The Demon Inside Me

by korraborra

Finn Bálor finally makes it to the main roster when he starts losing control over his inner demon. He lashes out against the friends he's made here and his in-ring style becomes chaotic. He remains confused until Bray Wyatt, the Eater of Worlds, begins to send him cryptic promos and wants to free his demon. Will Finn Bálor be able to defeat him, or will he succumb to the darkness?

5. Chapter 5: Discovery

The Demon Inside Me

Chapter Five: Discovery

'I'm so proud of you.'

A text message so simple, sent from one friend to another, but for some reason, it stopped the former NXT Champion in his tracks. He couldn't explain exactly what it was that made him stare at it for a good minute, but there was something there, and he couldn't get it out of his mind. He heard it in her voice, such a pleasant one to listen to. But she wasn't there in person, and Finn wouldn't know the next time he would see her face-to-face; it became much more of a bother to him every time he thought about it. The babyface women up on the Main Roster needed Bayley and fast, and even though she said that she wanted to keep the Women's Championship for as long as possible, Finn personally hoped that she would lose it soon… As selfish as he knew that thought was, he tried to justify it as "the division needs her" even if he really just wanted her around. Both were reasons. Without that championship to hold her back, she certainly had no reason to stay down in NXT. She was ripe for a call-up; she was ready any day now.

By the time April came to a close, the women were quickly being dominated by a growing all-female stable that consisted of Nikki and Brie Bella, Paige, and Alicia Fox, a new alliance created back at the end of January in a backstage segment. Nikki came back from her neck injury to reform Team Bella, but also decided to recruit Paige as she was still fuming over her many losses against her former teammates. Together, the four ladies interfered with the other women's matches; Natalya was constantly a victim, Becky was constantly a victim, Charlotte once, Sasha, Summer Rae… Charlotte didn't want to do a damn thing about it after losing her precious championship, seeing only her perspective, and left her former best friend, Becky Lynch to be beaten again and again by this stable; with that being said, they hadn't spoken since Fast Lane, where Charlotte beat Becky for the Divas Championship for the second time in a row. Sasha Banks, the new WWE Divas Champion, was never a stranger to standing up to her enemies, but after a split in Team BAD back in March, every time that she tried to defend herself against them since, Naomi and Tamina would come out to attack her and leave her to be further brutalized. Sasha always started off dominant and could handle the likes of Paige and Foxy easily, but once her former friends came around, the numbers game always won. After the end of every beat down, the four ladies would line up in front of their victim and raise each others' hands high in the air for the camera, asserting their dominance over the division.

"So as you all may have noticed, our team has found itself a new member," Nikki Bella said one night on Smackdown in the second week of February with a wide smile on her red lips. "Team Bella has gone through a bit of a makeover and a rebirth, with the addition of Paige and my glorious comeback from such a difficult injury… so I'd like to put the division on notice. We are taking back what is rightfully ours - our places at the top - and we have risen from the ashes. We are no longer just 'Team Bella,' no… the four of us, we're the Phoenix. Nobody here has the fire that we do; not a Superstar, and certainly not a Diva."

"I keep getting the same question over and over again…" Paige said after Nikki was finished with her speech, one that was greeted with nothing but boos from the crowd. "Why would I join Team Bella after all we've been through last year? You guys begged me not to, but I've had it with everybody here. Charlotte relies far too much on her daddy to get recognition around here - did you know that she's the daughter of two-time Hall of Famer, Ric Flair?" The four ladies began to laugh. "Becky cared far too much about her friendship with Charlotte and preferred to be her little lapdog and took abuse instead up for herself, but by the time she finally got guts, she just couldn't measure up to the 'Dirtiest Diva in the Game.' Meanwhile, Sasha and her squad are beginning to fall apart, so there goes their 'UNITTY!' What hypocrites; they preach about sticking together while Naomi and Tamina would rather leave Sasha to fight her own battles instead of being a single unit like they're supposed to be. But then again, they're not relevant so whatever. Natalya, the Queen of Harts, she faded back into the void yet again! Oh wait, no one cares about her. Silly me for forgetting but that's what happens when you're a snooze. And throughout all of this chaos, there has been one team that actually stayed stagnant and together…and right now, I call them my teammates. There's your answer. This team, Phoenix, didn't destroy this division; everybody else destroyed it themselves."

