Post by Peter Vaughn on Mar 6, 2022 19:40:04 GMT -5
I'm betting the majority of you weren't expecting to see me here.
The current front-runner for 2022 Wrestler of the Year. The holder of the XWF Universal Title. The ruler of Thunder Pro Wrestling, the only wrestler to have ever held the TPW International Championship. The former PW Valor World Champion, who will be reclaiming that title later this year.
And now? The dark horse threat to win The Last Of Us II.
I'd say it looks like I've leveled up, but it seems like almost every wrestler coming into this company would say that, and I'd hate to be predictable. It's not in my nature. Not anymore.
So when Chris Page brought me the notice about Level Up Wrestling having an opening in their marquee event, I looked into the company... and I liked what I saw. Wrestlers putting it all on the line to win. Fans losing their minds at the epic battles before them. And, of course, the video games. God, I love video games. Nothing passes the time better than blasting away your competition or going solo, like fighting your way through the Geth to get the Prothean technology.
Yeah, I'm playing through the Legendary edition of Mass Effect right now. Old school, maybe, but still a hell of a lot of fun. Don't judge me.
Being offered an opportunity to bring my personal crusade of being the greatest in the world to another fed, I couldn't turn it down. But having it be a fed like this one? You'd better believe I'm ready to enter the game.
I've been waiting for something like this for a long, long time.
December 2nd, 2001
~The picture slowly comes up on a scene of horror. A man runs back and forth, battling an army of the undead with any weapons he can find at his disposal, all in an effort to rescue the members of his neighborhood from the horrors of being eaten alive...~
~Astute viewers might recognize the game "Zombies Ate My Neighbors", a fringe hit on the Super Nintendo system. The camera moves back, showing a young man playing away, trying to help his character survive as he sits at the table, a large smile on his face. A man can be seen standing in the background, grinning himself at the happiness of his son. We begin to hear Peter Vaughn's voice, speaking on the scene before us.~
Peter Vaughn: It was my 10th birthday. A monumental day in any child's life, reaching double digits. Kids in those days were excitedly opening presents that contained an Xbox or a PlayStation 2, or perhaps a Nintendo Game Cube. For me? It was getting to play a used, rebuilt Super Nintendo with just one game to start: Zombies Ate My Neighbors. Not exactly Mario, but still a fun experience for a kid who was used to having nothing.
~The father turns away from this happy scene, walking to the side. We get a better look at his janitorial uniform, cleaned and dried to make it ready for another day of hard labor. He begins to put his equipment together, as his son continues to play the game.~
Peter Vaughn: There was no expensive party at Chuck 'E' Cheese. No cake. Not even a candle to blow out. But you know what? It's still one of my fondest memories, because I know what you had to sacrifice just to get me this gaming console. Almost everything we had went into room and board. I still, to this day, don't know how you managed it. I don't want to know. It'd spoil the memory.
~The young man tries to evade a swarm of zombies, going for a nearby weed whacker. He fails, with the zombies taking him down. The kid pouts for a moment, then shakes it off, restarting the game. He's never been a quitter. His father walks in, telling him Happy Birthday before giving him a kiss on the head. The young man nods to him, thanking him again, but not taking his eyes off the screen. The father nonetheless leaves satisfied, heading off to work. It may be a Sunday, but a janitor's work never really gets a holiday. The door shuts behind him, as the kid, Vaughn, keeps playing. He takes a look over his shoulder, his smile fading somewhat as he thinks about what his father is heading off to do.~
Peter Vaughn: No matter what else happened in our life... my mother abandoning me... my father being forced to work all the time... all the hatred and discrimination that came from being a janitor's son... I always remembered this moment. The moment when I got to feel like being a normal kid, if only for a little while.
