Norman

The mask had slipped.

Which was ironic because he'd actually put on a mask.

That made him cackle all the more as he flew about the courtyard, leering at the three symbiotes that were currently at war with each other. Carnage was easily holding his own against Venom and the other female symbiote, producing all manner of weapons from his body to slash and hack at them. Though each cut didn't do much as the symbiote flesh was able to heal instantly, much to Carnage's own delight. His partner was screaming with delight, raving about how wonderful it was for them to be together again.

Norman suddenly dipped down and snatched up Barbery Dustin, holding her by the back of her dress like she was a naughty little kitten that needed to be scuffed.

"I really need to get my hands on a piece of symbiote," he told her as he continued to fly around the battlefield that had formed in Barrow Hall's main courtyard. "The things I could do with it… improve my own devices…"

Norman was all about improvement. It was how he had, quite literally, turned himself into the man he was at that moment. The experiments on the rare flowers that grew in the Shadow Lands far in the east had produced the vapors that had given him his enhanced strength and speed. Yes, it had also caused a bit of an… issue… with his emotional control but he had an iron will and was able to manage when he unleashed such desires. Which was why moments such as this were so… FREEING.

'I will be able to go for weeks with complete and utter control after this!' he thought in delight, even though he knew that King Petyr wouldn't mind in the slightest if he let loose far more often. But it was Norman who minded… Norman who wanted to maintain his iron grip on his outbursts. It was a point of pride!

His suit was another example. He had been interested in the tales of the warriors of Black Gull who used wyvern flesh for their armor, rather than traditional steel, and made a pilgrimage to that far off southern island. The wyverns, while so much weaker than the dragon cousins, were still a threat but Norman had been able to kill one and from its hide fashion the scaly bodysuit that he wore. It was remarkable material, able to stretch so it could be skin tight but Norman never chaffed in it; many times he forgot he was wearing it, to be honest. And it shifted and moved with him so well! It helped make people believe he truly was some creature that had wriggled its way from the deaths of Hell.

A visit with an exiled acolyte of the Pyromancer guild had given him the knowledge needed to safely transport Wildfire. The pumpkin-like design of his bombs had purely been by accident, for the only metal he'd had on hand was some Iron Pointe orange but it just… oh, it just worked so WELL! The terror they inspired in those that saw them… just before their world exploded in agony and pain? Oh, it was a delight!

The glider was new but one of his best creations. He'd studied Adrian's wings and it had been easy enough to gather more dragon bone. A full amount wasn't needed, much as they had found with Adrian's new set of wings that Ultron had personally had a hand in creating. Just strategically placed pieces of bone in the right places upon some metal and he had been able to forge his bat glider. Were he to produce more he would be the richest man in the entire world; all would want one. The ability to fly like a bird and do so silently? Kings would sell their own cocks just for one.

Which was why Norman would never give up the designs. A marvel only held value when it was rare. One of a kind.

Venom and his bride fired out tendrils at one of the great towers of Barrow Hall and with a heave brought it down on Carnage, the red symbiote letting out a scream of surprise before he was crushed. But any relief the two might have had died in seconds as Carnage burst out of the ruins, sending blocks of stone flying all over and causing even more damage.

The masked had slipped.

But… it was only a slip.

Just a slip.

Norman wrestled with his control and his sanity and forced both to return exactly where they should be within his mind. He throttled the madness and the bloodlust until it slunk away like a beaten dog. He wasn't happy that he had nearly gone all out but he had managed to come back from it and that was all that mattered. All he cared about.

He had to have control. Always.

"This… we didn't agree to this!" Barbrey exclaimed. "This wasn't the deal I made with Euron! Barrowton was to be spared-"

"Well, that was your first mistake," Norman taunted as he continued to hover around the battlefield, forgotten by the symbiotes. Which was fine… he had no problem being a watcher. Sometimes one only learned by observing, after all. "Euron Greyjoy was already quite mad, from what I hear, before he and that red goo decided to bond together. Now it takes quite a lot to keep his focus… he forgets things quite easily when he becomes obsessed with something else. And those two?" He nodded towards the black symbiotes. "Oh, if he doesn't kill them here he will NEVER shut up about them!"