"Basically, you can either get with us, or you'll suffer the consequences," added Foxy. "Charlotte, your days as Divas Champion are coming to an end…and it's coming right home to the current Longest Reigning Divas Champion, and the absolute best champion that this company has EVER seen!"

A Battle Royale in March determined a Number One Contender to Charlotte's championship, and it included nine women: Natalya, Tamina, Naomi, every member of 'Phoenix,' Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch. After fifteen minutes, the two women left in the ring were Nikki and the Boss herself, Sasha, and they had their moment of staring down one another. Nikki used a vicious forearm, Sasha turned around and utilized a backstabber. Sasha was just about to throw Bella out of the ring to become the contender, only to have Brie Bella jump onto the apron and use her own forearm against her. Nikki was safe, and Sasha fell backward. The twins high-fived each other as Nikki went back to taking control of the match. Nikki was preparing to return the favor to the Boss by throwing her out, but Tamina decided to Superkick the former champion. Both contenders were safe, by the grace of the no disqualifications rule. Naomi entered the ring, and her and Tamina decided to Suplex Bella as an ensemble in order to help their Team BAD member. Sasha smiled, and the three ladies joined their hands, shouting out 'unitty!' to remind everybody how much they were a team…only for Naomi to clothesline Sasha a second later. The once united group finally snapped after months of hinting. Tamina propped Sasha up on her shoulders, let out a roar, and dropped her in a Samoan Drop. The two slipped out of the ring and smiled at their former friend, waving and laughing at her dismay as she looked up at them in confusion and with a tinge of anger.

"We're here, too!" shouted Naomi. "We made you, Sasha! Never forget that!"

They disappeared backstage, but there were still two women left in the squared circle. Nikki didn't eliminate Sasha, and Sasha didn't eliminate Nikki…yet. They were weakened, but as they crawled slowly toward each other, they grabbed each other's hands, pushing into one another so they could rise. They were up on one knee, then one foot, and soon they were grappling. Nikki brought her in to a hold with her arm around Sasha's head, but Sasha managed to push her off quickly, though she dropped back down to one knee after having taken so much abuse. Bella took advantage of the moment by grabbing Sasha by her long red hair and banging it once against her knee, snapping the Boss backward. She lay flat on the ring, unmoving. Bella smiled and raised her finger high in the air, parading around her newest victim and priding herself in her power. She then wrapped her hands around Banks' knees as she picked her up, thinking of Alabama Slamming her out of the ring in order to become the newest contender. Charlotte vs Nikki III was on its way, and Sasha was showing no signs of life. The audience booed, unhappy with the idea that they would see Nikki that much closer to the title, even daring to chant 'No! No!' on repeat.

"Bank on this, Sasha!" Nikki teased as she went to throw the petite warrior over the top rope, but just as she tossed her over, Sasha's legs that were around Bella's head clamped down, and both ladies went over. Sasha hit the apron as her powerful legs flipped Bella into a Frankensteiner so she was the one hitting the mat. The Boss slid under the ropes and rolled her way to the center of the ring, her feet never touching the ground, finally able to enjoy her shining moment as the bell rang with the crowd erupting into cheers. Bella on the outside sat against the barricade with her hands in her hair, complete shock written across her face. Even with the betrayal of her team, Sasha overcame the odds and became the new Number One contender to Charlotte's title. And rightfully deserved. The celebration was short-lived as the former champion came back into the ring, adrenaline and wrath flowing through her veins, and terrorized the new contender. She slammed her face into the turnbuckles, elbowed her in head, and finished the attack off with a Rack Attack, leaving Sasha alone in the ring, battered and beaten, but not broken.

Wrestlemania came on Sunday, April 3, and after nine months of being on the Main Roster, Sasha Banks captured the Divas Championship near the end of the show in front of a record 100,000 people, all of whom couldn't be happier with how it turned out. The Divas Championship, after about eight years of existence, was finally being defended for the second time on the grandest stage of them all, but for the first time, it was won. The WWE Universe came together to celebrate the dawning of a new era with the Boss at the forefront, but while there was happiness in the air, she had to prepare herself for the future… Phoenix still existed, and they were going to wreak havoc starting with her.

Every Raw and Smackdown had at least one Women's match; sometimes they were lucky enough to get two. The audience would see NXT darlings such as Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair, or a veteran like Natalya get screen time. With the rise of Phoenix, the other talent couldn't get much time to fight for their matches would get interrupted at some point during the match, and they were getting the beat down of their lives. No one was safe.