~The kid keeps playing, trying to escape, both in the game and in reality, as we slowly zoom in on his eyes.~
March 6th, 2022
~The picture shifts, with the eyes gradually looking older. The camera zooms back out, showing us the present-day Peter Vaughn as he looks off into the distance, expressionless. We can see that he's currently holding two items in his hands: a bundle of flowers and, bizarrely, a Windex bottle. He sighs to himself, and then looks back forward... at the gravestone sitting in front of him.~
Peter Vaughn: I suppose I still owe that one to you, father. Even if, nowadays... I can't quite feel the same emotions like I used to. I remember the moments as they happened, but the joy, the sorrow... they've pretty much faded away from me. These days, I feel fortunate if I'm feeling anything at all.
~Vaughn shakes his head, before taking a knee at the grave site. He studies it for a moment, rubbing at a spot that's appeared next to his father's name.~
Peter Vaughn: I know I've probably done some things that you aren't exactly proud of. I hope you can look past them to see what a success your son has become. Maybe I've left "the family tradition" behind, but you can see that I'm achieving greatness that I could never do working in a school cafeteria, can't you? You surely can recognize that, no matter what I've had to do, it's all for the noble goal of being remembered in this world.
~It almost sounds like Vaughn is expecting an answer, even though, as you would expect, no voice comes his way. This isn't Ghosts 'n' Goblins or Silent Hill. The dead stay dead, as far as we know. Still, Vaughn waits for a moment in silence, as if waiting to see if, somehow, his questions will be given a response. All that is heard is the wind blowing through the cemetery, signs of an upcoming storm on the horizon.~
War is coming to Level Up Wrestling.
Some would say that a match like The Last of Us II is not something a man like me would excel at. A fight with the ring filling up with wrestlers, everyone looking to crush their opponents in their own unique styles. Size and strength will surely be the assets that lead someone to survive until the end, right?
I'm sure you think Zelda was the lead character in Breath of the Wild, too. Idiot.
You see, if this TLOU2 match was all about throwing your opponent over the top rope and to the floor, I'd be at a disadvantage, sure. I've fought through those events, and it's never easy for a speedster like me to keep myself in the ring. But in this Gauntlet? It's pinfall and submission only, and I'm exceptionally good at pinning my opponents. I also don't mind hanging someone out to dry until they're forced to tap out, but that will be only if I get the opportunity to do so.
As an agile attacker, I can fly around that ring and launch myself from all directions. Normally, that would be when I'm going for my finishers, some of the most dominant maneuvers in professional wrestling. But in a match like this? I'll be looking for the victory rolls, the small packages, the schoolboys that nobody sees coming. I'll be bringing my entire pinning pedigree to that ring, and I'll be stunning wrestler after wrestler with how quickly they're sent backstage, their dreams destroyed.
Maybe it's being too easy on them. Maybe I should concentrate on beating them senseless, on bloodying their noses, on gashing their heads open on any piece of uncovered steel I can find. It certainly sounds like a memorable experience, for them and for me. But I don't know enough of the Level Up competitors to know if I want to leave permanent scars yet. I do know that I want to come out of this event victorious, and to do that, I'll need to pin as many as possible with as little energy expended as possible.
A lot depends on the number I draw as well. If I enter first, then it will be a flurry of crucifix pins, sunset flips, and Oklahoma rolls... as well as likely a great use of handfuls of tights. Whatever it takes. If I'm the last to enter, then maybe my finishers can play more of a role, which will definitely help the leadership of Level Up take notice of me.
Either way, though, I'll be sure to use the skills that I've learned to face the greatest strategy towards victory. And if anyone has a problem with those choices... they can face me and find out why I'm one of the greatest currently in wrestling, with a future as a legend of the business.
Step up and let's play.
May 28th, 2009
~The camera cuts to another timeframe, showing a teenager entering the apartment he's lived in for the past several years. The teenager is looking more and more familiar to us at this point. The apartment is run-down and falling apart, but it's still a roof over their heads, which is all they've ever needed. The young man takes off the graduation cap from his head, tossing it to the side. He sets down the folder he was carrying, then begins to shrug off the robe he's wearing. There's no sign of his father, which might mean he's still at work. Once again, we hear the adult Vaughn's voice overlaid over the images we're watching.~
Peter Vaughn: Graduating high school is supposed to be a life-changing moment for a young man. For me, it just felt like another day. I know why you couldn't be there. The cost of my cap & gown must have been significant, even if it was second-hand. All I could hope was that you would feel a little pride that I lasted long enough to graduate.
