00110011 00111000 Roses and Shadows

In Lilies room.

The grasslands swayed calmly against the etherial breeze that shook the grass blades. Skulls were sitting here and there haphazardly as though they had tumbled away from some poor Halloween shopper. A sudden rumble shook the ground as a massive Boulder flew through the peaceful scene.

"Woman!!! Stop Dodging!" A mans roar echoed through the air as he charged toward a lady dressed in a green and white Greek robe. His appearance was haggard and his hair was a wild mess. His massive muscles appeared strained with his veins bulging greatly. He continuously lunged at her with his great club with a fast swing. Accurately aiming for her head or body but Lily seemed to just barely let it breeze past.

His charging feet crushed the varying skulls and flowers that lined the ground sending dust and petals flying everywhere.

Meanwhile Lily appeared to be dancing about as though it was none of her concern. The vines and various plants that appeared around her did little to slow Hercules as he plowed toward her. Though considering he was equal to Lily at B rank but there was obviously a difference.

Lily was speedy but her defence was low. So using her plants as a hindrance for others complemented her speed.

While Hercules had high vitality and brute level strength. So the two were well matched and seemingly at a stalemate. Unfortunately Lily seemed to trip over a vine of hers and toppled over.

Hercules saw his opportunity and launched forward grabbing her shoulders between his hands. "Got you now you sniveling worm! I wanted a good battle with a strong opponent! But squishing you like a bug will have to do!" He roared viciously as saliva flew from his foaming mouth.

He began to squeeze Lily but nothing happened.

His eyes filled with shock as he tried to squeeze her thin body with his gorrilla hand's.

But again nothing happened. He couldn't summon the strength.

"About time it kicked in." Lily said as she shook herself free before dusting herself off. She turned and tapped his head.

His body suddenly fell to the floor as Hercules eyes became bloodshot.

"How? I'm immune to poison." He growled as he lost a sense of feeling throughout his body. He looked at his status and saw a lightning bolt symbol.

"Paralysis? When?" He muttered.

Lily walked over to a crushed skull and peeled it back. And beneath its cracked bones sat a flower covered in fuzz. It wasn't the flower that made it special though. It was the fuzz.

"You may be immune to poison. But mold spores are something else. Especially from this little one."Lily said picking up the fuzzy plant before walking over.

The mold was black with yellow specks all over it. As she brought it over Hercules understood more.

The Intel on Lily said she was able to breed plants with her abilities and grow them in any terrain as long as it wasn't magma. And this thing before him was one of her products.

"I call it Zeus's Sneeze. Horrible name I know. But it certainly has a strong effect when it sets in." She said twirling it in front of his face sending the spores everywhere. They landed on his eyes, face, hair, and his body covered in little pricks and cuts from the plants Lily had summoned to fight him.

"It took a while. And I think the others are finishing up. So I'll ask you to exit stage right." Lily said snapping her fingers. The vines around Hercules began to wind around him strangling and cocooning him. Soon there wasn't a spot of him that was noticable between the vines. Not even his voice could be heard.

Soon a red color filled the vines and they descended into the ground as bits of data appeared through their embrace.

"Hoy should be having his fun. Wonder who he got? If Bell was right it should be that one who swings that way right?" She hummed as the grasslands were filled with the gentle breeze again.

Main Room

As with the others Hercules fell from the hole in the ceiling landing on a cushion politely set there by Agni. As he sat up he noticed that Henry, Rat, and Agni were sitting there playing cards staring at him. Before he said anything they had moved to make space and dealt him a hand of his own.

Hoy's Room

As Odin took in the elegant room he could tell he was in front of a man of culture. Van Gogh's painting of a starry night hung above the fireplace. A bear skin rug sat between two large fluffy Victorian chairs. And sitting between the chairs was a large coffee table with a big chess board on it. One set of pieces was made of pink granite while the other was made of turquoise.

"Welcome." Hoy said with a gentlemanly smile.

His hands were clasped in front of him eagerly as his toga shifted slightly. His handsome features were made the more mysterious by the light from the fireplace.

"Argus I presume?" He said sitting back slightly.

Odins eyes turned into slits as he scanned the room. "How do you know that?" He said as his spear tapped the floor nervously.

"That would be my doing." A feminine voice filled the air and Odin spun.

There stood Bell in full Armor. Her helmet left only a small opening for her face to be seen. Her breast plate was thick and sturdy bearing a screaming Eagle insignia. A glorious symbol of Rome. Though it was made darker and more ominous in the dimly lit room. Her face was calm and obviously she wasn't expecting a fight considering she came without a weapon. Only her shield was on her back.

Odin's eye widened greatly as he stared at her.