Sasha and Becky were in the middle of a five star match a week after she won the Divas Championship on Raw, but just as Sasha was about to hit Becky with the backstabber that preceded the Bank Statement, Paige and Foxy snuck into the ring and attacked them both. The Bella Twins, after the two ladies were laid out, came out to the ramp with microphones in hand, laughing and smiling with pride at their girls.

"Congratulations on winning the title, Sasha!" Brie said. "Take this as our gift to you; we're so proud of you and all that you've accomplished here."

Nikki laughed. "That's right. When I was Divas Champion, I had to face the entire division by myself, and I was woman enough to handle the job. I did it day in and day out every single night, and I became the longest reigning Divas Champion of ALL time. Charlotte couldn't stop me, and neither of you could either, and the three of you are supposed to be three of the Four Horsewomen of NXT! You're supposed to be the saviors of this Divas Division, and yet look how easily we just beat you two. Heh, and unlike Team BAD, Sasha…Phoenix is actually Beautiful and Dangerous."

Paige and Foxy joined their teammates at the ramp, proud of their work, before the stable left the scene.

"Bye, champ." Nikki dropped the mic.

Becky and Sasha looked at each other fuming, bruises all over their bodies, and shook their heads in unison. Both ladies had to grab the ropes to pull themselves back upright before uneasily walking to one another; the crowd had willed them on as they tried to stand. The timekeeper had thrown a microphone into the ring and Becky picked it up, wincing as she moved.

"Those girls are a menace, and have been ever since their little leader, Nikki, got back," she said, Sasha nodding in response. She looked more-or-less annoyed. "I know you and I, we've had our differences in the past, but Sasha, if they can form a team, maybe we should, too." Becky stuck her hand out for her former friend to shake. "Charlotte abandoned me, and Naomi and Tamina abandoned you; how about you and me get together and kick some lass?"

She hesitated at first, her eyes going from Becky's hand to her eyes, testing to see if she was being sincere. Sasha took a step forward before taking her fellow Horsewoman's hand and nodded her head. "They want a war? Fine, they got one," Sasha said into the microphone, clearly pissed off. "You and me, Becky, once again. It's about time that we retire that team and get some damn respect once and for all. They should've known better than to mess with the Boss of the WWE…and the Lass Kicker."

But four against two still posed a threat to the recently reunited alliance. They needed somebody else to join them, and some of the other ladies felt defeated from this dominance. Their options were low already; they couldn't have the men fight their battles, and who else could they turn to in the locker room?

Bayley was the answer, but she wasn't here to help…not yet at least. This dystopia in the Women's Division justified Finn's own reasoning to want to bump Bayley up to the Main Roster as soon as possible, right? He saw a place for her, and even if he wasn't champion anymore, he still wanted to help his fellow wrestlers - especially when one of the involved people was one of his good friends, Becky - in any way that he possibly could; it was his nature to be helpful. She did miss her close friends after all….but she also has a leadership opportunity back in NXT that betters herself as a wrestler. The longer she waits, the more amazing she'll be when she finally swoops in to save the day. With all that in mind, how long could Becky and Sasha hold out as a tag team? Sasha was the Divas Champion, yes, and Becky was about as tough as they come, however, two against four was worrisome, and 'Phoenix' was clearly no push over. One wrong move, and they were finished. If only Charlotte could help, but she wasn't ready to see things their way yet after losing her championship. Like it or not, the two women needed Charlotte, and soon; anything to even the odds. After all, Charlotte had made Nikki tap with the Figure Eight for the championship, not once but twice. Sasha made Nikki tap in non-title matches, along with Paige with the Bank Statement. Becky made Foxy and Brie tap with the Dis-Arm-Her on many different occasions. If the three of them were able to team up, they would be that much closer to destroying Phoenix once and for all.

But Becky couldn't bring herself to trust Charlotte after all she had done. As Finn came backstage from his own segment, he overheard the two former NXT darlings chatting in the hallway and decided to snoop.

"Sasha, no," said Becky.

"Becky, it can't be just the two of us," replied Sasha.

"But why does it have to be Charlotte? What about Natalya?"

"They're not gonna let Natalya join us; you know how the higher ups feel about her. It has to be Charlotte; there's nobody else. I would have said Naomi and Tamina but for as much as I know, they're now aligning with Phoenix!" Sasha growled to herself, the sting of the betrayal of her former teammates still fresh. "Look, do you want to take them out or not?"