~Underneath the graduation robe, there is not a suit and tie like most would expect. It's not street clothes, either. The graduate is instead wearing a professional custodial outfit, just like his father has always worn. He sets the robe to the side, making sure it's folded correctly on the chair, before straightening up and dusting himself off.~
Peter Vaughn: I was just fortunate that the manager wasn't a complete jerk, and that he allowed me to take a few hours off to receive my diploma. Sadly, it hasn't been utilized like you had hoped, father. That piece of paper that I spent eighteen years of my life working on? It's mostly sat in a drawer since then, with no likelihood of it being joined by a college degree. At first, I could never afford it, and now, what would be the point?
~The young man turns and moves to the doorway, stopping for a moment as he sees a sandwich bag waiting for him on the small stand next to the door. He picks it up, smiling, before heading out to go to work, earning money for the family. Behind him, the camera focuses on the high school diploma, left sitting in the open folder, with Peter Vaughn's name on it.~
March 6th, 2022
~After a quick blur, we're now focused on the name of Patrick Michael Vaughn, the name on the tombstone. Vaughn has finished cleaning it off, making it as pristine as possible. He sighs to himself.~
Peter Vaughn: You always worked as hard as possible to ensure that I had a good life, father. You wanted to see me do better than you ever could. Well, I feel like I've done that. Maybe not in the way you would have wanted, but I've still come a long way. You know I'm a millionaire, now? Winning that Roth Invitational has given me more funds than I know what to do with. Can you imagine having this money when we were both...
~Vaughn stops for a second, opting not to finish that sentence. He takes a deep breath, then looks down at what he's carrying, as if just remembering it.~
Peter Vaughn: I almost forgot. I brought you one of your favorites. You remember this, don't you?
~Vaughn raises up the Windex bottle, showing it to the tombstone. It's a weird gesture, and yet probably one everyone out there can understand... well, not the Windex, but talking to the dead through the tombstone.~
Peter Vaughn: I was a little surprised, actually, when I found out they were still making it. It's still about as you'd remember it, too, able to strip off some skin and sear your soul. I thought you might enjoy a sip or two.
~He pops the top of the container, looking at the blue-colored liquid inside for a moment before pouring it over the grave. Behind him, a sputtering voice can be heard.~
Voice: Hey... HEY!!! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING??
~Vaughn, startled, stops pouring and turns, to see a frumpy woman striding up towards him. She's dressed in her Sunday best, a gaudy purple and red combination that could burn your retina if you stared too long at the patterns.~
Woman: How DARE you desecrate a grave like that?? It's inexcusable, pouring such an ugly substance there! Have some respect for the dead!!!
~The woman stops near Vaughn, fuming, her nostrils flaring outwards. Vaughn slowly stands, turning towards her. She sees his face and immediately takes a step back, her rage breaking down into concern for her own well-being. He brings the Windex bottle up, as if pointing it at her... then he takes a long swig from it, bringing horror to her face.~
Woman: Wait! DON'T!!
~After a moment, Vaughn finishes his drink. He then raises up the bottle, showing it to her.~
Peter Vaughn: This is some of the finest janitorial hooch ever created, lady. Perfectly disguised to keep BUSYBODIES like you from knowing what it is!! So what gives YOU the right to come and yell at me, when you don't know what you're talking about??
~Vaughn takes a menacing step forward, causing the woman to start retreating.~
Woman: I... I didn't know... I... you...
Peter Vaughn: Is this YOUR cemetery?? Do you control EVERYTHING here?? How dare I? HOW DARE YOU!!!
Woman: Oh, God, please... I'll leave, I'm sorry!!
Peter Vaughn: You're sorry?? YOU'RE SORRY??? YOU WILL BE SORRY IF YOU DON'T LEAVE RIGHT NOW!!!!
