Post by Peter Vaughn on Jun 1, 2023 10:30:02 GMT -5
May 28th, 2023
~The pictures opens up on a shot of Peter Vaughn, sitting behind the wheel of his favorite ride, Gabriella. He adjusts the brand-new mirror above the dashboard, then drives forward, taking the entry ramp.~
Navigator: Continue on US-287 for 185 miles.
~The voice is not the standard GPS navigator you normally hear. It's a bit more familiar: the voice of Sigourney Weaver, star of Aliens, Avatar, & Ghostbusters. Clearly, Vaughn has spared no expense for his best 'girl'. But he barely seems to be paying attention to the directions. He's on autopilot, using the long drive to think back on the chaotic events of the last few days, as well as what's to come.~
May 20th, 2023
~We flash back to a week before, as Vaughn stands before three of the best wrestlers in the world today. Mac Bane, the One-Man Wrecking Crew, a dominating force wherever he goes. Mark Flynn, the dominator of the XWF, and Vaughn's erstwhile tag-team partner. And Cholo, the WGWF Intercontinental Champion, the present & future of the business. None look particularly confident at the image shown below them: the vision of a Hall of Famer in Hell. Outcast's blood-soaked face fills the mirror below, a vision that cost Vaughn a great deal to channel up.~
Mac Bane: THAT’S where Outcast is? What the fuck can we do??
~Vaughn forces aside his own misgivings, putting on his bravest smile as he faces his team.~
Peter Vaughn: We go get him.
~Vaughn turns, walking over to a nearby dry-erase board, where numerous items have been written all over it. It's chaotic, but it's a controlled chaos, as Vaughn knows everything he's looking at.~
Peter Vaughn: Thanks to Mac's contact, Maria, we've got all the knowledge we need to find our path to Christian Cain. It won't be easy. We're going to need to collect several items in order to open a passageway, and that's only to get us to the battleground at Hell's Gate. That's going to be a hell of a fight, pun intended. But it's necessary, and I have every faith that you all will be able to help me pull this off.
~Flynn, shaking his head, steps forward first.~
Mark Flynn: I have to say, Vaughnie... I don't think this guy is worth the trouble.
Peter Vaughn: Let me be perfectly clear, Mark: we can't win this without Outcast. He's essential. He has to be freed.
Cholo: Cholo understands, Pedro, but this plan seems extreme. We thought you were going back in time to get him. What happened to that plan?
Peter Vaughn: That plan? ....
~For a second, Vaughn's face goes expressionless, as he thinks back to what was...~
Time Unknown
~We see what looks to be a barren wasteland. What's left of civilization lies in pieces around them. Vaughn, wearing heavy-duty gear and carrying an AK-47, turns and looks over the destruction. Beside him, a man begins to laugh, as Vaughn spins back to glare at him.~
J-Mont: Face it, Vaughn: you need me. You need me to help you undo this world you created by bringing him here.
~J-Mont points behind them, to where a younger-looking Outcast is sitting, his head in his hands.~
J-Mont: You destroyed reality, Vaughn. Let's fix it, so I can get my title shot.
Peter Vaughn: I'd rather go to Hell.
~J-Mont laughs, as he begins walking ahead, with Vaughn reluctantly grabbing Outcast and bringing him along with them. We fade back out...~
May 20th, 2023
~Vaughn involuntarily shudders for a second, before refocusing on Cholo.~
Peter Vaughn: Let's just say that Plan A... didn't work out. We're on Plan B now.
~Mac steps up, nodding in Vaughn's direction.~
Mac Bane: Alright, Peter. You know we trust you. We'll get this done.
Peter Vaughn: Glad to hear you say that, Mac, because I've got your first assignment. Maria said to assign it to you personally. How do you feel about a little... graverobbing?
~Vaughn points at an item on the left side of the board: a list of everything needed for the summoning of a gateway. The first listed is a piece of the tormented soul's physical remains. All three wrestlers raise their eyebrows, with Cholo, in particular, looking concerned. The camera moves back to the list, drifting down everything else listed there: a holy relic born of happiness; a treasured possession of one who was lost; and finally, a glorious memento of one's struggles in life. We cut away.~
So how you feeling, Jimmy? Gotten over your second loss to me yet?
I freely admit, I wasn't expecting the way things ended, either, although it WAS in my list of possible outcomes. What, you thought I was egging on J-Mont just for kicks? Unfortunately for you, all that matters is that, once again in the record books, it will say Peter Vaughn won a second Championship match over Jimmy Caedus. I know that's got to burn deep inside, like you ate a chili dog from a questionable food truck and are regretting your life decisions. I'm afraid it's something you're just going to learn how to live with... if you can. Some Tums might help.
Then again, I wonder if it's affecting more than just your gut.
Your team member choices were... unique. It felt like you decided that your only hope was to jump to the past when you'd been successful before, hoping that you'd restore that feeling of victoriousness. But, c'mon, Jimmy. Dolly Waters? You realize that every time she gets a taste of success, she falls apart? When's the last time she was able to hang onto an XWF championship for more than a few weeks? She might be in worse mental shape than you are, Jimmy.
