Post by Peter Vaughn on Jan 19, 2024 16:19:12 GMT -5
2023 didn't end well for one Peter Vaughn.
Losing the WGWF World Title and the TPW International Title, Vaughn was stripped of many of his prized possessions. While he's still a champion in two other feds, it's still been difficult to deal with the losses. Attached to that was struggles in Vaughn's own life, where he was accused of multiple assaults and is currently facing a criminal trial sometime in the next year. Vaughn has claimed his innocence, and yet evidence was found in Vaughn's vehicle, as well as a slightly unreliable eyewitness account putting him at the scene of one of the attacks.
Now, going into 2024, Vaughn seeks to climb his way back to the top of several organizations. He faces the challenge from CJ Phoenix, a relative newcomer to WGWF who wanted to fight. Vaughn's more than ready to match up with him... while also working to clear his "good" name. But to do that, Vaughn will have to confront the possibility that someone close to him... is setting him up.
~As the picture comes up, we find ourselves in one of the large barns housed on the PMV Ranch. The doors are open on the side, allowing cattle to come and go as they please, munching on the stack of hay nearby. A ranch hand steps in, wearing a heavy jacket, as he looks around the room.~
Dawson: This place feels like a meat locker. How's the work coming, boss?
~A muffled reply is heard from the side, impossible to make out. As the camera turns, we see a series of heating fans which appear to have all been attached together, creating a large wall. Suddenly, arms appear from behind it, as Peter Vaughn comes into view, climbing up a thick rope. He hops over the fans, landing on the other side, dusting himself off.~
Peter: That ought to do it. Turn it on, Duke.
Dawson: ... I still prefer Dawson.
~The hand mumbles to himself as he steps over, pressing a button on the wall. Immediately, the heaters all come on, vibrating the barn as they begin to heat the area. Vaughn watches carefully for any issues, but everything seems to be running well. He nods, putting away his wrench.~
Peter: We're good. We'll need to encourage the herd to keep coming through here, though, and staying warm. We've already come too close to losing some in the single-digit arctic freeze. No more of that.
Dawson: I still can't believe you built this contraption...
~Dawson shakes his head, partially in wonder and partially in disbelief, as Vaughn grins at his heat-wall creation.~
Peter: It's strange to me that every ranch doesn't have something like this.
Thomas: That's my half-brother, always thinking outside the box.
~Vaughn looks up, a slightly exaggerated look of surprise on his face, as his half-brother, Thomas Hill, is brought into the barn, with Sadie Anderson, Vaughn's fiancé, pushing the wheelchair forward.~
Peter: Hey, Thomas. Want a beer? We're just getting finished up in here.
~Vaughn steps to the side, popping open a cooler and pulling out a few beers. He tosses one over to Dawson, who catches it easily. Thomas' beer, though, hits him right in the lap.~
Thomas: Oof!
Sadie: Careful, Peter! The guy's still recovering, after all!
Peter: Whoops, sorry, Thomas!
~Thomas shrugs it off, even as Vaughn gives Sadie a beer. He considers his half-brother, who has been wheelchair-bound since he was stabbed during an attack on Vaughn last year. His recovery has been exceedingly slow, unfortunately, but he's still been able to accomplish all of the financial needs put in front of him for the ranch. Vaughn pops his beer open and takes a drink.~
Peter: Ahhh, nothing like a Yellow Rose after some hard work!
Sadie: Hard work, or playing with your toys?
Sadie nods over to the heating system, which does appear to be putting out a lot of heat. Vaughn smirks, shrugging.~
Peter: If you love your job, you'll never have to work a day in your life.
Dawson: Yeah, and you love tinkering with things, boss. You have a hell of a talent for it. Why'd you never take it up as a profession?
Peter: Hah! You want the easy answer? Money. I had no funds for going to college. My dad was lucky to keep a roof over my head. Of course, that also led to me always working on his tools, like the floor waxer, rewiring it and fixing it whenever it broke down, because the apartment manager would never pay for a new one.
Thomas: You ever think what would have happened had your dad found the money?
Peter: Sometimes...
~Vaughn takes another sip, looking off into the distance...~
~The picture suddenly shifts, as if going through a wormhole, and suddenly we see Peter Vaughn standing in front of a markerboard, making a few notes. He's wearing a suit and tie, as well as a pair of glasses that seem to be sliding down his nose. After a few seconds, he finishes his notes, before walking back over to the NASA podium.~
Dr. Vaughn: As you can see, these calculations are undeniable. With just a few modifications to our current systems, we can have a shuttlecraft landing on Venus in the next five years!
~There's a rush of applause from those in attendance, although we can't see them from our current vantage point. Vaughn, though, smiles and walks over to a shuttle prototype, banging on the side of it.~
Dr. Vaughn: This rigging is one of our greatest designs yet, built to withstand any gravitational struggles that it comes across. I guarantee that this will still be running out there long after I myself am gone.
