Post by Peter Vaughn on Aug 12, 2023 16:44:55 GMT -5
Lately, Peter Vaughn has been waging a war inside his own mind.
Continued hallucinations have pestered him, annoyed him, made him question his sanity. He's been followed by versions of himself, as well as men and women from his past, all causing him to fight to maintain focus in his pursuit of more championship glory. Now, with one of his biggest challenges on the horizon, Vaughn has opted to fight against these visions, but not with therapy or drugs. No, Vaughn seeks the quick fix, as he has for years. He seeks the fastest way to victory.
He seeks the Chalice of Hygieia.
This mystical artifact is said to bring sanity back to those who are broken. It can restore a person, removing the demons that are keeping them in a state of eternal nightmares. But the cup was lost, long ago, in the depths underneath the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus. Of those few who have seeked out the chalice... none have returned.
But Vaughn's never been one to shy away from a challenge...
~The picture arrives, staring down into a deep, dark pit. While a representation of Vaughn's current life, in this case, it's real. The pit seems to go on and on, down into the darkness. The camera shifts, showing Vaughn standing nearby, staring down into the vast crevasse. He's got a rope around one arm, a backpack around his shoulders, and a hard hat with a light on his head. He looks back behind him.~
Vaughn: And you're SURE this is the way to get down to the shrine?
~The man behind him, his face cloaked from view behind the cloth around his face, nods.~
Guide: The legend states that all other access to the holy shrine have been sealed. The only way there now is to...
Vaughn: ... take the plunge, yeah, I get it. Man, talk about irony.
~Vaughn ruefully shakes his head, tossing the rope down. It falls, pulling taut. Vaughn then secures himself to the rope, as the guide looks on.~
Guide: This is your last chance to turn back from this insanity, Φίλε. Δεν θα επιστρέψετε.
Vaughn: I already told you, I don't speak Greek. Now let's get this show on the road.
~Vaughn turns himself around, jumping off the edge. He starts to rappel downwards, quickly disappearing out of our view, as the guide takes a few deep breaths, bracing himself. He then reaches onto his back, pulling free what appears to be an ancient harpe sword. He wields it expertly... before bringing it down on the rope, severing it in one shot. The rope slides away into the darkness. The guide bows his head at the edge, taking a moment.~
Guide: Είθε να αναπαυθεί με τη Θεά απόψε.
~The guide turns and leaves the cavern, as the camera once again focuses on the seemingly bottomless pit... which is now completely silent.~
~We are now in a small cantina in the town of Lygourio. The camera centers on Vaughn, drinking one of the local brews. He doesn't appear to care for it, sitting it off to the side.~
Vaughn: Give me a Yellow Rose any day.
"Peter": On that, we can agree.
~Vaughn turns to the side, taking note of the ghostly figure of himself now sitting next to him. Vaughn rolls his eyes.~
Vaughn: You don't get to have an opinion on fine alcohol. You're not real.
"Peter": And yet you still talk to me. You still recognize me. What does that make you?
Vaughn: Just you wait. When I find this chalice... everything's going to be better.
"Peter": You always did look for the cheap way out, didn't you? You'd never believe in just working hard to get where you need to go.
Vaughn: I worked DAMN hard to get where I am today, thank you very much. You know that.
"Peter": Sure, but you also started trying to cheat your way to every single victory. Wouldn't you rather stand on your own two feet?
Vaughn: All that matters... is that I win.
~Vaughn grabs the drink and slams it down his throat, if only to prove a point. He then coughs, shaking off the taste, as the vision of himself sighs.~
"Peter": We've always been determined, haven't we? Determined and stubborn. That's going to work against you.
Vaughn: Not a chance. Once I've fixed all this, you'll be gone, and I'll be on my way to my greatest WGWF World Title defense ever. Caedus & J-Mont will pay. After that... nobody's going to be able to say I'm not worthy.
~Vaughn pounds his fist on the table, startling the man standing there, looking extremely confused. After all, Vaughn appears to be alone.~
Guide: ... Keerios Vaughn?