~The woman, giving a tiny shriek, turns to run, tripping over her fancy-but-inadequate heels. She throws them off, ignoring them, and races away in her bare feet. Vaughn watches her go, fuming, trying to control himself. It's the one emotion he still seems to be able to feel in a powerful way, and it can be hard to get the furious genie back in bottle once it's been released. After a few more moments, though, Vaughn manages to regain control. He slowly looks down at his hands. One is now empty, with the bottle having been dropped. The other is holding a crushed bouquet, the flowers basically broken in two by his rage-filled grip. He shakes his head, then tosses the ruined bundle over to another grave.~
Peter Vaughn: You never really liked flowers anyway, did you, father?
~Vaughn goes back over to his father's grave, leaving the destroyed bouquet behind him. The camera zooms quickly in on the dying flowers, before cutting away.~
It really doesn't pay to get on my bad side. Of course, some would say I don't have a good side anymore.
Well, they're wrong. I still see it occasionally. Not often, but... occasionally.
Kat Jones would know about it. She was part of a group of us who looked out for a woman who needed our help. Sure, she didn't come with Whisper and I as we broke into a Canadian hospital, knocked out some doctors, and rescued Aimi from the hell she was being kept in, but she did assist us and has been extremely helpful in keeping her safe.
For that, I won't be looking to take you out of the competition, Kat. Not at first, at least. But if it happens to be just the two of us standing there in that ring, I'm not going to back down, and I'm sure you won't, either. As I've told other people I've had alliances with, when it comes down to the final group, and I see an opportunity, I'll do whatever it takes to continue towards a victorious conclusion.
I don't know if Aimi will be very happy if I knock you cold with the Revenged or drop onto you with the Plunge. But hopefully she'd understand that it's all business.
Sebastian Everett-Bryce is in this Gauntlet, too, from what I've heard. Nice to have another member of CCPE representing. Of course, that's where the friendship ends. It's not like SEB and I even know that much about each other, other than seeing each other have success in our various feds. I know SEB had a lot of trouble with Larry Tact recently, watching him unable to take him in PW Valor. Don't worry, SEB, I'll take care of Tact for you, both there and here, if I need to.
I'm sure Chris Page would tell us we should work together when we have the opportunity, to get out as many of our opponents as possible before tearing into each other. It makes sense. It's the right way to plan things out. But in matches like these, things never go to plan, do they? Hell, I might not even see you, SEB, if your number's too low compared to mine. And if we did end up in the ring together... I get the feeling the competitive juices will be flowing.
You see, I've definitely taken note of the successes you've been having. It makes me think that there does need to be a fight between the two of us, to determine which one of us is truly greater. Will that happen in this gauntlet? Or will it wait for another time, for us to brawl one on one? I guess we'll see where the numbers fall, won't we, SEB?
On a similar note, we have Mac Bane, another member of CCPE. Seriously, if the three of us made it to the final three and were facing off, I think Chris might just collapse into seizures from too much excitement. But if it happens, hey, it happens. Best of luck, Chris.
I will say, I've watched Mac a lot longer than I have SEB. He's an impressive wrestler, there's no doubt. Some might say he's getting long in the tooth, which... actually I have no idea what that means. Do your teeth get longer the older you are? That doesn't sound right. Well, anyway, Mac, I look forward to the challenge you bring. If it comes down to us and I get to win by pinning a name like Mac Bane, I'll be extremely thrilled.
You're worthy of being on my list of defeated foes, Mac. Extremely worthy. I hope you feel the same about me, when it comes down to it.
But it won't.
October 13th, 2015
~The picture returns on a shot of a vase full of artificial flowers, the only kind that the Vaughn family could ever keep 'alive' in their tiny apartment. The shot moves away from there, showing the man living there, Peter, doing some angled push-ups against the wall. He has his shirt off, showing off some of his definition, which he kept built even while continuing his janitorial career. He's wrestled some at this point, but it's mostly just been for exhibition 'jobber' matches for the GCWA, nothing that pays that well.~
Peter Vaughn: It felt like a ordinary day in October. I had the day off from my custodial duties, allowing me to get some training in, but I knew you were still hard at work, despite your age, continuing to clean the hallways of that three-story business downtown. You never complained, no matter how hard they worked you or tried to stiff you of hours. You never let anything get to you... or maybe you just never showed it.