~More applause, as the bigwigs are happy with what they're getting for their monetary donations. Vaughn then smacks it on the side, revealing a hidden compartment, as a bottle of champagne pops out.~
Dr. Vaughn: And as you can see, the champagne delivery system is working flawlessly!
~This gets... considerably less applause, as everyone there knows that this is kind of an impractical addition to the rover. But Vaughn is already uncorking the champagne, preparing to offer it to the masses, still grinning...~
~Finishing his drink, Vaughn looks back at his friends and shrugs.~
Peter: Who knows how things would have turned out? At least this way, I had less debt...
~Vaughn laughs, with Thomas, Sadie, and Dawson all joining in with him. That's when one of the heaters suddenly coughs out a cloud of smoke.~
Dawson: Aww, damn it...
Peter: Hang on, I've got it.
Sadie: But, Peter, we've got dinner reservations...
Thomas: Eh, let him have his fun, Sadie, we've got time.
~It's not like Sadie could have stopped him anyway, as Vaughn is already back over, working to pry open the one heater that's acting up. We cut away in a cloud of smoke.~
The work continues into 2024, doesn't it?
I've had a pretty good couple of years in the wrestling business since I had my 'mind changed' back in 2021. Since then, I've held 11 World Championships, along with a collection of smaller belts, making my name known and feared throughout the wrestling universe. At least, some fear me. And some call me out, like this guy, CJ Phoenix. You know, Phoenix, I didn't really have a problem with you. I honestly knew very little about you, other than hearing your name pop up now and again with Action Wrestling. So you weren't on my radar.
Until you decided to put yourself there.
Yeah, I heard the excuse you gave, that I "stared at you too hard" and that you took that as a challenge. I still say that's one of the most ridiculous things I've heard about in my time in wrestling. I've been told before that I have some piercing blue eyes, but really, I never thought they could be the reason that someone wanted to fight me. Really, though, I'm pretty sure that's just an excuse. I think the real reason is that you came into the WGWF expecting everyone to oooh and ahhh at your presence... and you barely stirred any ripples on the water. That meant that, for you to get the attention you craved, you needed to get yourself noticed.
And who better than the two-time WGWF World Heavyweight Champion?
I suppose your plan, worked, though, CJ, because here we are, about to have a match at the PPV. Our own First Dance, so to speak. "The Mechanic" vs. "The Luminary of Despair". By the way, you should really work on finding a new nickname. That's not one that the fans can really chant, now can they? Well, maybe if they just chant the first word, but then you lose the gist of what you're going for. "Lum-In-Ar-Y" *clap clap, clap clap clap*
Nope, it doesn't have the right ring to it.
On a similar vein, I've got to ask... your name is Chase Jackson, right? So you go by CJ, and added Phoenix to the end of it because you thought it would sound cooler? ... Well, you're right. I mean, Jackson is plain jane, vanilla, almost as basic as you can get, so I agree with that one. Still, why Phoenix? Have you burned down numerous times only to come back again? Do you tend to end up with a lot of ash on you by the end of the night? Or do you just like the symbol of a flaming birdie? I mean, you have to have an explanation for that choice, right?
Anyhow, I've gotten a bit sidetracked. We were talking about your decision to call me out, thinking that I'm the stepping stone that you need to make your way across the vast WGWF pool. And hey, I'm flattered. Really. But the tiny flaw in your plan is that I'm not actually just a stepping stone. If anything, I'm that crocodile that you shouldn't ever try to jump across, because you run the risk of me dragging you all the way to the bottom, out of contention forevermore. I mean, how will that look, CJ, if you get your clocked cleaned with millions watching, seeing you lose in spectacular fashion?
You might never be able to recover from that.
Now, I could be a nice guy. I could back off and take it easy on you, maybe try to shine you up so that Brawl looks like even better a show than it already is. But you already know the answer to that one, friend: I don't take it easy on anyone. I'm certainly not going to take a back seat just to make a newcomer like you appear to be shinier than you are. I'm going to bring my considerable skills all against you, blowing up the entire arena if that what it takes to test your mettle.
And if you come up weak-kneed and unresponsive? I'll be quickly giving you a one way trip straight down into oblivion. Around here, though, it comes with a different name.
You're going to take the Plunge.
~Back in the barn, Vaughn seems to have things under control again. The heater is once again running as expected, at least for now.~
Thomas: If you're going to burn down this whole place, let me know, Pete. I'll get better insurance coverage first.
Peter: It'll be fine. The vent was just sucking in a little too much dust, like a vacuum. But it's been cleaned out.
Dawson: A vacuum, huh? Not much need of that around here...
Sadie: Of course YOU'D think that. I'm always having to clean up the foyer at the main homestead from all your muddy footprints!
