The Demon Inside Me
Chapter Four: Next Mission
Finn had a lot of thinking to do; many of his friends from NXT had moved on to the Main Roster, and he missed them dearly. But was he himself ready to say goodbye to the place he held residency for over a year, to go on to "bigger and better things" as they say? Was he willing to say goodbye to certain people?
The man behind the demon took out his iPhone and decided to make a phone call; talking out his thoughts would help him.
"Bayley? Are you free right now? …alright, great… Can you meet me in front of the Performance Center? …awesome, see you soon."
She was the only one here who he could really talk to; Joe ruined their friendship, and Finn wasn't all that close to anyone else in the locker room. It was the curse of being on top for so long; there were never any friends up there. But he at least had Bayley with him, and she was good company.
The two of them met at their predetermined spot, the Women's Champion wearing her brown hair down and her black NXT sweatshirt. They embraced upon sight, nothing but smiles out of them.
"What's on your mind, Finn?" she asked as they began to take a walk. "You seemed worried when you called me."
"Keep this on the down low, but Hunter said it's time for me to, uh… go to the Main Roster. Y'know, start makin' my transition up there," he responded, looking down at his shoes.
Her eyes widened. "Finn, that's wonderful! When are you going up?"
"…this Monday."
"That's such short notice… but that's still fantastic! Man, I'm so excited for you!"
"I… I don't know if I'm ready yet, honestly."
"If there's anybody who is, it's you. Everybody's gonna love you; I mean, they already do here."
"I've only been in NXT for a year and a half, and I'm being called up. Bayley, you've been around for the better part of nearly four years; you deserve the opportunity more. Imagine what you're gonna do once you hit Raw and Smackdown; I could never compete with that."
She blushed at his kind words but shook her head. "They'll find a time and place for me eventually… though, honestly, I hope it's soon… I'm really missing my girls." An image of the other three of the Four Horsewomen – Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch – popped in her mind. She smiled, but also seemed a little sad at her own words. "But I'm keeping this championship for as long as I can!"
"You make a great champion, Bayley. I'm glad we got to be champs together." It was Finn's turn to smile. The two of them had shared many memories together at house shows, holding hands with their championships high in the air and overall hugging after tag team matches. They were invincible and the best in the business.
"Hey, look at me, Finn. The people are going to love you, and you're gonna shake things up there. You'll make the rest of us proud. Finn, they need you."
He laughed to himself before finally nodding his head. "Thank you, Bayley… I'll be waiting for you up there for sure. You should be the next one to come up. Hell, we should go together! Let me talk to Hunter…" He started to turn to walk back to the Performance Center, but Bayley grabbed his arm before he could get too far; she was chuckling but shaking her head at the same time.
"I don't… I can't. There's still so much left for me here to do before I can even consider going up there; I still have things to accomplish."
"I figured as much," he said, knowing his effort was futile. "Hey, wanna grab some food? It might be the last time we get to see each other for a while."
"Let's do it!"
The next day, Finn had to confirm that he wanted to go to the main roster to Triple H as soon as possible, and even though he continued to have his doubts, talking to Bayley helped him make peace with the decision. It was time to leave, was it not?
"Hunter, I'm in."
April 4, 2016: Monday Night Raw, and the night after Wrestlemania 32. Finn knew immediately that he entered an entirely new atmosphere when he entered the arena. Sure, he had been backstage once before at Night of Champions, but this was permanent. That piece of knowledge alone threw him off, but all these new faces that he was only familiar with on television added to the pressure he was already giving himself.
Wrestlemania 32 saw two new champions, and deservedly so. The new WWE World Heavyweight Champion was one of Finn's old partners, Roman Reigns – the culmination of a fifteen-month struggle, and he finally made it to the top of the mountain with no dastardly Money in the Bank briefcase in sight. On the flip side, the fans gleefully witnessed the dawning of a new Divas Champion in the Boss herself, Sasha Banks. She defeated the three-time champion, Paige, on the grandest stage of them all to grab her first main roster title. After five consecutive and grade A performances at NXT Takeovers, there was no woman more worthy of bringing down a former NXT Women's champion. And there was no other woman better fit to restore prestige to the Divas Championship than Sasha Banks.