"What are you doing here Bell?!" He asked shocked at her being here. (Why is she here? What would be so precious she would leave to help these people?) He thought.

"I don't expect you to understand all of this. But I do expect you to know that what you're doing is wrong." She said as Hoy got out of his seat and walked over to the fireplace examining the painting above it as these two talked.

Argus thumped his spear on the ground as his shock turned into frustration. "And how else am I supposed to act? Hmm? I have orders and I follow them. Just like you. And you'd have me what? Turn against the faction? Are you sane! They'll hunt me down faster than what we are doing to this faction." He shouted at her pointing his finger dramatically at the door behind him.

"But you know that the strong shouldn't do this! This is abuse of power and privilege. You know just as much as I that picking on the weak yields nothing. So these guys won a couple dome games. That doesn't mean they are a threat. It just means that they got lucky a couple times. And here you and that bunch of idiots are trying to destroy them! Think! How hard is it for Ares to get rid of something he dislikes?" Bell shouted back.

Before Odin could answer they heard a yawn behind them followed by a smooth Italian accent.

"I would say this is interesting but alas I find myself more enthralled by action than words. Wouldn't you agree pretty boy." Hoy said with a coquettish wink at Odin.

Odins face reddened visibly from a blush that spread from his cheeks outward.

"I-I didn't come here for such things if that is what you want." He said crossing his arms and huffing as he looked away.

"Now, now darling there must be something no? And why must we all fight? There are many ways to battle without the shedding of such pure scarlet nectar that runs through us. Why else would this board be here?" Hoy said as he sat down again in his robust chair.

Odin tapped his spear on the ground mightily. "Faction Battles are meant to be fought with steel and wills clashing. Not paltry games." He replied bluntly.

Hoy snapped his fingers and Odin suddenly found himself sitting in the opposing chair.

"You came to battle. But why battle with steel when the battle of wits and will can determine things in a more enjoyable fashion?" Hoy said as he moved the first pawn.

Odin glared at the game before him and slowly reached to move his own pawn. Slowly the game began to unfold. A video began to play above them on a wide screen. A war. One side bearing the colors of Hoys pieces and the other bearing Odin's.

Slowly the soldiers marched with horsemen behind them in a great thrall. Every man and woman there with eyes filled vim and vigor beneath their helmets as they charged. Towers behind them governed the great smoke filled skies as archers rained hell on the poor soldiers below.

Behind the soldiers people bearing robes ran forward with maces and weapons of varying sizes proclaiming that to their destructive power was the word of God upon the unbelieving. Many soldiers and horsemen died to their onslaught.

Before one priest could kill his opponent though a horsemen charged forward in strange L shaped thrusts through it as the horse winnied and its rider roared "Charge!!!" But this was soon brought to it's climax as two powerful figures entered the fray. The tents behind the armies opened revealing two old wizened kings dry as Reed's sitting on their wooden thrones. Women armored in elegant war dresses standing beside them heard but a whisper. "Go."

And so they raised their heads. One bearing a rapier with a blade like glass. The other bearing a mighty war hammer.

A battle cry was heard from both of them as they charged into the fray.

Like two great hurricanes destroying every enemy in their path. Soldiers comically flying left, right, and center. Many missing limbs as they cried out in pain.

And so it was. These two great disasters laid waste to the others army till only the two remained. They stood opposite each other. Graceful, powerful, and beautiful as the rose amidst the briars of the blood soaked battlefield. They bowed to each other before charging forward followed by a swift clang of metal and the sound of something heavy hitting the ground.

The dust cleared and their stood the Queen and her rapier poised so elegantly. A single soldier rose form the dust barely managing to drag himself after her. His sword dragging behind him. His face covered in dirt and blood. And like so they strode to the enemy kings tent. And with but a flourish of the Queen's Blade his head fell to the earth.

The screen darkened as the chess board lit up again. And there was Odin's king. Laying on its side slowly fading away with the Queen and a single pawn before it.

Hoy reached forward to Odin in a handshake fashion.

"I have not had a game like that in ages. Thank you." Hoy said with a happy smile.

Odins hand excitedly shook Hoy's as he laughed heartily. "I dare say I am glad I had a game of wits for once! I forgot what it was like." He said clenching and un-clenching his hands like he was trying to get feeling back into them.

"Perhaps next time we could do some more activities." Hoy said with a slight blush and a wink. Odin's Battleform shrunk into that of a civilian as Argus blushed so badly his hair seemed to change color and steam came from his head.

"Oh don't tell me someone as manly as you still hasn't... *Pop*" Hoy said with a mischievous grin.

With that Argus was done. He stood up and Bell gently led him to the door. She waved her hand in front of his face but to no effect. But when he went to leave out the door she heard him whisper.

"I'm in love."