Vaughn: That's me. You the guide?
Guide: Ναί. Είμαι οδηγός στο ιερό. Αναζητάς φώτιση;
Vaughn: Sorry. I don't speak Greek.
Guide: Oh. My... apologies. You seek the Shrine? You wish to be... blessed?
Vaughn: Actually, I'm seeking the Chalice of Hygieia.
~The guide's eyes widen in shock at the casual reference of the chalice.~
Guide: The Chalice... the Chalice is a sacred object of our faith. It... has been... missing for quite some time.
Vaughn: I have it on good authority that it's still located below, deep underneath the Sanctuary. I just need someone who can put me on the right path to find it.
Guide: I... I may know of a way. Θεά φύλαξέ με.
~Vaughn, not caring what the man said, quickly throws a few Euros on the table and stands up.~
Vaughn: Then let's get going.
~As the two men walk off, we once again see "Peter" sitting there, staring after them. His eyes narrow as he seems to get up to follow.~
"Peter": I don't trust that guy. Something's up here.
~The 'hallucination' follows behind as they head out of the cantina.~
~We're back at the edge of the enormous pit. The guide has already departed. The camera, clearly a drone, slowly starts going down the side, deeper into darkness. It doesn't take long to see the man hanging on a climbing anchor driven into the wall. Vaughn pulls himself a little higher, adjusting his carabiner, making sure it's secure. Beside Vaughn, we now can see "Peter", clinging to the wall as if he's actually Spider-Man.~
"Peter": I told you we couldn't trust him.
Vaughn: Fine. You were right. Now shut up.
~Vaughn adjusts the rope, which thankfully stayed attached to the anchor he had quickly put into place. He secures a secondary one before playing out the rope some more.~
"Peter": You're still going down? The guy could have been lying about everything.
Vaughn: He could have been, but my gut tells me he was telling the truth. My way to remove you is still down here somewhere... and I'm going to find it.
~Vaughn then begins to descend again, prepared to lock in a few more safety locks along the way, as the vision watches him go.~
"Peter": Rude.
~The ghostly man 'stands' up on the wall and begins to walk down, following Vaughn's descent, as we cut away.~
All journeys have to have a beginning.
This journey started in January, when I survived all other competitors to win the West Coast Rumble and become the WGWF World Heavyweight Champion. Since then, I've dispatched so many challenges to my legacy here, piling up 223 days so far in this miraculous reign. I've taken down legends of the sport, like Mark Cross and John Cable. I've won another battle royal, cementing my name as one of the greatest of all time to come through the WGWF.
And now, the journey has led here, against two men that I just can't respect.
So let's start with you, Jimmy. We've been fighting the longest, after all. I've been beating your ass since 2021. Of course, I could always show you all of those beatdowns, beginning with what happened with your prize motorcycle under my watch...
No, NO! Stop the video!
You see, Jimmy, I'm not going to take the bitch way out. I'm not going to just show videos throughout my promo, just to save myself from having to talk that much. That's what losers do, Jimmy. And I'm no loser.
Let's just get to the real talk, boyo. Do you realize how much of a psychopathic scum-covered piece of trash you've become? Or do you still try to picture yourself with a little bit of nobility? I don't see it myself. I mean, let's go over some recent history. You claim that your dog and your ex were killed by some other demon inhabiting your body. It's not that believable a claim, really, but then, I've been to Hell recently, so I guess I can't rule it out. But look at what's happened since you supposedly got your 'soul' back.
You masked yourself and impersonated someone else in TPW, stealing a lady's dog and threatening its life. You then kidnapped the woman herself, tortured her, and through the glory of Stockholm Syndrome, made her your girlfriend. Does that sound like a sane man to you, Jimmy? Does that sound like someone who's got a strong grasp of reality?
And then we have your actions in WGWF, where you threatened to murder a man in order to gain victory at War Games. You can retcon all you want, Jimmy, but I saw your eyes that day. They showed anticipation, wanting to put Outcast down when you held that needle. And while everyone else celebrated my surrendering to save Outcast's skin, your eyes just showed... disappointment. You really wanted to go through with it, but you knew that everything would fall apart if you did it after the match. So, yay for a tiny bit of restraint, I guess.
