Post by Peter Vaughn on Jul 15, 2023 22:03:49 GMT -5
Things have taken a turn for the worse in Peter Vaughn's life.
He's already been experiencing delusions, hallucinations, and other effects, not knowing the cause of where they come. He's been searching for a way to cure himself, to put himself back into the perfect condition that has led to so much success in the wrestling business. There haven't been many he's leaned on for support. One of those, though, has been the half-brother he discovered last year, Thomas Hill. A man who some would say has been a good influence on him. A man who has been willing to always stand by him.
A man who is now in the hospital, fighting for his life, after cultists went after Vaughn for his recent journey into Hell.
Now, Vaughn has choices to make, as he prepares for the biggest match of his career.
~The machine continues its steady beeping. It's rather monotonous, really, and could easily have been silenced. It usually is, so that it's not a disturbance to the patient. But in this case, that's not an issue. The picture shifts from the machine over to the bed nearby, where Thomas Hill is currently laying, unconscious. Somehow, despite a terrible stabbing wound deep in his side, Thomas still clings to life. Sitting near him, staring down, is his half-brother, Peter Vaughn, who has patches over some of his own wounds received during the furious fight that followed the stabbing. He stares down at Thomas, quietly watching him, as the nurse comes in for the hourly check of her patient, beginning her shift.~
Nurse: Good morning, sir. Have you been here all night?
~Vaughn doesn't say anything. He just keeps staring down at Thomas, watching him. The nurse shrugs, having seen it all before. She steps to the side, punching into the computer nearby to record some data. In the meantime, Vaughn's focus is away from her. He's not ignoring her, though. He's trying to ignore someone else.~
"Peter Vaughn": You helped cause this, Peter.
~Behind Vaughn, we can see a figure seeming to lean over him. The younger version of Peter Vaughn shakes his head sadly, as if concerned for Thomas Hill himself. But he doesn't move towards him. Instead, the vision steps to the right, working his way in front of Vaughn.~
"Peter Vaughn": You knew that there would be consequences to going to Hell. But you did it anyway, and not just to save your 'friend' Outcast. You wanted to get rid of me so bad that you didn't care what would happen, did you? But I know you, Peter. You didn't think it would harm someone else. Just yourself. Didn't you?
~Again, Vaughn doesn't answer. He keeps his eyes locked on the bed, pretending that what he's seeing isn't there. But it's very hard to ignore the voice when it's coming from inside your own head.~
"Peter Vaughn": So you really think this Chalice of Hygieia is worth it? What if something worse happens? What if it's something that you absolutely can't live with? Are you still willing to do it?
~With that, Vaughn stands up, patting his half-brother's shoulder. He turns and looks back to the nurse, still avoiding eye contact with the younger version of him.~
Peter Vaughn: So you'll take good care of him, right?
Nurse: Of course, sir. That's my job.
Peter Vaughn: Remember, spare no expense. I can cover any medical bills, no matter how high they go.
Nurse: Insurance will cover a lot of it, but it is good to know this man has someone who cares about him.
~The nurse smiles, but Vaughn doesn't return it. He glances back over at Thomas, with a wave of emotions crossing his face. Is it anger? Sadness? Guilt? It's extremely hard to read. He then nods, before turning and walking out of the room. The nurse shakes her head, then goes back to her notes. As she does so, we can see the fading spirit still standing there above Thomas Hill's bed.~
"Peter Vaughn": I tried, Thomas...
~The figure then disappears, as we cut away.~
Sometimes it feels like you're in a no-win situation.
A good example of that is this week's match on Brawl. For some, strange reason, Chris Page made the decision to place me in a Handicap match. Now, to be sure, many would say I'm on the right side of the odds. Almost anyone out there would take being three fighters taking on two, having the advantage. But in this case, almost all of you would be wrong.
Let's take a closer look at this one. On one side, you have the upstart loudmouth who bitched his way into a title shot, Joe Montouri. Good ol' J Mont cried his eyes out for a long while, doing whatever it takes, and despite my best efforts, Page decided to reward him for it. Along with J-Mutt is his pal, Sonya Benson, another complaining liar who will do anything to win. Let's face it, I admire that part of her, but as for the rest, she's become one of the most annoying people in wrestling.
Still, both of them are wrestlers, and both of them appear to be on the same page, don't they? They've been helping each other lie, cheat, and steal to victory. Hell, Benson would have lost her title for sure if J Mont hadn't gotten involved. She still will, but she still owes the doofus.
Now let's look on my side. I've got Flash Rotten, a non-wrestler who really stands no chance in that ring from what I've seen. I could be wrong, maybe he's a secret MMA fighter or something in the line of Butterbean, but I'm not expecting that to be the truth. The only plus for Rotten is that he's taunted J-Moist so much that he's probably going to be unfocused in our fight.
And then I have Jimmy Caedus, a complete schmuck who has already betrayed me before when we were supposed to be on the same team. Obviously, I have no reason to trust a murderer and sadist like him.
So again, who's the handicapped team here?