"Of course, I do. There's nothing more that I want than for them to be destroyed right now. I'd do it myself if I could."

"Then you'll understand why we have to have Charlotte on our side."

"She stabbed me in the back, Sasha! She played me like a fiddle for months! And now you're expecting me to play nice with her?"

"I'm not asking you to play nice; I'm asking you to be a team player." Sasha was authoritative, and it was hard not to listen to her. "I don't exactly fancy the idea of teaming with her either after taking her championship for the second time, but we need to take back the order. We are Horsewomen for a reason, and we need to start creating our own team. It's the only way to win; it's together or not at all."

"Alright, alright… but how will we convince her to join us? And how do we know she won't betray us down the line?"

"You and I both know Charlotte better than anyone in this business, Becky… Besides, she doesn't fit in with Phoenix, so it won't be like she has another option to turn to. But if she tries something… I trust you'll be the one to end her."

It was the end of April, and these two women needed help fast.

Finn thought about their situation admittedly more than he probably should have, but back down at NXT, he had the time to think about what was happening with the other wrestlers, especially the women. He was still thinking like a champion, watching over his fellow man with a careful eye, but this was the Main Roster now; he shouldn't care so much about a storyline that didn't include him. He had his own hell to combat, and that was what he truly needed to concern himself with. He had a whole new audience to get accustomed to, and new opponents to plan for; right now, what was truly important was proving himself, whether it be to Vince McMahon, The Authority, his allies, or even just the casual viewer.

With all that being said, he couldn't help himself, at least for one last minute. He boarded an airplane after Raw at the end of April, placing headphones in his ears and leaning his head against the window. Just as they began to climb into the sky, his eyes fluttered shut with one last thought going through his mind: 'I wish you were here, Bayley.'

Once Finn made it to the arena on April 26, 2016 for Smackdown, it was game time. He had been on the Main Roster for about a month now, and he, Neville, and Cesaro made very little progress in fighting against the Authority. The stress and the pressure was on, especially for Finn.

"You're new, Bálor, so you don't know how things are run around here," Triple H had said to him on April 11 - Monday Night Raw - Bálor's mind thinking that segment. Finn was in the center of the ring ready to fight against an unannounced opponent when Triple H came out by himself, saying that he 'always respected him' and 'enjoyed watching him on NXT,' but that 'wasn't the reason why' he was there. "You want to help old NXT friends? Be my guest; that's your prerogative. But here's the difference between the WWE and NXT; up here, there are consequences for your actions, especially for when you want to defy your boss. And since not everybody in the audience knows who you are, let's give them that chance." He smiled that cheesy, Triple H grin as he leaned forward to further explain. "You'll get your match tonight. In fact, you'll get a match guaranteed every Raw and Smackdown between today and Extreme Rules on May 1 - only on the WWE Network. But you know, I'm just not satisfied with simply handing you matches; you need a reason to keep fighting and to keep winning. So Finn, if you lose any of your seven matches, I will send you back to NXT, and you will never be called back up here -" Finn remembered the dismay of the crowd upon hearing this news while his heart skipped a beat and his body shuddered in response. "- and your buddies, Neville and Cesaro, will be out of a job. But I'm sure you will have no trouble winning every single match. Think twice next time before you try to challenge us. If there's a next time." Hunter slowed his speech to emphasize 'every single match.' He finished his speech by saying: "Oh, just so everybody is clear on things, if Neville or Cesaro try to come out to help you in any of your matches, consider yourself a permanent resident of NXT," before laughing at his own genius and leaving the scene. The Cerebral Assassin just struck, snaking his way inside the head of his once precious NXT 'child.'

Finn made it this far, winning five out of his seven matches, but by no means were they easy feats to accomplish. His first match was against four-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Sheamus, a fellow Irishman. He knew this man well, having previously fought against him and winning, and yet he was still winded afterward. Standing at six-foot-six, two-hundred-and-sixty-seven pounds, Sheamus was nothing but muscle, and he hit hard. Then it was Rusev that Finn had to beat, another big, meaty fellow who also packed a punch. An interference by Lana made Finn nearly lose the match; he only got the pinfall through a small package. Then it was the likes of Alberto Del Rio, whose top rope enzuigiri kicks were second to none; Finn nearly fell on his head after taking a hit from one. There was also Tyler Breeze, a man he had fought time and time again back on NXT; the two of them had a history of beating one another down, especially when it came to the NXT Championship that Finn had ultimately won. Lastly on Monday, he faced Big Show; while he was a large opponent with a dangerous Knock Out Punch that awaited him at every turn, it took a few rope-grip enzuigiri kicks and a final Coup de Grâce to finish him. Tonight, Bálor faced Mark Henry. All he had to do was get through this match, and an unknown at Extreme Rules, and that would be the end of his 'punishment.' He, Cesaro, and Neville would be free if he could just get through this.