Honestly, Jimmy, you're a sick man. You shouldn't be in a wrestling ring. You should be in a high-security medical center, getting dosed up on the most recent experimental drugs to try and put your violent tendencies to sleep once and for all. But it looks like that's not going to happen until I put you down, and show that you don't deserve any more opportunities at the WGWF World Title. If that's what it takes, then I'm more than willing to follow through.
I want to break you, Jimmy. For all you've done, and for all you'd do as champion, I HAVE to break you.
For Cholo, I'm going to tear out hair from your scalp, leaving it strewn across the ring. For Flynn, I'm going to snap your ankle in two, leaving you to limp around like a wounded Lycana for the rest of your life. For Mac, I'm going to break your nose, making that ugly mug of yours even more hideous. And for Outcast, I'm going to be ending you once and for all, removing your curse from the WGWF.
It's time to finally end the Caedus Chaos. It's time for you to take your final Plunge.
~We rejoin Vaughn as he is now walking down a long chamber, apparently carved into the rock long ago. As Vaughn walks, he makes sure to check each side, watching for anything that might trip him up. He hops over one rock, continuing on his way, but suddenly, a glow appears in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.~
Vaughn: So now you're here, too?
"Thomas": Where else would I be? Aren't brothers supposed to stick together?
~Vaughn shakes his head before walking straight past Thomas, who begins to follow beside him.~
"Thomas": Of course, you left me back in that hospital room, fighting for my life, but I suppose there wasn't much more you could have done, right?
Vaughn: I talked to Sadie earlier. You're still hanging in there. So don't pretend you're the "Ghost of Caves Past".
"Thomas": You probably COULD use a dose of what Scrooge got, but that's neither here nor there.
Vaughn: Thomas would understand that I have to do this. I need this to defeat Jimmy & J-Mont. I have to be the victor. The success. The...
"Thomas": DUCK!!
~Instinctively, Vaughn crouches, even as a large blade can be seen, slicing overhead. He quickly crawls under where it came from, before popping back up. Breathing a little harder now from the close call, he glances over at his 'spirit brother'.~
Vaughn: How'd you know that?
~Wordlessly, "Thomas" points over to the side. Vaughn looks over, seeing the headless skeleton laying there. He swallows hard.~
Vaughn: Okay. Good eyes for a hallucination, at least. But if you think that means...
"Thomas": JUMP!!
~Just as before, Vaughn reacts immediately, leaping high into the air. He leaps so high that he bumps into the ceiling of the cave, thankfully not hitting a stalactite. He drops back to the ground, rubbing his head, before glaring back at "Thomas", who just shrugs.~
"Thomas": Normally there's a second one, isn't there?
*Angrily, Vaughn stomps off, continuing down the passageway. He's still moving softly, though, watching for more boobytraps. "Thomas" follows, beginning to whistle, proving he can be just as annoying as a real-life half brother. The passageway suddenly widens, showing the path ends at another cliffside. This one has an old wooden bridge cutting across it. Thomas looks at it skeptically.~
"Thomas": That doesn't look safe to me.
Vaughn: It'll hold. But just in case...
~Vaughn quickly gets another rope out of his backpack, securing it on a spot near the edge. He then rolls it out as he crosses the bridge, which makes several cracking noises, but holds as Vaughn gets to the other side.~
Vaughn: See? No problem.
~A second later, the bridge gives way, tumbling downwards. We hear the crash upon landing. "Thomas", who had been on the bridge at the time, is now floating in mid-air as he raises an eyebrow at Vaughn.~
Vaughn: Well... at least I have the rope to help me go back.
~Vaughn looks for a way to tie the rope off safely, as "Thomas" airwalks over to him. We cut away.~
Any journey can have setbacks.