Clearly, my best strategy is going to be end this one as quickly as possible. If I can send J-Milk flying over the ropes and cause him to crash down on his skull, well, it won't incapacitate him long, since he doesn't use his brain much anyway. But it could stun him long enough for me to take ol' Sonya and give her the Revenged, planting her and quickly getting the pin before Rotten has a chance of screwing things up, or Jimmy has the chance to attack me again. It's really the only path I see to victory.
The other solution would be to just not show up, but for some reason, I don't do no-shows anymore when I can help it. After all, I'm the WGWF World Heavyweight Champion. I've held this belt since the beginning of the year, and for it to mean something, I've got to step forward, even if the odds appear to be against me. I can't back down. I WON'T back down.
Because I'll still do anything and everything to get a victory.
Hell, maybe if I hit my opponents with a car before the match, I can make J-Mount a hood ornament. That would also get the job done, wouldn't it? It wouldn't make the bosses happy, but it would put a smile on my face.
I guess, J, you should probably watch your back as soon as you get to the arena. Same for you, Sonya.
And same for you, Jimmy, because collateral damage is always a possibility.
As for Rotten, well... good luck, boyo.
~We now find ourselves back at the PMV ranch, where we see one of Vaughn's top ranch hands, Sadie, making her way inside the main homestead. She walks through the kitchen into the living room, where we see Vaughn in the midst of bringing out two pieces of luggage. He sets them to the side, then moves off, ignoring an attempt at comfort from Sadie. She watches him move away, grabbing something from the nearby table, and you can see on her face her feelings for Peter coming through. Unfortunately, Vaughn's never acknowledged her in that way. He's never really had the capability to.~
Sadie: I heard about your brother, Peter. I'm so sorry.
~Vaughn just gives a quick grunt, as he works to fold up a map that he had on the table. He puts it in his pocket, before collecting a few more items.~
Sadie: Are you okay, Peter? Do you need anything from me? What can I do to help?
~After a few seconds, Vaughn looks over at her. He seems to be thinking things over.~
Peter Vaughn: You can give me a ride to the airport. That would save me putting Gabriella in a parking garage.
~Confused, Sadie steps back, once again taking in the sight of Vaughn's luggage. One of the bags is a pretty hefty backpack, made for tough explorations of unknown places.~
Sadie: Where... where are you going?
Peter Vaughn: A few different places in the near future, for sure. But the main one will be going to Greece. I'm glad I keep my passport up to date, due to so many shows going overseas lately.
Sadie: You're going to be leaving the country? What about Thomas?
Peter Vaughn: What about him?
Sadie: What abo-.... he NEEDS you right now!
~Sadie looks shocked, not believing what she's hearing, but Vaughn just moves towards his luggage, putting in a few more packages that he had picked up.~
Peter Vaughn: I've left Thomas in the best of hands. I also arranged for some security, just in case, although I don't think anyone would come after him.
Sadie: It's not just about his medical care, Peter! When he wakes up...
Peter Vaughn: IF he wakes up...
Sadie: He will... of course he will... and he'll want to see you there when he does!
~Vaughn seems to hesitate for a second, before lifting up his backpack and putting it on his shoulder. He grabs the other bag, then turns to Sadie.~
Peter Vaughn: Last chance to give me a ride.
~All Sadie can do is stare at her boss, the man she's had a crush on for almost a year now. He shrugs.~
Peter Vaughn: Alright then. Keep the ranch running smoothly, Sadie. I'll see you again. Soon.
~Vaughn then turns and heads out the door, making his way towards his truck. Sadie just watches him go, still badly conflicted. We slowly fade out.~
People who know me know that I'm a problem solver.
When I found myself leaving OCW, I solved that problem by winning multiple World Titles at the same time, immediately making a name for myself.
When I faced adversity in multiple feds, I roared back, forming groups that worked for me to fight all the way back to the top.
When Jimmy stole War Games from us and J Muck stole my title, I put everything into position to get revenge on both of them, and the fact that I'm wearing my belt again while J-Mess is wearing diapers shows that everything worked out.
When Terry Marshall turned on me in TPW, taking away my championship, I put together a plan that has Terry on the outside, his brother Alexander in charge, and myself back at the top of the federation.
Obviously, I know how to use strategy and planning to make myself successful.
So those who think my time in the WGWF is coming to an end should really be rethinking their situation. I know it seems like everything is coming together against me, but I'm not backing down. I'm going to fight to continue my reign, and to do that, I have to survive Brawl in one piece. Sure, it works to the strategy of the JJ's to turn on me and try to take me out. They both know they can't beat me one-on-one, after all.
But any plan Jimmy & J-Mouse make, it won't be enough. They aren't stopping me. I'm going to do everything in my power to make Brawl successful, even if that means Rotten getting dropped on top of Sonya and squashing her for the pin. That'd be another great photo for Kim's wall, I think.
I'm coming to Brawl, ladies and gentlemen, and I'm not coming to play fair. I'm coming to win. Whoever ends up getting in my way? They're going to regret it.
And, most likely, they're going to take the Plunge.