Lycana? What's she got left in the tank? Hasn't she been leaving all the fighting up to others lately? I mean, I know you and her left the XWF around the same time and all, but that didn't mean you needed to bring her back with you. Seriously, you had several worthy options sitting RIGHT THERE, but you brought back a former mid-carder who may have seen her best times behind her? Terrible choice.
Robert Main? I mean, I understand the man used to be damn good. I've had some extreme battles with him, and I'll admit he's gotten the better of me in the past, one of the few who can say that. But that was then... in the past... when, y'know, he wrestled full-time and hadn't been sitting on a couch rubbing his remote while watching guys like me take over the wrestling world. Again, Jimmy, you might have been better off taking my time travel idea and pulling these guys from their prime...
Then again, I wouldn't recommend that. It might not end how you expect.
The one possibility you had of a bright spot for the future was Nova Skye. I have to say, I saw that as an inspired pick. I've seen her fight in TPW, where apparently you were until just recently. I was looking forward to fighting her for the first time. And then... you just couldn't make it happen. Instead, you got yourself saddled with Spencer Adams, the loud-mouth 'hero' that feels like he already belongs at the top of the company, after a few lucky dodges in a battle royale.
Seriously, I didn't arrange that handicap, so you can't blame me when it backfires horribly on you.
All-in-all, Jimmy, you've got your squad of has-been and never-was wrestlers, against five men who conceivably are the pinnacle of wrestling RIGHT NOW. Talk about a lopsided affair! And to think, you could have blocked some of it. You could have stopped me from getting Mac or Flynn. You could have chosen Freddie or Chris or James. But you went for "comfort food" rather than stocking up for the main course.
It's going to hurt when you get completely devoured, Jimmy. You really should have had a better strategy.
May 23rd, 2023
~The garage door slowly slides upwards, bringing light into the darkness. Vaughn steps forward, making his way into the storage unit, looking around at the stacks of dusty boxes built up in the space. He slowly makes his way in, considering everything laying in front of him, and then begins to shift boxes out of the way, looking for one in particular. He tosses a few aside, those marked with Fight!, Level Up, and PWV, amongst others. Finally, though, he finds what he's looking for: a large box with the scrawled identifier on it: OCW. Vaughn hefts the box up and heads to the side, blowing a layer of dust off of it before opening it. Inside, he finds what he was looking for: The OCW World Heavyweight Championship, as it was when he won it before the Purge of 2021. Vaughn lifts it up, admiring it for a moment, as his mind flashes back...~
October 10th, 2021
~We're at OCW Masters of Macabre in London, as Vaughn battles against the current champion, Outcast. We see Outcast in control, leaping from the top for his patented finisher, the OD. But Vaughn avoids it at the last second, then grabs Outcast into a small package, hanging on tightly as Scruff makes the three count. The crowd is completely shocked, with Vaughn himself looking stunned.~
Belvedere: Here is your winner...AND NEW OCW CHAMPION...PETER VAUGHN!!!!!
~Vaughn raises up his newly-earned gold, his first World Championship, as he looks over at the injured Outcast, meeting his eyes and seeing the intensity lurking behind them.~
May 23rd, 2023
~Vaughn shakes off the memory, pulling the OCW Championship fully out. He never returned it after the chaos that followed. But it's still a symbol, a memory from Outcast's life, that will prove invaluable in their current mission.~
"Peter Vaughn": You think so, huh, Peter?
~Straightening up quickly, Vaughn turns, looking at a mirror sitting to the side. In it, he can see himself, walking forward, even though he's not currently moving. Vaughn scowls, once again faced with visions he can't control.~
Peter Vaughn: Go away. I've got too much to deal with.
"Peter Vaughn": You know this is a suicide mission, don't you? There's little chance you're going to escape the Underworld.
Peter Vaughn: We've got a plan.
"Peter Vaughn": You forget, I AM you, Peter. And I know your true plan. I know why you're doing all of this, and it's not just for a teammate. You're risking everything for a whisper's chance of success, and I can't let you...
~The mirror suddenly shatters into a million pieces, with shards going everywhere. Vaughn walks up to it, reaching down and picking up the OCW Title he just flung at it.~
Peter Vaughn: Huh. Good for multiple uses.
~Vaughn turns and departs, shutting the door behind him. He heads for Gabriella, knowing he's got one more destination ahead before the journey into Hell, and it certainly won't be pleasant.~
May 25th, 2023
~The finger hesitates over the doorbell, but finally flicks forward, causing it to ring. The camera shifts, showing Vaughn standing in front of an unknown residence. He waits impatiently, rocking back and forth on his heels, before the door finally swings a few inches open, just enough to see the person there.~
Veronica Strader: Vaughn?
Peter Vaughn: Hello, Ronnie. Haven't seen you since you kicked my ass at Denzel's show.
Veronica Strader: ... You've got five seconds to tell me what this is about.
~There's the sound of a weapon cocking behind the door, making the deadline a little more meaningful.~
Peter Vaughn: I need to talk to you about Outcast... I might have found a way to bring him back...