For instance, when J-Mont decided that he refused to get any meaningful victories in the WGWF and just decided to steal my championship, claiming it for a little while. Nobody gave him any sort of credit for doing that, as it made him look like a gigantic asshole, but J-Mulch didn't care, did he? He got what he wanted, and that's all that mattered.
I love Chris Page like a brother, but I'll never understand why he caved to J-Mutt's pressure the way he did, granting him a title shot that J-Miss most assuredly didn't earn. All I asked him to do was win a few meaningful matches in the WGWF. That's all he had to do. But Joey couldn't do it. He couldn't beat anyone this year. He was completely useless, relying entirely on fat jokes as his main repertoire.
And I know what you'll say, Joe: that you had success elsewhere. Well, so have I. So has Jimmy. So has almost everyone else. But when you come to the WGWF, it's like a fresh start. You have to prove yourself all over again. And you, J-Muss? You never proved yourself ONCE. All you managed to do was pick a fight with basically everyone in the company, stirring everything up and acting like that made you a main eventer. It didn't, Joey.
It just made you the guy who pissed his pants.
That's all anyone will remember of you once your title opportunity is long gone. You'd be best off trying to focus your attention in TPW, because your chances of doing anything else in the WGWF will be flushed down the toilet once we're done here. After all, you've ticked off every single member of the higher-ups in the company. What makes you think, once you're shown again to be the biggest waste of advertising budget this company has ever seen, that anyone is EVER going to give you an opportunity again?
You're lightyears behind Jimmy and I. You're lower in skill and talent than most of the guys & gals you jumped past. Cholo would easily destroy you, and he just might do it once I leave you behind. Cyrus Riddle, Mike Mason, Lexi Gold, all of them deserved a shot before someone like you. Hell, I bet once you're fully revealed as a member of the Nothing Nation, Sonya herself will quickly cast you off as a partner, because she doesn't traffic in losers, either. Just look what happened between her and that Punisher guy.
Now, don't get me completely wrong. You DO have some talent in the ring. I've seen it come out every so often. But the problem is that all of your bullshit gets in your way, Joey. You go for all the theatrics and acting when you should be just focusing on the kill. It's the main thing we have different between us, really. Sure, I'll pursue any way possible to get the victory, but my target is fully locked onto that finish. While you, J-Muck, just can't help yourself, if you feel like you have to try and rub something else in the fans' faces... or someone like Goth.
Yeah, I noticed that Goth's planning on being there for our match. You really pissed that guy off, you know? You pissed a LOT of people off. I'm curious how many will make themselves known once our contest gets under way... and how many attacks you're going to have to fend off before the night is done.
I fully plan on defeating you straight on, Joey, just so you can't cry about everything afterwards. But if you end up taking the pin because of someone else's actions besides Jimmy and I... well, I won't feel that bad.
Because you brought it all on yourself, Joey. Like an underachiever will always do.
~We're now inside a large, circular room, some sort of special shrine. While the dust covers everything, you can still see the beauty underneath. That dust gets stirred up, though, as Vaughn comes flying through one of the doors, doing a roll. Behind him, we see a massive stone block crash down, crushing where he was just seconds before. As Vaughn pops up, winded, the stone rises, taking up its previous position. Vaughn rubs at a bloody cut on the side of his head, wincing.~
Vaughn: They really don't want people to get this artifact for some reason, do they? Crazy.
~Vaughn walks up the short aisle, heading towards where a large chalice is sitting. It appears unprotected, as Vaughn just reaches out and picks it up. He looks around in all directions, but nothing happens.~
Vaughn: Huh. Fully expected one more attack to happen.
"Peter": Or to have to choose from multiple chalices?
"Thomas": This was done long before Indiana Jones, they didn't think about stuff like that, I guess.
~Vaughn turns, noting the appearance of two of his "hallucinations". He smirks at them.~
Vaughn: Make all the jokes you want. Soon, you're going to be gone forever.
~Vaughn pulls out a container from his backpack, containing Maria's special water. He'd already had it tested for poison, just in case Maria was just trying to get rid of him. Vaughn pours it in, swishing the liquid around. Strangely, it becomes a golden color inside.~
Vaughn: With this, I'll finally be able to concentrate fully on my championships. I'll finally crush my WGWF enemies. I'll finally be free of all of your distractions.