~We hear a phone ringing, catching the younger Vaughn's attention. He pushes himself up once more, straightening up, and grabs a towel to clean his face off before walking over to the cell phone. He accepts the call and begins to talk to whoever's on the other end, although we can't hear the details of the discussion.~
Peter Vaughn: You could probably say I'd been anticipating a phone call like that for months now. I knew you'd been getting weaker. I'd suggested maybe cutting back, that I'd find a way to bring more funds in to cover your side of the rent. You always said you wouldn't know what to do with yourself if you weren't working.
~A look of dismay crosses the younger Vaughn's face. He thanks whoever it is and hangs up, then runs to get a shirt on. He starts to get dressed, throwing on his shoes, not bothering to go shower up. There was just no time.~
Peter Vaughn: The doctors called it an ischemic stroke, brought out by the stress of continuing to work at your age. You were probably a time bomb, waiting for that blood clot to be formed that would take you down. Today, that time bomb went off. Maybe if we had better medical care, the warning signs would have been more obvious. Maybe not. You never know with strokes.
~The younger Vaughn snatches his wallet and keys off the table, rushing out the door. He slams it behind him, causing the whole room to feel like it was shaking for a second.~
Peter Vaughn: I can safely say that might have been the worst day of my life, although the day Mother disappeared is a close second. Things were never the same after that.
~The camera focuses on a picture near the doorway, showing both father and son standing side-by-side. The smiles on both of their faces goes in contradiction to what we've just seen and heard.~
March 6th, 2022
~Seconds later, there is just one person standing there: Peter Vaughn, all on his own. He's back in front of the grave site, having cleaned up the bottle from earlier. Once a custodian, always a custodian, apparently. Despite the emotional memories he's going through, Vaughn's eyes show no sign of wetness. He still can't quite access the emotional wavelengths he once journeyed easily, thanks to everything he's been through in recent years. But if you look closely in his eyes, you might see a slight flash of remorse and regret.~
Peter Vaughn: You may have survived that day, father... but you were never the same, were you? Not even close. It took everything I had, as well as arranging for a few loans from wrestlers, in order to get you in that nursing home. They gave you the care that I could not. And then, everything changed, didn't it? I became a winner, a champion... and all it may have cost me is my soul.
~Vaughn is quiet, looking around the world around him. For now, there are no other people in the cemetery, although Vaughn's sure that some will be arriving soon. The woman wouldn't be smart enough to just let go and walk away.~
Peter Vaughn: I hope you're happy wherever you're spending your afterlife, father. I don't know what world you'd want to be living in, but whatever it happens to be, you should be enjoying it. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, no matter what comes my way. If nothing else, you taught me to be a survivor. And I'm going to survive.
~He stands up again, as a blast of thunder can be heard. The storm is finally making its way to the cemetery, ready to rain down its watery contents across the bodies of the dead, nurturing the plants around them. Vaughn takes in the area one more time, sucking in a deep breath of air.~
Peter Vaughn: I'll visit again soon enough, father. It's the least I can do. And I'll make sure that our name is remembered forevermore. Goodbye.
~Vaughn turns and walks off to the side, ignoring the slamming of doors behind him. We see the woman from earlier getting out of her car, pointing into the cemetery, as a couple of police officers reluctantly walk forward. Neither looks pleased to be there, expecting this to be another "Karen Wild Goose Chase". They nonetheless head inside, with the woman following behind them, wanting vengeance yet also terrified of the man she saw earlier. But there's no more sign of Peter Vaughn. The clouds opt to open up at this moment, pouring down rain on the cops and the woman, who shrieks about her good dress and runs back to her car, her recovered shoes in hand. The officers follow, shaking their heads, as the camera goes back once more to the tombstone of Peter Vaughn's father. For a moment, there seems to be a shimmer next to the stone, as if something is being seen through the storm. But after a second, it's gone, as if it was never there.~
A lot of these competitors will never see me coming. Of course, I'm sure they could say the reverse is true. There are several I've never heard of before.
