soon the humor struck Alceus as a chuckle escaped his lips, "These are just the kind of things that Loki or Hades would try. Luring their victims into a false sense of security", Alceus smirked, calmly shaking his head. Oddly enough, the villain congratulated The Champion for his victory, even going so far as to label him the better man. Had the arrogance faded? Apparently so, as Nathan even doubted his own physical prowess in combat, well at least against mighty Alceus. Offering himself as a willing prisoner for his crimes, Nathan was acting oddly submissive, a trait not previously thought to be a part of his personality. However, the mention of Tartarus was the turning point in the conversation. "I don't want to kill you. I never did. It would be much better if I could change you but we both know that's a long shot. Fine, I'll lock you away", Alceus agreed, but it wouldn't be Tartarus. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Vasilias appeared behind Nathan and used his dimensional abilities to drag the villain to an undisclosed extra-dimensional plane far from Earth, hoping that such a manipulative fiend would never return. Returning from the dimensional trip, Vasilias warned Alceus of Nathan as he gathered the rest of the gods and returned to their abode, "Be careful with that one. You might have dealt with Loki and Hades, but that one is even deadlier. Looks like you've just found yourself a nemesis", Vasilias pointed out, "Oh well, that's the price for being a hero", Alceus sighed.