~Everyone laughs at this, as Dawson looks down at his boots, which do seem to be caked up.~
Peter: Hey, I help with the cleaning, too, when I can...
Thomas: I figure you would have had more than enough cleaning in your life, Pete.
~Vaughn nods, as he walks around behind Thomas, putting away a piece of equipment.~
Peter: I suppose so. Although it could have always been more. I mean, what if I'd never been thrown into that match in the GCWA by the Accelerator, may he rest in peace? I would have continued as a janitor, and probably not met any of you...
~Vaughn looks contemplative, as he thinks through what he just said...~
~We switch to a shot of a quiet, lonely apartment. The door swings open, with a man walking in, his hands full of groceries. He manages to shut the door, putting down the bag... and we see a very overweight Peter Vaughn. He coughs several times, using a handkerchief from his coveralls, before reaching into one of the bags.~
Big Pete: Come to papa...
~The heavyset man pulls out a bottle of tequila, holding it close to him as he stumbles over to the sole chair in the middle of the room. He collapses into it, with it somehow bearing his weight, as he flips on the small television, bringing up what appears to be a game show. He then uncorks the tequila, taking a swig and grimacing... but then taking another.~
Big Pete: Alright, c'mon, Sandra, you can win this one. I've got $20 riding on you, don't let me down, girl!
~He balances the bottle on one side, as he reaches down the other one, grabbing at a half-eaten bag of chips. He starts munching away, watching, as we cut back away.~
~Vaughn shudders for a second, before clearing his mind of that image.~
Peter: Yeah, I'm definitely glad things went the way they did. I mean, if not for wrestling, I would have never found my mother's whereabouts, and discovered that you were around, Thomas, as well as my half-sister. I also would have never met Sadie, that's for sure.
~Sadie smiles, stepping in and giving Vaughn a kiss. Thomas turns his wheelchair halfway around, smiling.~
Dawson: And what about me?
Peter: Obviously, I would have never met you, either, Duke. You want a kiss, too?
Dawson: Not even remotely.
~Everyone laughs, as Vaughn leans over towards his half-brother, putting his hand on his shoulder.~
Peter: Of course, Thomas, if you had never met me, you probably wouldn't be in this chair right now.
Thomas: Maybe. You never know, right? But no regrets, Peter. None at all.
~The two brothers exchange a quick brotherly handshake, with Vaughn leaning even closer.~
Peter: Glad to hear it, Thomas. Because after all, what if this had all come together... and you could actually walk?
~Thomas' smile falters slightly at the look on Vaughn's face.~
Thomas: I... I don't...
~Suddenly, without warning, Vaughn shoves Thomas forward. Since he's horizontal to Vaughn, the chair immediately topples over, with Thomas groaning in pain as he rolls across the ground, thrown from the wheelchair. Sadie, surprised, starts to step forward, but Vaughn shakes her off, moving towards his half-brother. Across the way, Dawson doesn't change expression, as he knew this was coming.~
Thomas: Peter... what...
Peter: I know, Thomas. I know you can walk again. Duke over there has seen you. He showed me the videos. What I want to know is... why?
~With that, Vaughn pulls his wrench back out of his pocket, raising it above his head. Thomas, suddenly terrified, sees the wrench coming down towards his right leg... and he quickly pulls it out of range. Vaughn throws the wrench down twice more, and every time, Thomas scrambles out of the way. He gets to his feet, falling backwards right to where the heaters are all located. Sadie puts a hand over her mouth, shocked to see him standing.~
Sadie: ... Thomas...
~Thomas looks around at the three people standing before him, raising his arms out in front of him.~
Thomas: Ummm... look... I can explain...
~Vaughn steps forward, raising the wrench again, as Thomas yells out. We then cut to black.~
If you know my story, CJ, you know that I'm merciless. I've also been called unstoppable... insane... and an incredible dancer.
That last one, I don't know where the tabloids got it from. My skills are beating people senseless, not dancing the tango.
But everything else you've heard about me? It's likely true. And I'm going to prove it to you, out there in the squared circle. I'm going to shred you like tissue paper, revealing your true identity to the world of the WGWF. I don't know how you'll come out looking after this. Maybe you'll still find some support amongst the faithful, for standing toe-to-toe with Peter Vaughn. Maybe they'll still be willing to give you a chance. Or maybe I'll annihilate your future here in the WGWF in one fell swoop.
Really, that part's going to be all up to you, boyo.
Bring your A game. Fight me at your best, and maybe, MAYBE, you'll last more than 5 minutes against the top professional wrestler in the world today. This is what you wanted, CJ. You wanted this, and you're getting it. Be careful what you wish for, am I right?
The fun and games are over. The challenges and flexes are finished. Now it's all about what you've got to deliver at First Dance... and what I leave you with afterwards.
Impress me, CJ. Or feel my wrath.