Norman threw back his head and laughed at that.

Barbrey struggled in his grasp and Norman, on a whim, loosened it slightly, letting her jerk down but a few inches before he hauled her back up. "What do you think will happen if you slip free?" he asked mockingly. "Are you going to grow wings?" He suddenly tilted his head. "Will you? It seems like in this day and age EVERYONE is growing wings!" He laughed again at that while Barbrey glared at him. "Oh, wipe that look off of your face… you should be thanking me !"

"Thanking you!?"

"Of course! You would have been long dead if you had remained down there." He gestured at the courtyard just as one of the remaining guards that had avoided the fires from his pumpkin bomb was speared through the chest by one of Carnage's appendages. The man let out a shrill cry right before Carnage ripped him in half… and he still managed to make a shriek even as his intestines gushed out of his torso. Carnage merely cackled before hurling the man at Venom and his bride, the two symbiotes batting him away so that the poor guard ended up throwing violently to the yard's hardpacked ground. "Oh… he still twitching," Norman observed. "They say the brain can survive for several minutes even after the heart stops beating. Can you imagine how painful it must be for him right now, to be lying there unable to move, the only sensation being agony as the monsters that doomed him continue on without a second thought?" He pulled her close and hissed mockingly into her ear, "Want to go down there now?"

Barbrey was very quiet and VERY still.

"You know… I didn't have a master of arms on Pyke," Carnage said as he began to stalk towards Venom and his Bride, the two black symbiotes watching him with one eye while, and Norman was sure Barbrey couldn't see it, with the other eye they were carefully looking about, determining what was available for them to use in the battle that was about to explode out once more. They were also keeping an eye on him which was VERY good… Norman would have been quite upset if they had dismissed him as not a threat. "I mean, there was a master of arms but I was never allowed to train with him. Most likely because the first day where I was allowed to join the men in the yard I beat the master of arms' son half to death. After that… well, he refused to train me. Which I think was rude as I only beat him half to death… unless he wanted me to finish the job. I could see that. Still, he wouldn't train me yet I found ways to learn the blade, of course… there were always those that wished to try their hand against the son of their Lord. But I wasn't like you, my prince."

Venom merely flashed his fangs while his Bride flexed her fingers, crouched and ready to pounce the moment Carnage made the wrong move.

"What did your master of arms teach you?" Carnage asked. "How to thrust?" He lifted up his right hand and it distorted and twisted and elongated into a sharp one-sided blade. "Parry? Block?" He swished his arm rapidly in the air before letting out a laugh. "Oh, but you learned more than that, didn't you my prince? How to watch your feet and how to plant yourself but also when you needed to move? All VERY good things to learn… but what about how to avoid being hit? And not just with swords!" He lifted up his other hand and his hand flattened out, fingers merging and then suddenly jutting to the right to form into a massive doubleheaded axe. "I hope he did… it would be a shame if he failed to prepare you for battle!"

Carnage suddenly leapt forward with a murderous scream.

Venom slammed into him, meaty hands grabbing onto his wrists and yanking them away from his head. Carnage cackled the entire time, before he suddenly shot out more spikes from his chest, one piecing Venom in the shoulder and causing him to roar in pain before he moved to try and break Carnage's right wrist. But Carnage suddenly shrank his hand back down to normal side, allowing him to slip from Venom's grasp before he lifted his hand up once more, turning it into a spear-

Venom's Bride attacked.

She leapt onto Carnage's back and bit hard into his throat, causing the red symbiote's attack to go wide as suddenly his muscles seized up due to the bite. He cried out at that but Venom wrapped his fingers around his head before yanking him from his Bride's hold, her teeth carving out great gouges from his neck, a splash of red blood bursting from the wounds even as Venom slammed Carnage's face against the ground, grinding his head into the hard soil.