"Hey, Bálor," Neville said, breaking Finn's focus; Finn had been in the locker room area and was slowly tying white tape over his wrists and fingers when the Man That Gravity Forgot entered the room. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he responded, not looking at him. Neville stayed behind him and seemed almost nervous as he had been for the past few weeks. He had no doubt that Finn could pull through, but when it came to the Authority, he had a sunken feeling in the pit of his stomach; they were notorious for their shenanigans. "Not too many matches left."

"No matter what happens, Fergal, I appreciate what you've done. I didn't mean for you to get stuck with the dirty work." This caught Finn off-guard; how long had it been since he was called his birth name? Bálor sighed; he didn't want to be called that here.

"Don't worry about it, …Ben."

"There's no pressure. Just do what you can. Cesaro and I have the utmost faith in you. And if the Authority interferes, make sure the ref sees it."

The demon inside Bálor began to stir. Finn's head twitched as he cracked his neck and sighed. "I know what to do, Neville," he said a little bit rudely.

"…sorry. I get nervous with these matches."

"I'm the one that's got to worry about them," Finn snapped, the demon forcing him to stand up and turn around to face Neville. "Lay off." His eyes were wild as his eyebrows pointed and his face tensed. Neville was taken aback from this strange harshness from his once gentle friend; he wasn't cracking under pressure, was he? After a moment, Finn blinked and shook his head, surprised at his own actions. "…sorry about that. Just a little bit stressed." He mouthed the words: 'that never happened before' to himself as he felt his stomach twist.

"…I understand. It hasn't exactly been easy for you," Neville said as he took a few steps back. "I'll see you around. Good luck, mate." And with that, he was gone.

'What the hell was that?' Finn thought to himself. He never lashed out at one of his friends like that before; if he were annoyed with someone, he took it out to the ring with him and fought it out. Where did this anger come from?

Finn prepared himself in the gorilla position before his match. He came out first, and then the World Strongest Man.

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall," said Eden Stiles, the Smackdown ring announcer. "Introducing first, from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, weighing in at one-hundred-and-ninety pounds. Finn Bálor!" The crowd announced their glee for the man before letting Eden continue. "And his opponent, from Silsbee, Texas, weighing in at three-hundred-and-ninety-nine pounds, Mark Henry!"

'Channel your anger, Finn…' He thought to himself.

The bell rang, and immediately Bálor jumped forward to start attacking, banging his forearm against Henry's head. Henry staggered back a step or two, but the man did not fall; instead, he was able to push Bálor away, forcing space between the two as the former NXT Champion slammed against his back, flipped over, and landed on his face. It was all too easy for the World's Strongest Man. Finn propped himself up on his elbows, a little stunned at the sheer power of Mark Henry. The man himself stared at Bálor for a moment before grabbing his head, making him stand on his own two feet, and shoving him into the turnbuckles so he could climb up to the second ropes and hit him from above. Half the crowd counted the number of punches Henry delivered while the other half yelled "no!" with every punch. After the tenth hit, Finn slowly began to slide down until he was practically sitting on the floor, a bit dazed. Henry eventually let him be to antagonize the crowd a little bit, raising his arms outward as he embraced the oncoming boos. He returned to the corner, his enormous hands grabbing Finn by the throat and raising him to his feet, Finn's head somewhat spinning. Mark let one his hands free and slapped it hard against Finn's bare chest, a large red handprint immediately present. Finn let out a yelp as he felt the hit tremble down his body. Again Mark hit him in the same place, and again, and again, and again, a total of five times. Finn's skin was not only red but now it became bruised; Mark released his grip on him, and he fell straight into his arms. It was all too easy for Henry to just pick him up and hold him way over his head, Finn being over seven feet in the air before being dropped from that height and landing right on his face. Immediately he flopped like a fish out of water, the pain radiating from his entire front side. Mark shook his head as he grabbed Finn by the back of the neck and threw him back into the corner turnbuckles.

"Come on, big man," Mark said, grabbing his throat again. "You can do so much better than this."