~Slowly, the door opens wider, although the skepticism on Strader's face doesn't fade. Vaughn steps inside, shutting the door behind him. Vaughn then explains to Strader everything that's been going on: the discovery of Outcast in Hell, the battle plans to get him out, all of it. Strader listens quietly, taking it all in, before nodding to Vaughn.~
Veronica Strader: I'm coming with you.
Peter Vaughn: No, you're not.
Veronica Strader: That wasn't a question. I'm coming.
~Strader looks determined, knowing that the man she loved is in such a bad place. But Vaughn just shakes his head.~
Peter Vaughn: You have one strong reason for not going, Ronnie. She's right in that crib over there.
~Vaughn points over to the side, where we can see a sleeping child: Christian Michelle Strader-Cain, the daughter of Strader and Outcast. Strader's eyes soften, looking over at her.~
Peter Vaughn: This mission's success rate... well, let's just say we're already walking a tight-rope on that. And Outcast would never forgive me if I brought you in with me, when someone needs to be there for her.
~Strader lowers her head, recognizing the truth of this statement.~
Veronica Strader: Then why come? Why even tell me this, when it may not work?
Peter Vaughn: Because, Ronnie, well... I'm going to need something from you. From both of you. Something that just might be the ace in the hole to the rescue.
Veronica Strader: Name it.
~Vaughn does so, quietly, and after a few moments, Ronnie nods. She gets up, going to get what's needed, as Vaughn turns and looks down in the crib at the sleeping kid there. He stares at her for several seconds as we fade out.~
The innocence of children. It's pretty incredible, ain't it, Jimmy?
They'll get screwed up later, I'm sure, but for now? Pure innocence.
That's not something you and I can claim, is it? But then, I don't care about stuff like that. I care about success, and arranging whatever it takes to get myself and my team across that finish line.
No matter what style of match I'm involved in, I'm always planning ahead, making sure I find the best paths to success. That is truer in a War Games match than most, though, because strategy is going to be a huge part of this. I wonder, Jimmy: are you going to send yourself into the match first, thinking you can just charge through everyone who gets in your way? Or will you plan things out a little better than that, knowing that your stamina levels, eh, aren't exactly what they used to be?
Hey, it happens to everyone when they get older. You just can't last.
I've put together the perfect battle plan for my team. Of course, I won't tell you what it is, because, I mean, that'd be stupid. You're just going to guess whether I'm in there early or late, whether you start against speed & agility or raw, uncontrolled hardcore brawling. Maybe you'll change your plans on the fly to try and combat mine. I could see you doing that, making rash decisions and throwing off your team dynamic in order to try and match my brilliance.
By all means, do that. Give me another advantage along with everything else you've given me.
I talked a lot about the handicaps of the team members you chose, Jimmy, but the biggest handicap is the obvious one: you. Your mind just isn't fully focused like it should be. It's the reason you went around wearing a goofy mask in TPW. It's why you failed to see what was coming in WGWF. It's why parts of your family are missing, which, by the way, should have been your main concern, rather than, y'know, returning to wrestling.
Hell, even I'D be distracted if I couldn't find my half-brother. I can't imagine what it must be like to have a kid's whereabouts being unknown.
That kid's an innocent, too, after all. But hey, I guess a wrestling match is just as important, right?
Right?
And people call me a son of a bitch.
Overall, Jimmy? I hope you find your family. No lies, I truly hope for the best. But for our match? I'm not showing any sympathy. I'm not pulling any punches. I'm bringing my team and using them like bullets, shooting through your squad until no one's left standing, and Team Vaughn is shown to be the greatest force ever constructed in professional wrestling.
Will we be innocent? Hell no. But we'll be winners.
And you'll all have taken the Plunge.
May 28th, 2023
~The truck, Gabriella, pulls up in front of the Hell's Gate Wrestling School, outside of Grand Junction, Colorado. Vaughn gets out of the truck, shutting the door, and going to the back, where he lifts out a large bag. It appears to have several weapons sticking out of it, from barbed wire baseball bats to Vaughn's favorite tool, a 36-inch metallic wrench. He steps around the truck, turning to it and giving it a pat on the side.~
Peter Vaughn: If I don't make it back, Gabriella... live a good life with Thomas, okay?
~Vaughn then walks off, leaving Gabriella behind. He heads inside, where preparations have already been made for their expected journey. Vaughn drops the bag of tools & weapons to the ground, turning to the three men waiting there.~
Peter Vaughn: Looks like you were all successful. Good job. Are we ready for a trip to see Beelzebub?
~Nobody says anything. But Mac nods his head, pounding his taped-up fists together. Flynn smirks, always ready for a little insanity. Cholo takes a deep breath, then forces a smile on his face.~
Cholo: You say the word, Pedro.
~Vaughn grins, then turns to where the elements of the portal have been set up and are just awaiting the final incantations from Maria.~
Peter Vaughn: Let's go to Hell.
~Vaughn turns and starts walking, as the other members of the team fill in behind them. We watch them walk forward, in slow motion, four of the strongest, toughest wrestlers to ever walk the planet. The only question now is... will it be enough for them to storm the very walls of Hades itself?~