Bálor saw so many of his former opponents and friends; he almost forgot just how many passed through to get to the Main Roster. Kevin Owens, Tyler Breeze, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Neville… they were all there, and now so was he.
Finn waited backstage, eager to watch the opening segment on one of the many TVs they had – the man had plenty of time before it was his turn. The first man out was the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion himself, Roman Reigns; Bálor couldn't wait to hear him speak. He came out to the ring with his shiny new championship and a smile on his face, the crowd welcoming him like a hero by chanting his name before he even spoke a single word.
"It's nice to see you, too, Dallas," he started, the grin ever present on his face. "Last night, I started my legacy, and finally I got to the top of the mountain at the grandest stage of them all. It took over a year… I took beating after beating, got within fingertips of this championship only to have it stolen from me multiple times… I had to start over again and again, but hell, I did it last night. And this right here, this means everything to me…" He looked at the title, clutching it with his free hand. "…and nobody is taking this away from me. Not for a long, long time. Believe that." He let the air breathe again as he stared at the prize for a moment, but this time, his facial features slowly changed. His smile melted into a frown, making his skin sink and the wrinkles around his eyes disappear. Something was wrong.
"You know, I struggled my way to the top many times as you all saw," he said, his voice deep and uncharacteristically hollow. "It all began with Brock Lesnar. Then it was Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, and even my brother Dean Ambrose. Everyone in that locker room tried to keep me away from this…" Roman began to pace around the ring with his head down and his championship hanging from his free hand. "– Not one of those guys thought I could do it, and they all tried to hold me back." He stopped suddenly and rather carefully, he looked back up and directly into the camera, his eyes sharp and glaring. "Now, I can handle all those men back there; they're no trouble. We all have our own paths to take, and they just wanted to reach the top just like I did. But there was always one real obstacle in my way, one reason why it took well over a year to get this championship… and that obstacle was all of you." He pointed to the camera and then to the crowd who suddenly went silent except for some murmurs. "That's right, all of you who ever doubted me. Did you really think I couldn't hear you? Those 'Let's go, Roman – Roman sucks!' chants you love to chant, as if you're all so clever, and those dirt sheets complaining that I was chosen for this and I didn't earn anything. Or my favorites: 'You can't wrestle!' 'Nobody likes you!' and 'You're only here because of your cousin!' As if any of you really know what it takes to stand up here in front of thousands of people and perform night in and night out. None of you know anything about this business even if you think you do, and I don't need any of you. Not your fake support, and certainly not your hatred. So you can take your disloyalty, and shove it for all I care. To hell with all of you." The crowd had no idea how to react; they were stunned at the Samoan Thor's words. Just then, Motörhead began to play, and out came the man and woman behind NXT, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. They made their way to the ring, their eyes glued on Reigns.
"That was uh, quite the speech there, Roman," Stephanie said. "But getting back to your original point, you did earn that championship last night. What a performance you put on against the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar in the main event. You've actually silenced Paul Heyman which is something not everyone can say!"
"We don't admit this very often, Roman," Triple H said with a crooked smile. "We were wrong about you. We were wrong for making Sheamus the champion back at Survivor Series. But we were right to add Lesnar into the equation… two powerhouses ripping each other apart; it doesn't get much better than that. Regardless, Sheamus and Lesnar weren't the new men we needed to represent the brand… it was you. We should have stuck to our guns, and made you champion back then."
"If I remember correctly, I declined your offers, and then speared your ass," Roman hissed.