"You can do so much better than this" rang in Bálor's ears; those words were once uttered by the Submission Specialist, Samoa Joe, in their rematch, and for some reason, it startled him. His pupils dilated, his heart started to beat faster, and adrenaline sped through his veins. Something deep within him woke up as he could feel his pulse in his ears and his cheeks, his body trembling as he felt this sudden power stir within him. Only when he unleashed the demon did he feel this way, but for some reason it was coming out now without the theatrics of his body paint; something had changed within him, and all he could think about was winning.

Finn stared at Mark with wide blue eyes for a moment, a devilish grin growing on his lips as he slammed his head against Henry's forehead and using his leg power to reach up to hit him in the head. The World's Strongest Man stepped back a bit, surprised by this sudden burst of energy and even released his grip on him, but that didn't stop him. Henry glared at Bálor before knocking his forearm into his opponent's face. Bálor returned to the corner, his chest against the turnbuckles as Henry, rather quickly, wrapped his arms around Finn's waist and threw him overhead in a German Suplex. Finn appeared to have landed harshly on the back of his neck, his hands immediately caressing it. Henry snorted and bent down to go for a pin, however Finn was quicker; as soon as Henry stepped in front of him, Finn stood and utilized a European Uppercut, and then a Tornado Enzuigiri, his foot stunning Mark immediately and dropping him to one knee. With him momentarily uneasy, Finn took the time to hit the ropes to gain momentum, running at Henry before hitting him in the chest with a Front Drop Kick. Just like that, he was laid out for the count. Quickly gaining the upper hand, Finn took Mark by the head, the adrenaline allowing him the strength to force him on his feet - much as Henry did to him in the beginning of the match - and lifting the nearly four-hundred pound man in the air for a never-before-seen - on the Main Roster, that is - Bloody Sunday. Henry's back slammed against the mat, and immediately Finn went for the pin.

"One, two, three!" In what was surely a strange twist of events, the audience just saw a side of Finn Bálor that even he didn't know he had in this form. There was a multitude of cheers for the Irishman, but for him to have won so quickly was an absolute shock as well. Finn stayed in the ring for a minute, leaning on his knees as he tried to clear his vision. As his heart slowed down, his vision became clear again, and laying across from him was Mark Henry. The last thing that he remembered was being knocked into a corner and beaten down by this man, but now he lay unmoving in front of him. Was the match over already? Did he win?

Bálor was left to ponder the events of what just happened for only a second; the COO of the WWE decided to pay him a visit, and this time he was not alone. The Intercontinental Champion and the WWE World Heavyweight Champion - Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, respectively - decided to tag along, each with microphones in hand.

"Congratulations, Bálor," said Ambrose. "You beat a total of six people, and the people still love you. You're a hero!" The sarcasm was strong in his voice, and Finn could only look up at him with a look of confusion.

"Yes, congratulations, Finn," said Triple H. "Now, all you need is your opponent for Extreme Rules, and today is your lucky day. See, I could have made you wait until the day of, but for putting on such an…interesting match, I decided to cut you a bit of a break; I'm a nice guy after all." He smiled.

Both Dean and Roman began to slowly walk toward the ring and slowly stalked the perimeter, trapping the exhausted man in a way that felt reminiscent to their Shield days. All that was missing was Seth Rollins.

"Gee, you've faced a good chunk of our allies, Finn," said Roman. "I wonder who you could possibly face… What do you think, Dean? Could his opponent be, perhaps… his old buddy, Sami Zayn?"

"Surely he can't face his friend…but no, that would be way too easy for him," Dean said, smirking as his blue eyes stared at Finn as if he were prey. "Roman, tell me… is it Samoa Joe? Everyone here knows he can't beat him to save his skin…"

Roman shook his head but chuckled under his breath. "That's a great guess, Deano… but luckily for Finny boy, that's not his opponent."

The boys slipped into the ring from under the ropes, creeping toward Finn who had not moved since the end of the match. He didn't know who to look at, as Dean was on his right and Roman to his left. The only thing he could possibly feel at the moment was just pure exhaustion; he was seconds away from passing out.

"I don't think the poor lad can handle all the suspense, Roman… throw him a bone here."