"They don't even know you are up here," Norman told Barbrey, bringing her close to his face so he could whisper in her ear. "They've all forgotten you. I could twist your neck right now and they wouldn't even realize you were dead until hours after they have long abandoned this town. And that is being optimistic. One could actually argue that it would be a kindness to kill you right now… because if I don't then you have, at beast, to look forward to the Starks keeping you in one of their Ice Cells, forgotten about due to everything else they will be focusing on.

"Does that bother you? I mean… you made agreements with… so many enemies of the North. You sought out the Lannisters, hoping to make yourself the Warden of the North. As if the North would ever follow a pathetic bitter woman like you… one that can't even produce an heir. Did they know about that? How the moon tea damaged your womb and made it that no seed would ever quicken, despite all you did to get heavy with Brandon Stark's bastard when you realized he wouldn't be selecting you?"

"I… I…" Barbrey gagged out.

"Don't deny it," Norman said, looking away from Barbrey to watch as Carnage turned his arms into long barbed whips, cracking them before he began to rush at Venom and his Bride, forcing the two to back away. Every strike tore great gouges in the ground, which would have been dangerous for a man on foot and deadly for a mounted rider… but for the symbiotes were little more than annoyances at worse. "I have made it my business to learn about you when you agreed to work with Euron, Lady Dustin. I know about the moon tea. I know how you tried to seduce the blacksmith of Barrow Hall in hopes of producing a son while Lord Dustin was away after drinking more foreign teas in hopes of undoing the damage. I know that you reached out to the Blackfyres in Essos in hopes that they might form an alliance with you… and raged when you learned that Arya Stark had already been inducted into their ranks. It was only because she was already on a ship towards Westeros that kept her from learning of your treachery… but she will learn soon. And she will whisper in her allies' ears ALL about you.

"Who else? Who else? You sent envoys to try and turn the Night's Watch against the Starks. You reached out to the Dornish and tried to claim that Lord Stark had split their blood in their own lands. You have reached out to cutthroats and sellswords and catspaws. And time and time and time again… you have failed."

He suddenly wrapped an arm around her, yanking her onto his glider. He could feel her heart thundering against wrist, the shuddering of her breath at the sudden movement.

"Do you not get tired of being second best?" he whispered. "Your entire life you have been nothing but second best. Your sister was seen as more clever. Your house always the 'also there' of the Northern Houses. You did all you could to seduce Brandon Stark but he desired Catlyn Tully. And when he died you were sold off to Lord Dustin, which was decent enough but you always craved a higher house like the one your sister was a part of. And Lord Dustin… he never loved you."

That made Barbrey tense. "He loved me."

"You were his last resort," Norman said with a soft chuckle. "The woman he wanted was promised to Robert Baratheon."

"Lyanna…"

"That's right," Norman said, running his fingers along the swell of her breast. Barbrey was so startled by what he was telling her that she didn't even react. No move to try and pull away or resist. Just accept what was happening. "He never wanted you, Barbrey. You were merely his fall back. What he accepted. Its why he leapt at the chance to go with Eddard Stark to war. Its why he volunteered to go to Dorne. He died trying to save the woman he truly loved and you never once entered his thoughts. He died with his only regret being he didn't get to see him and you weren't even an after thought."

It was all lies, of course. Or perhaps truths. Norman had no way of knowing. But how factual something was… that was never the point. That didn't matter. What did was the person being told believed. People wanted to believe certain things, to feed into their personal narratives. You give them a lie that supported what they had always assumed and they would happily accept it.

Barbrey Dustin had lived her entire life believing the world was out to get her, taking away what she deserved and that she was always given the scraps. So being told that was the case? She ate it up like a child would a rich breakfast of oats and honey.