"The way we approached things with you… maybe it wasn't the smartest idea we've ever had," Stephanie said. "Seth had just vacated the championship due to injury, and we needed somebody new desperately. It was a stressful time for all of us, and we apologize for how it unfolded."
"You know, the offer still stands, Roman. You have the championship now, but there's more to be done – you gotta make this reign mean something, and we can make you into a legend. That's what's best for business."
The Samoan Badass stayed silent for a moment as The Game held his hand out. The audience chanted "no! no! no!" continuously, but Roman rolled his eyes and shook his head. He said nothing, but stepped forward and took Triple H's hand, viciously pulling him in like he had done in an interview with Lesnar after the Royal Rumble; it was as if it were a warning to Hunter. He turned to Stephanie and shook her hand as well, all three people in the ring smiling at their newly formed alliance.
Roman Reigns just joined The Authority.
Finn couldn't believe his eyes; he actually said yes to joining them.
"He must have snapped if he actually agreed to this…" he muttered to himself; maybe it was because he had always had the support of the crowd behind him, but he just could not understand Roman's reasons for turning against them like that.
Finn got ready as the program continued to roll, putting on his ring gear and "Bálor Club" shirt, and lacing up his boots. It was show time, permanently.
It was about nine o'clock, and The Lunatic Fringe was cutting a promo in reaction to his brother's surprising decision to join The Authority. Roman eventually came out as well so the two could look each other in the eye as they came to a crossroads in their brotherhood.
"I don't know how to react to this, man," the Intercontinental Champion said. "This ain't no joke."
"You can either join me, or we go our separate ways, Dean," Roman responded bluntly. "No harm to you either way."
They stood together in the ring silently, Dean conflicted if he should agree or not. But as soon as he brought the mic to his lips to answer, the theme to Neville's titantron went off, and the United States Champion made his appearance.
"I cannot believe what I'm hearing out of the two of you," the Man That Gravity Forgot said when he got to the ring. There was a noticeable height difference between the three men, as Neville stood at five-foot-eight while the other two were well over six feet tall. "Roman, have you forgotten what they've done to this company? To Dean? To you? They dropped Seth Rollins as soon as he wasn't useful to them anymore, and they hand-picked and groomed him – they'll do it to you, too! They're a poison, and they always have been. We need to think of a game plan to get rid of them and take back the power."
"The Authority isn't my enemy," Roman said as he shook his head, laughing to himself. "I'm sick of being run into the ground; this is best for business and for myself. That's what actually counts."
"You really want to do that? And turn your back on all these people who have paid to see you? Who love you?"
Roman stared at Neville as if he were looking right through him. "You just don't get it, Neville. The crowd has always loved you; you've never had to worry about a damn thing, so I don't want to hear your judgment." He had a voice that could kill, reminiscent of the low, growly one he had whilst in the Shield.
"Easy, big guy…" The two champions stood in front of each other, staring one another down. The tension grew but it had to snap eventually. "You want to keep living in ignorance and blame everyone else for your inadequacies? Be my guest. Drown in your self-despair for all I care."
"That's my brother you're talking to," Dean interrupted, cutting in between them and putting his hand on Neville's chest to push him back. "You better watch it, Tiny."
Roman smiled in response as Dean looked back at him. "I don't trust The Authority, but I trust you. I'm in." Neville snorted and shook his head, knowing well enough that he wasn't going to get anywhere with these two guys. He began to turn away but quicker than a feline did he spin around and kick Roman in the gut. Titles dropped to the mat as all three men began to fight, 'Ambreigns' quickly gaining the upper hand before tossing the United States Champion outside the ring.
Roman picked up a microphone. "You stand alone… there's not a damn person in that locker room who wants to help you. Go home, Neville."
Neville found his way back to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, looking up at the two men in the ring with a disappointed and rather angry expression.
The sound of ambulance sirens suddenly peaked all three men's and the audience's attention.
"What?!" Jerry Lawler yelled into his headset.