Roman crawled his way until he was a few steps away from Finn, then stood up and looked down on him. "Your opponent on Sunday…is me." Like two snakes, 'Ambreigns' went in for the attack and starting beating and humiliating the former NXT Champion. They grabbed the back of his neck and shoved it to the mat, rubbing his face in it for a good minute, Finn's face beginning to burn. They let him go only to kick him further into the mat, his back becoming just as red as his chest was, before Dean picked him up. Once Finn was steadily on his feet, Roman let out a roar and speared him back down. The blunt force sent the two men back a few feet. Roman ran his hand through his hair, and picked Bálor up again, this time for Dean, who hooked his arms under Finn's. Roman let go and backed off, and Dean sent Bálor's head into the mat with Dirty Deeds.

He couldn't move anymore. Finn was laid out and 'Ambreigns' stood over his body, laughing at what they did to him.

"See you on Sunday, Finny," Roman said, throwing his microphone on Finn's back, Dean simply throwing it over his shoulder as the two men left the ring. The last thing Finn heard was the booing of the crowd.

Referees had to come help him up. He felt a cool compress against his forehead, waking him up almost immediately, and he noticed he was still in the middle of the ring. Finn's body still ached, even more so after the aftermath had ceased. As referees gently took his arms and helped get him back on his feet, he heard the crowd chanting his name and even clapping.

"Finn! Are you still with us?" The familiar voice of Cesaro greeted the former NXT Champion as soon as he left the ring. He opened his eyes and saw Cesaro and even Neville, concerned expressions written all over their faces. Finn nodded in response, feeling uncertain about the quality of his voice at that moment.

"Here, we can take you back to the locker room," Neville said to the referees; both men replaced them and very smoothly brought him to the back.

Once they were safely out of sight from the crowd, Finn had to say something. "Something happened in the match tonight…" His voice was weak and cracked slightly, but he was understandable.

"What do you mean?" asked Cesaro.

"I think I blacked out… I don't remember beating Henry at all…" Cesaro and Neville looked at each other. "It felt like the demon took over, but I wasn't in paint."

"You looked fine out there," said Neville. "You just…really kicked his arse at the end."

"Do you remember what happened after the match?" Cesaro asked, letting Finn sit on a bench in the locker room.

"I remember that perfectly. Dean and Roman beating me down… I couldn't do a damn thing about it."

"You just need to take it easy for a few days, clear your head. You're exhausted, Bálor," said Cesaro.

Finn nodded. Maybe that was it. Maybe he was just imagining things. Maybe the demon didn't escape him after all and he just… 'channeled' his anger.

May 2, 2016, Extreme Rules. Finn's match was in the middle of the card. His body was recovering well, and he tried to forget about what happened on Smackdown; he could do this. He hadn't even felt that overwhelming feeling in the pit of his stomach since that match, so to him, that was a sign that he was okay. All he had to do now was to just get through this one last match, and then he and his friends would be safe.

Finn came out first, and entered the ring, taking off his leather jacket and giving it to the referee. His blue eyes were fixated on the titantron, focusing and thinking of the many ways that he could strike Roman down and make him feel every ounce of pain that he felt. Champion or not, Finn didn't care.

Roman's theme hit, and for some unique reason, he decided to come out from the main entrance instead of from above. He walked out with his championship in hand before stopping in front of the ramps, looking at the crowd and smirking confidently at them, and throwing his precious championship over his right shoulder. He walked with a particular swagger and slipped into the ring; with both hands, he looked at the camera and held up the WWE World Heavyweight Championship high above his head, his lips curled into a certain smile as if he already knew the outcome of the match. Finn's face was unbreakable as he gazed over at his opponent while Roman couldn't help but laugh. This skinny Irishman thought that he stood a chance against the Samoan Thor; was he out of his damn mind? But Finn had no doubt; he didn't need to go the route of the demon to stand toe-to-toe with him. Not tonight, and not that way.

"The following contest is scheduled for one-fall," said Lilian Garcia, the ring announcer. "Introducing first, from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, weighing in at one-hundred-and-ninety pounds, Finn Bálor!" He remained focused on Roman instead of acknowledging the audience. "And his opponent, from Pensacola, Florida, weighing in at two-hundred-and-sixty-five pounds, he is the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Roman Reigns!" Roman looked right back at Finn and raised his chin so his eyes could look down upon his challenger. The bell rang, and neither man jumped forward for the initial move. It was hard to believe that they were just allies back in September, a mere eight months ago. The two men circled each other, Finn very light on his feet but kept his arms up as a form of defense. Roman was very relaxed on the other hand, just waiting the moment where Finn came to him so he could strike. The gap between them quickly began to close, and soon they were grappling. The champion laughed as Finn struggled to push back; Roman gave him a few moments before easily being able to shove him in a corner. He laughed at the struggle and the marvelousness of his own power.