Venom let out a roar as he began to punch Carnage, the red symbiote laughing and cackling with every hit. That only enraged the black symbiote more and he began to pound into him harder and harder, trying to get Carnage to react. But he just kept laughing until, finally, he snapped his head and bit down on Venom's wrist, making the black symbiote bellow before Carnage stabbed him in the side.

That led to the Bride launching herself at him, ending up on Carnage's back as she trying to strangle him with one hand while clawing at his shoulder with the other. All three ended up rolling and thrashing along the ground until Carnage threw the Bride through a wall… only to make another hole himself when Venom tossed him right after her before diving in himself.

"The Lannisters don't want you to be their ally… you are just a convenient fool but they would MUCH rather have the Manderlys or the Karstarks. You were given nothing when Lord Stark became the Warden of the North and you were given nothing when he become King. Oh… you were passed Barrowton but you know that will always be seen as pity by him. And its people… do they truly support you now?"

She didn't say a word.

"Where are your guards?" Norman pressed. "You had far more than the paltry few that you brought with you. They must be around… why aren't they coming to your rescue? Demanding I release you and surrender?"

The answer was 'they are long dead' but Norman wasn't going to let Barbrey know how he had gone through and done some… changes… to her castle staff while she had been having her stand off with Robb Stark.

A lie will be believed if it supports what someone has always thought.

"They hate you," he hissed. "They hate you so very much. You aren't their lord… just the whore that couldn't even do her one job and get plump with an heir. And now they are stuck with you and they know that they will have to wait until you are dead before they will get a true lord. They are commanded by a fickle woman when they desire only a strong man and nothing you do will EVER change their minds. Eddard stuck you in the most cruel of cages, did he not? Ensured that you would never be able to escape? Your only hope to be a second son that would seek to rob you of your freedom and would only see you has a source of power?"

Barbrey shuddered at that.

The symbiotes burst from the roof of Barrow Hall, Venom soaring through the air before he fired off tendrils and yanked himself back down at Carnage who was rushing towards him. But at the last moment Carnage fired off his own tendrils, latching onto a wall so that he could twist out of the way before forming more spikes from his back that he drove into a tower just as his back struck it, clinging to it before he clapped both his hands together and formed them into a giant spiked club that he swung at Venom. He landed on the roof and caught the club, grunting and growling as he did all he could to force it back, his Bride moving to assist him in trying to keep Carnage from crushing them like bugs.

"But… perhaps there is someone that is interested in you… for you," Norman told her as the three symbiotes continued their battle. "Someone that sees how cunning you are… and knows you would make a fine ally. Someone who might even be able to fix that which you thought was always broken…" He slowly lowered his hand to her stomach, rubbing it several times.

Barbrey audibly swallowed.

Norman flew down to a rampart and set her down. "Wait there. Don't move."

She stepped down and just stared at him with glassy eyes.

He smiled before launching himself into the air, pulling out a Pumpkin Bomb and hurling it at Venom and his Bride as the two of them continued to struggle to hold off Carnage's attack. The two had only a moment to realize the doom that was coming their way before it exploded, sending them flying back and into the outer wall that surrounded Barrow Hall. The ancient stone cracked and snapped on impact and the two slowly oozed down to the ground, shaking their heads and trying to work out the cobwebs that were rapidly forming in their brains due to the impact.

"You nearly burned me good there!" Carnage declared with a laugh.

"I'll aim better next time." Norman landed his glider upon the ground and stepped off of it even as Carnage leapt down, slamming into the earth just a few feet from Norman.

"Good! Good!" Carnage then paused, tilting his head. "Wait, do you mean you'll aim better to miss or to hit me?" Before Norman could so a word the deranged man threw back his head and laughed all the harder. "No no… don't tell me! I want to be kept guessing!" He turned his hands into a pair of blades, slowly running them along each other, slowly scraping the edges against one another. "Two symbiotes… I wonder how my prince found a second. And his wife… oh, now that must lead to some interesting fucking!" He moved towards the two who were still struggling to get up; their black flesh was slowly healing but Norman could tell from the way it was rippling and twitching that the Pumpkin Bomb had hurt them greatly. "Now now… don't get up… Carnage will come to you…"

Only then Carnage stopped and twisted on his heels, marching away.