This Buster Gloves guy sounds like he's perfect for Level Up, because that's a name straight out of a bad video game. Although there was a Buster Douglas fighter, wasn't there? There was a game with that name, too. I wonder if Gloves has any of the history like Douglas. I hope not, because that guy had one moment of glory that quickly dissolved into absolute nothingness.
There's this Emily Simms girl, which I guess is another gaming reference. But the Sims sucked. Yeah, some will hate me for that, but in my view, real life was bad enough without playing a video game that simulated that life. I'd rather go out and better my own life than pretend I'm building someone else's. As for Simms, damn, I don't know, maybe she's good, maybe she can't do squat. I suppose I might find out at the show.
Chelsea Skye's apparently coming in just like me to be part of the gauntlet. I've heard that she's a strong competitor, but honestly, all I remember about her is some X-Rated incident that happened on the Tara Fenix Charity Cruise. Too bad I was there to wrestle and make a name for myself, not bother with other people's antics. Maybe she'll show me that she's more than just a pretty... face, and give me a fight in there.
Android 69 is just... a terrible name. But maybe he's more dangerous than it sounds, since he's got Johnny Hitmaker on his side. That guy is an absolute nutcase, but he does tend to choose the best clients. I wonder, will Android 69 live up to the fight I've already had with "The Bogeyman" JC? No, probably not. It'll be interesting to see if he manages to hang in there until I arrive in the ring.
There are more, but I don't know how significant they are. There will be some more surprises, too, of course. I can hope for a Raven sighting, either Knox or, well, Raven. I've wanted to get my hands on either one of them for the longest time, but something always comes up to stop us. The fed closes before we can fight, they get eliminated from a tournament before I can reach them, you know, it's a whole long story. Odds are they're not going to be in this one, either, if they know there's a chance I might show up.
So I'll just be ready for them. I'll be ready for everyone. In a gauntlet, you never know who's coming down that ramp next. It's all about anticipating and reacting to the situation. Odds are, many of these guys and gals won't be able to anticipate the chaos and control I'm bringing to this contest.
In the end, the bell will ring, and the fans will most likely be on their feet, booing heavily. It's their way of supporting me, because I'll be standing as the big winner, continuing the Year of the Mechanic as I add another glory to my name.
Prepare for the Plunge. All of you.
March 6th, 2022
~The video cuts to a shot of Peter Vaughn driving his 2021 Ford truck, leaving the cemetery far behind. The music station is playing "Don't Fear The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult, a tune that you always love to hear but wonder what it will mean to your immediate future. The rain is still pouring down as Vaughn's truck approaches a light. Suddenly, a flash of lightning blinds everyone in the area, as the bolt hits extremely close to the intersection.~
Peter Vaughn: Son of a bitch!!
~Vaughn brakes, coming to a complete stop. He looks around at the only other car nearby, whose driver seems shaken as well. That car leaves, as Vaughn glances forward, seeing the building up ahead with the power flashing on and off. After a second, the power stabilizes, lighting up the Retro Madness sign once again. With the lights shining through the window, Vaughn can see what's sitting in the display area: a box that shows a Super Nintendo system, refurbished. It seems like the light above the box shines brighter for a moment, then settles back in. Vaughn, looking that way, slowly cracks his first smile in a while.~
Peter Vaughn: ... Thanks, father. It's good to know you're okay.
~Vaughn checks the intersection once more and pulls through, heading over to the Retro Madness store and parking in the lot. He gets out and goes inside, with the camera staying in the car. We see him talking to someone at the front, who goes and gets the Super Nintendo box from the window. Vaughn can be seen disappearing, likely to go check out any retro games they've got in the back for the Super Nintendo, as we slowly fade out.~