"You like this?" Roman said to the crowd, slapping the palm of his hand against Finn's chest. Finn yelped and brushed past his opponent, crouching over much the way wrestlers do when they take a chop. Roman stalked him for a moment, creeping closer and closer until there wasn't much distance between them, just the way Finn wanted it. Once the champion got close enough, Finn jumped backward and swung his foot into Roman's head for the Pelé kick. It caught him off guard, but the move wasn't enough to do much damage. Finn made it back to his feet, and the two men stared each other down once again.

The Samoan Thor pointed his index finger at the former NXT Champion and with it, told him to come hither. "Come on, champ," he said. "Oh wait, that's right…you're not one anymore." Bálor's eyes squinted into a glare as he leaped froward. The battle finally began.

The two men stuck it out like a couple of warriors; Bálor had stiff enzuigiri kicks, and his weight allowed him more flexibility to unleash maneuvers like the tope con hilo and moonsaults, while Reigns responded with more powerful moves such as the running powerbomb and German Suplex. Ten minutes, fifteen minutes all past, and neither men wanted to give into the other. While Reigns was surprised that Bálor had the stamina to keep fighting against him for so long, he kept his cool. Reigns remained the man in control of the match, and he watched his opponent use the ropes, struggling to pull himself back up to his feet.

"Just give up, Finn," he said, forcing Finn to look him the eyes. "You're a loser. You don't belong on my turf up here; go back down to NXT and stay down there!" With surprising agility, Roman wrapped his arms around Bálor's ribcage and threw him overhead in a Belly-to-Belly suplex. Finn slammed hard and didn't move.

"This is it…" Jerry Lawler on commentary said. "It was nice to meet you, Finn!"

Reigns leisurely went for the pin as referee Charles Robinson began to count.

"One, two-!" At the very last minuscule of a second, Bálor found the strength to push out, even if it was just barely. Roman, frustrated at this pointed, tried to go for the pin, but failed at the two count as well. He stood up, making Finn do the same and pushed him toward the ropes. Finn's back hit against the ropes, but using its momentum, he jumped up in the air and landed a clothesline on Reigns, causing him to fall backward. Finn landed on his feet as Roman stood back up only for his opponent to hit him with the same clothesline, over and over. Finn brought Reigns to his feet this time and pushed him toward the ropes - Roman reversed it so Finn was the one hitting the ropes - but managed to bring him down with a Sling Blade, one of the smoothest he's ever executed in his whole career. He felt the roar of the crowd as well as his own heart racing in his chest, finally feeling the energy and the will to continue.

"Get up, Roman!" He yelled. The tides had turned and now it was time for Bálor to get an advantage, and no less over the Heavyweight Champion. Roman got up but Bálor was hitting him with double ax handles and drop kicks. It all staggered him, but it wasn't taking him down, so Finn had to elevate himself. He climbed to the top ropes as his opponent's back was turned to him and waited to strike. Roman turned toward him and with impressive agility, Finn was able to hit a missile drop kick, finally taking down the champion. As quickly as he could, he went for the pin.

"One, two-!" Roman kicked out, and Finn let out a deep sigh. What was it going to take?

He didn't have to worry; the lights went black in the following second along with the sound of the cutting of a record. A single lit lantern was held by a man in a red velvet cloak, a hood covering his face. He had two followers behind him, also with red velvet cloaks and hoods over their heads. They slowly made the way to the middle of the ramp, but moved no farther. The lights came back on and Finn's eyes were fixated on the cloaked men. Who were they? But as soon as he turned around, a heavily bearded man who wore a fedora on his head wrapped an arm around Bálor's neck, kissed his forehead, and slammed his face into the mat beside him. The bell rang immediately, and by DQ, Finn won the match. Roman left the ring with his championship in hand, shrugging his shoulders as if he were completely innocent in all this.

The man was Bray Wyatt, and by a technicality, he saved Finn and his friends. But this was so much more than just about saving these three men; no, this was a whole new atmosphere. Bálor's body gave out as Bray and his cloaked family gathered around him. Bray dropped to his knees, his face eerily happy, letting out a sickeningly loud laughter and throwing his head back. His arms reached outward beside him as he yelled his last few words:

"FOLLOW THE BUZZARDS."

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