"Or not!" He threw back his head and laughed as he moved past Norman, already muttering to himself about wanting to find others to kill. He looked at his hands, returning them to normal. Or, at least, normal for him.

Norman reached out and squeezed Carnage's shoulder.

The red symbiote whipped around and roared right in his face.

Norman didn't even react.

"His grace wants them dead. He was very clear on that and I know you were in the room when he gave the command. He wants Robb Stark dead, his body strung up in front of the Gates of the Moon for Eddard to see."

"Oh, I remember him saying that," Carnage replied with a chuckle. "But I don't remember him saying WHEN the prince had to die. I want him healed up and chomping at the bit to come at me again. It will make things far more interesting."

"We aren't concerned with what things more interesting for you. We are concerned with destroying Ned Stark's heart. We must tear it from his chest and crush it and having his heir killed after he fell for our ruse? That will break him and make him rush out into a foolish fight he has no hope of winning."

Carnage thought knocked Norman's hand away. "He never ordered me to do it. He just said he wanted him dead. So why don't you want to do the deed, hmmm? Why are you so quick to pass along the duties to me?" That made Carnage chuckle as he slowly turned and began to poke Norman in the chest. "Afraid of getting those green hands of yours dirty?"

Norman's glowered at the insult the man had tossed at him. "Just because I don't believe in mindless violence…"

"No no no!" Carnage said, wagging his finger right in Norman's face and it was taking every ounce of willpower he had not to snap the digit. "We both know that's not true. How many of the Barrowton guards did you slaughter before you came out here? Because I know there should be far more coming out here to confront us. They might be cowards but they also have honor and that makes cowards do stupid things." He giggled madly at that before stating, "You love mindless slaughter just as much as I do. The difference is that you don't want the world to KNOW that you love it. Have to be in control, to seem like you always have a plan. But in reality… you are just one slip away from killing everything and everyone until that green suit of yours is blood red."

He poked Norman in the chest again.

Norman snarled and lashed out, punching Carnage across the face.

The red symbiote laughed at that and moved to slash him with his claws, not even bothering to turn his hands into any weapons. But Norman easily slid to the side and hammered Carnage across the side of the head, making him stumble. Norman was on him in a second, leaping at him and crashing into him, sending Carnage down into the ground, one hand wrapping around Carnage's throat. That made the symbiote let out a gurgling laugh even as Norman took out another Pumpkin Bomb, holding it up for Carnage to see.

The Iron born… cackles.

"That's it… yes, that is it! Blow us both up and lets see if we can both survive!" He forced himself forward, rubbing his head against the Pumpkin Bomb. "Come on… pop it and lets give any that are still alive a real good show!"

Norman so badly wanted to force the Pumpkin Bomb down Carnage's throat. To watch the fires burst from the cackling loon's eyes and mouth as he was roasted from the inside out. To hear his laughter turn to screams as he disemboweled himself trying to save his pathetic life. To taste his terror, his fear, and have everyone know he had killed Euron Greyjoy! To have everyone cower as they understood what he could do! To know that he, the Green Goblin, had slaughtered the Crowseye and-

Norman grabbed hold of the bloodlust and madness and threw it back into its cage in the back of his mind, slamming it shut.

He pushed off of Carnage and got to his feet, making no move to help the other man up. He stuffed the Pumpkin Bomb back into the bag that hung at his side and turned away, taking several deep breaths.

"Oh…" Carnage said from behind him, "…you disappoint me, Norman."

He refused to say a word. If he did… there was a risk the mask wouldn't merely slip but would shatter and he didn't know when he would have control of himself again if that happened.

"By the by," Carnage said, "Venom and his ladywife escaped."