"Why, that's… that's Cesaro!" Michael Cole said. "The Swiss Superman has returned from shoulder surgery; ladies and gentlemen, he had been out since mid-November of last year!"
"Neville," Cesaro said. "I'll stand with you."
With a dark grey towel over his head and red Beats over his ears, Cesaro had made his triumphant return, and he walked down the ramp to help Neville stand up. They were now evenly matched, and Neville and Cesaro started to enter the ring.
"Congratulations, Neville; you found yourself a partner," said Dean. "What, are the two of you gonna save the day all by yourselves? I'd love to see you try." He dropped the mic and slugged Cesaro across the face before tackling him to the ground. Upon seeing this, Neville jumped at Roman, utilizing his quickness to execute a DDT, though he countered and powerbombed the high flyer into the mat. The four men brawled, and all hell broke lose.
Just then, white pyro went off while white lines shined down at the titantron, and out came the former NXT Champion, Finn Bálor. The audience exploded into cheers; they weren't expecting to see their NXT darling tonight.
Finn appeared and stayed at the top of the ramp for a moment, locking eyes with his former partners. They both stared back, not with bewilderment but with confusion. He looked out toward the audience, gauging their reaction to him in a way before dashing and entering the squared circle and utilizing his long legs to hit an enzuigiri to the back of Reigns's head in order to separate him from Neville. The crowd kept chanting Finn's name over and over again, and he never felt more alive than in that moment.
Roman slid out of the ring with Dean and the titles in their hands and they walked backward to the ramps, staring angrily to the men in the ring. Finn grabbed a mic from one of the officials.
"You two called me for help at Night of Champions if you remember," he said breathlessly. "Have you lost your minds in those seven months while I was back down in NXT? We were friends, the three of us! And now The Authority brainwashed you two into being their sheep…what happened to you?"
Roman found a mic. "I woke up, Finn. We both did."
Bálor looked at Ambrose, hoping to get through to one of them. "Dean, listen to me. Don't follow Roman into The Authority. Please. You're better than this; you're a champion now and have been since Fastlane. Don't give them more power than they already have."
"Bálor, you think you can tell me right from wrong after just leaving NXT? Who the hell do you think you are, kiddo? You let yourself get run over by the likes of Samoa Joe, and then couldn't even take your championship back," Dean responded.
"I did what I had to in order to survive!" He took a step back, trying to not let his fiery temper get to him, no matter how infuriating those words of his were. There was nothing that could be said to turn them back, and he knew this. "You know the two of you used to know a thing or two about justice, and yet look at you now. Hypocrites."
Ambrose took a few steps forward to get back to the ring – Bálor's words striking a nerve with him – but Reigns stopped him in time.
"You're a fool, Bálor, and you know nothing of what's to come," Reigns said, throwing the mic to the side. The two brothers left the ramp to go backstage, choosing to fight a battle another day, while the three men remained in the ring. 'Ambreigns' and The Authority wasn't the only alliance created that night, and Neville and Cesaro held up Finn's arms to both symbolize their new friendship and to properly welcome him to the roster, which the crowd very much took accustom to. They shouted his name continuously, and Finn let it wash over him like a wave. He could still hear them chanting in his ears even after he returned to the locker room. He made the right decision coming here.
Finn made it back to the locker room after the show was over, his body shaking from the adrenaline. His first time out there, and he knew he would be going against the biggest evil in the company; this was his place now. He got dressed in normal clothes and decided to quickly check his phone after feeling it buzz in his pocket. He had to be off to the next city within the next few minutes, but something told him to check his phone.
It was a text message from Bayley.
'I'm so proud of you' was all it said. His heart fluttered in a way he couldn't explain, and he couldn't stop staring at the message. He thought of her smiling face in that moment, and realized that there was something that was missing here on the Main Roster. It was her.
'I miss you already.'
Leave a review, friends! And remember that the line between reality and kayfabe is blurred ;)