Voice: Distractions, son? I hoped you'd see us as something better than that.
~Vaughn pauses, chalice halfway to his mouth, as he sees his mother step into view.~
Vaughn: Mother... that's new... one last ditch effort from all the cracks in my psyche?
"Mother": No, son. I'm just here to be with you... at the end. As is your father.
~Confused, Vaughn turns... and Mr. Vaughn is standing there, dressed in his usual janitorial clothes, beaming as always.~
Vaughn: ... Dad...
"Father": Hello, son. Are you sure you've thought this through? Drinking that liquid seems like a risk, little one...
~Vaughn glances at the family members all around him, including himself, looking uncertain for the first time.~
Vaughn: Dad... I have to, Dad... this needs to end...
"Peter": He's right about that.
Voice: Poor Peter Vaughn. Never considering all the possibilities.
~Behind Vaughn, we see yet another figure step out. This time, it's Vaughn's former manager and the man who tortured him into what he's become... Jonathan Barrows.~
Barrows: You were always too dense for your own good, Peter. That's why I had to help you back in OCW. You just couldn't do it yourself.
Vaughn: YOU I don't need to hear from. Being rid of you is the best outcome I could possibly hope for.
~With that, Vaughn quickly downs the liquid, swallowing every gulp of it. With the chalice empty, Vaughn grins, setting it to the side. He then looks around... still seeing all five figures.~
Vaughn: Wait... why haven't you all disappeared?
"Peter": You just never understood, Pete.
"Thomas": You didn't listen to what Maria told you.
"Mother": She said that this cup would make you whole, Peter.
"Father": She said that it would repair the fractures in your head.
Barrows: And that's... exactly... what it's going to do...
~The figures start moving in from every direction, surrounding Vaughn. He scoffs, pushing towards "Thomas"... who pushes him back, suddenly solid. Confused, Vaughn goes towards his mother, but once again can't get through. The circle continues to close.~
"Peter": It's time to be whole again, Peter.
"Thomas": You can't keep us apart anymore.
Peter Vaughn: No... no, wait... this can't be right...
"Mother": We will all be one once more.
"Father": Your mind is now... freed...
~Vaughn tries once more, leaping high to try and get out of the circle, but finds himself dragged back in before he can escape. We can't see him anymore.~
THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANT!!
GET OFF ME!!!
NO!!! NO!!!
NOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!
~There's a bright flash that overtakes the room, fading everything out. Afterwards... the room is silent.~
All journeys... have an end.
Our journey ends at Summer Madness, boyos. With Chris Page making the count, I will shut down two more pretenders to the throne. Two more men who never deserved the opportunities they got, and who will fail at utilizing those opportunities. Jimmy, Joey, I hope you're prepared to bring your A game.
Well, I guess I should just say Jimmy, since Joey's already reduced his chances due to getting his ass kicked in the Tag Gauntlet the night before. What an idiot, getting handed a title shot and forcing your way in for another, setting up the definite possibility of exhausting yourself for nothing. Again, Joey, you're just doing it to yourself at this point, no help from anyone else.
It doesn't matter to me, though. I'm keeping the World Championship around my waist. There's nothing either of you two can do to change that, because neither of you are strong enough on your own to beat me. But I look forward to you trying... and failing.
I'll see you there, boyos. One way or another.
~The picture changes to outside the pit once more. We can see the sun beginning to set outside the cavern entrance, showing how long it's been. The guide is long gone. Everything is silent. At least until a hand reaches up, clutching at the edge of the cliff. Peter Vaughn is seen, slowly pulling himself up the last few feet past where the rope had been secured. He gets to his feet, stumbling towards the door, and stops at the entrance. He stares at the setting sun for a minute, a tear slowly drifting down the side of his face. He wipes it off, smiles, and then begins walking back to town, showing no hesitation. The picture slowly fades out.~