Norman whipped around and stared at where the two black symbiotes had been only to find rumble and nothing else. He looked about wildly, hand going back into his satchel. 'Where will they come from? Try and catch me from above? Or to the side. They won't be dumb enough to rush me directly… unless they are hoping to catch me unaware. And then the smartest move would be to attack me right in front! To rush me!' He grit his teeth and looked about, every shadow suddenly having eyes and teeth and claws, ready to leap at him.

"SHOW YOURSELVES!" he roared as he began to hurl Pumpkin Bombs. Not just one. No… he began to throw them at every dark spot in the yard of Barrow Hall… and there were many of those spots thanks to the fight between the symbiotes. Again and again and again he threw the bombs, green flames roaring to life as each orange orb shattered and unleashed their blazing contents upon the Northern castle. "WHERE ARE YOU!?" Norman screamed. "YOU THINK YOU CAN HIDE FROM ME? THE FLAMES WILL MAKE SURE YOU REGRET THAT FOR HOWEVER LITTLE REMAINS OF YOUR WRETCHED LIVES!"

He had to kill the symbiotes. They had to die! Ultron had been clear about that and Norman would NOT be the weak link! Never the weak link! That was Carnage! Or the Vulture King! Mysterio! Kraven! Even the King himself! But not Norman! Not him! He was the one that dominated! The one that got shit down! HIM!

'Burn them! Burn every fucking shadow until they have nothing left to hide! They think they can hide from me? Me!? Nothing escapes me! The flames will reveal them and then I will shove their toothy faces into the flames until they stop twitches! Then I will take their skulls and polish them to a fine shine before dipping them and gold and using them to adorn my fucking glider!'

It was only when his hand rummaged through his bag and found nothing that the rage suddenly disappear, like a hearth that had been dosed with water. But while his anger and madness disappeared in an instant… the flames remained.

The heat blasted his face and Norman looked around to find that he was not standing in Barrow Hall anymore. Not truly. He was standing in an oven and all were about to be cooked. The emerald flames danced around him as they chomped and snapped at the all that got near them. Even the stone itself could not survive the wildfire. They didn't melt like Harrenhall, for the fires were not as hot as dragonflame. But they still did their damage. In the back of Norman's mind he realized that the trapped snowflakes of a thousand winters that had wormed their way into the cracks and crevices of the walls only to find no escape were now boiling.

The stones groaned as the water turned to steam and expanded, the walls vibrating as the flames licked at them, making the microfissures grow. And within the castle a new sound fought against the roaring of the flames: screams.

The servants that had hid away from the battle now found themselves being pushed from their hiding spots like rats fleeing a sinking ship. Some might find salvation if they hurried… but others would delay… and they would die.

Perhaps part of Barrowton would remain. That was possible. But more likely it would all burn and would only stop when the flames reached the grassless ring that surrounded the town, ironically build to stop invaders from burning the city, and the river. Wildfire could not be doused by water… but it could not consume it either.

Steam and smoke rose and the walls let out groans.

"Well… let's hope Ultron had not designs for this place," Carnage stated.

Norman merely looked around before moving towards where he had left his glider. "Time to go."

Carnage giggled at that. "You don't want to roast some mutton?" A scream ripped shrilly through the air. "Oh, they are already singing campfire songs!"

Norman ignored him. Carnage would either come or he would die. Simple as that. He got onto his glider and willed it to rise into the air, stopping at the wall where Lady Dustin stood, looking at the city that had been her's to dominate per her own wishes and wants for scores of years. Her face was slacked, her mouth slightly parted, betraying nothing at all. But in her eyes, despite their glassiness, he saw the flames dancing about, green and lively.

Without saving a word… Barbrey held out her hand to him.

Norman chuckled and helped her onto the glider, wrapping an arm around her once more only now she took hold of his wrist and pressed his hand closer to her.

They rose up like bat out of the flames of hell… and flew off as the screams of the people of Barrowton filled the air.