Mask of The Fiend (Patreon)

There was something evil causing terror backstage at the touring circus that was the WWE. Nobody knew when The Fiend would strike but when he did he took people down with a vicious Mandible Claw, leaving both legends and fresh talent down for the count. Finn Bálor had often described himself as the man without fear and even he felt a chill rush through him whenever he saw that horrific mask - the pale white contrasted against the blood red. The worst part of it all was that nobody knew who was under that mask; they were a total enigma and one that struck fear into the hearts of even the bravest man. Finn wasn’t so easily beaten though and he swore to both unmask the Fiend and beat them where it counted - in the wrestling ring!

When he discovered the Fiend’s mask in the locker room, Finn hoped that it might provide some clues to who was behind the mysterious attacks. As his fingers closed around the mask and raised it from the bench though, a shiver ran down Finn’s spine and crawled through every inch of his body. A sudden sensation swept over him, almost indescribable in nature but ever so clearly wrong. His hands were glued to the mask and even as his brain suggested that he drop it back to the bench, he instead brought it up closer to his face. The Irishman was unable to stop himself from placing the mask over his handsome features, where it seemed to lock itself behind his head by itself.

Almost immediately Finn felt a burning warmth build inside of him, growing hotter and hotter with each moment. His body pulsated and even began to expand, his trademark abs losing their definition as he began to sprout a gut that was better lifting of a powerlifter or a linebacker than a hyper-athletic cruiserweight wrestler. His shoulders and arms followed a similar pattern, rapidly gaining bulk as the ink of tattoos began to form, giving him two complete sleeves that traveled up across the back of his thick neck. His legs similarly began to pile on pounds, thickening out to tree trunk proportions with his feet bursting out of the tight wrestling boots he had been wearing.

Breathing became a difficult task and came out through the mask as something of a wheeze. Words were out of the question altogether, any attempt instead produced deep animalistic growls. The mask felt like it had entirely fused to his face - as he reached back behind his head he failed to find the straps that should have been there.

Finn’s short dark hair began to grow out, braid and lighten, until it became thin blond dreadlocks. The hair was greasy and unkempt, a far cry from his usual pristine appearance. He’d always laughed off being accused of being a pretty boy but the truth was he took great pride in his looks and kept a very strict diet in order to keep himself trim as well as an equally strict skincare routine to ensure that he was ready for promo pictures at any given moment. It was a well known fact that the best looking guys got championship opportunities more often after all.

The bright blue of Finn’s eyes changed to a deep orange, the pupils a fiery red, all as he stared down at his changed body. He had gained ninety-five pounds of mass, making him much heavier than he had ever been in his life - or ever wanted to be! He was horrified by the monster of a man he had become, even scared of his sudden transformation, but those feelings soon began to feel muted as a new voice started to whisper in the back of his mind. The voice took away his fear and fed him new urges: fight, break, torment. 

Although he knew he had to fight back against The Fiend’s voice in his mind, Finn simply didn’t have the strength to combat such a foe. The Fiend was beyond anything he had ever dealt with: a genuine supernatural threat who saw fit to move from host to host and cause chaos at every turn. It saw a real future with Finn as its host though - he wasn’t regarded as the ‘Extraordinary Man’ for nothing, and he’d never been afraid to tap into his own dark side. The Fiend could use that and all too happily began consuming the man’s mind and memories to fuel its power. It would grow bigger and stronger than ever, feeding off the fear that spread so easily among men who falsely claimed to be brave.

Eventually there was nothing left of the man known as Finn Bálor. He had been entirely corrupted and consumed by The Fiend and he was ready to break the spirit of any foolish man who dared step up to him!