Post by Peter Vaughn on Apr 10, 2022 12:26:17 GMT -5
The Road So Far:
No Matter How Hard You Try, You Can't Escape Your Past
A month ago, I made my debut in Level Up Wrestling.
I came in hoping for a big splash, surprising many, and maybe taking a stab at winning The Last Of Us II Gauntlet. I wasn’t that far off from my goal, too, but in the heat of battle, I forgot a simple lesson: Compassion makes fools of us all.
I was set to put Buster Gloves out of the match, to send him to the back to get the medical care he needed. It was going to be my second elimination, setting me up to head to the final four. But Paul Freedom and Avalon wouldn’t allow it. They double-teamed me, just so Freedom could pin Gloves instead, showing how desperate the newcomer was to get some attention for himself. If you think it was all about Buster's health, you're naive. Avalon, meanwhile, took advantage of the double-team and ended my night, showing that stupidity is trainable.
Obviously, they should have worked with me instead of against me, because at the end of the night, they both got to watch as more superior wrestlers like Sebastian Everett-Bryce and Commander Duncan Shepard fought at the end instead of them. All because they felt an ounce of compassion for an injured wrestler.
It left a sour taste in my mouth as I left the arena that day, thinking about the missed opportunity that was thrown away by some young stars. I wondered, could I have done any different? And I decided no, that was the way fate wanted it, and sometimes you just can’t fight fate.
Plus, sometimes fate has other plans.
When Level Up sent me a full-time contract, and once Chris Page worked out all the details, I found that I still had my opportunity to make an impact. I could still show another federation that I’m one of the top rising stars in the wrestling business, by fighting my way towards a few of their championships. And maybe, just maybe, I can teach some of the other younger wrestlers that compassion is a weakness, a disease that can handicap your career.
Trust me. I plan to show zero compassion as I enter into my first EXP event.
April 10th, 2022
~The picture slowly comes up on a bright, sunny day, with the sun’s rays reflecting off the water in front of us. The camera slowly moves along the water, showing that we’re looking at a large river, with land across the way. The shot shifts, focusing on the two men staring across the water while leaning on the pier. The first man shakes his head, before looking towards his compatriot.~
Peter Vaughn: It’s pretty crazy, isn’t it?
~The second man turns, confused.~
Thomas Hill: What is, Pete?
Peter Vaughn: Well, that we’re sitting here looking at the Ohio River… as we stand here in Indiana… while right across from us is Kentucky.
Thomas Hill: Huh. Hadn’t thought about it that way, but yeah, it’s a little trippy. But it’s not like anything says the Ohio River can only run in Ohio, right? The Mississippi goes through several states, after all.
Peter Vaughn: I suppose. Hey, you know what Mississippi means? “Big River”. So in actuality, the Mississippi River is the Big River River.
Thomas Hill: Wild.
~The two continue to stare out over the river, standing on the edge of Evansville, Indiana, the site of Level Up Wrestling’s EXP 23 show. Thomas Hill checks his watch, sighing to himself.~
Thomas Hill: This place is so boring. Why’d you want me coming along with you again?
Peter Vaughn: I’m going into an unfamiliar landscape, assigned a tag-team partner who I’ve never worked with, and I felt I could use some support from the only family I’ve got left.
~Hill starts chuckling, as Vaughn turns towards him, confused.~
Thomas Hill: What kind of support do you want from me? I’m no wrestler. You’d be better off calling in one of your CCPE friends.
Peter Vaughn: Not the kind of support I’m looking for… brother.
~Vaughn turns away, walking, as Hill, surprised, moves to catch up. It was just a few months ago when Peter Vaughn believed he was alone in the world. His father had passed away, and his treacherous mother had mysteriously disappeared. That’s when Vaughn learned that he had a half-brother, Thomas Hill, which brought a whole new series of complications.~
Thomas Hill: So where are we headed? Back to the hotel?
Peter Vaughn: Nah. Jason Ryan won’t be getting in until later, so there’s no point in waiting around for him there. From what I hear, Evansville is really only good for one thing.
~Vaughn points ahead of him, with Hill glancing forward at the building in front of them.~
Thomas Hill: You’re kidding me.
Peter Vaughn: Let’s go check out a water tank, shall we?
~Vaughn speeds up, heading towards the ticket window, while Hill reluctantly follows.~
Sometimes you’ve got to make the best of a bad situation.
I truly didn’t expect to get placed into a random tag-team match when I signed up for Level Up Wrestling. No, I didn’t see them giving me a title shot right off the bat, but I was thinking, after The Last of Us II, they’d be wanting to see what I can do in singles action. Silly me. Instead, here I am, teaming up with this Jason Ryan guy. What a dream killer.
Eh, I make fun, but I did appreciate Ryan smashing down that referee on the last EXP. You have to put the refs in place sometimes when they screw you over, fines be damned. Now, would I say the count was fast in his loss to Chelsea? I don’t know, but it’s all in the eyes of the beholder. If Ryan thought it was fast, then he did the right thing.
He’d just better make sure that the refs don’t hold it against him… and me… this week.
So let’s look at who we are facing. First off, we’ve got “The Masked German Monster” Lord Raab. Well, that’s a mouthful. Some people really love their nicknames. I mean, for one thing, you’re wearing a mask, you don’t need to tell people about it. It’s redundant. Also, your accent fully gives away that you’re German. So, really, we should just call you “The Monster” Lord Raab.
Except, are you really a monster?
I’ve faced plenty of monsters in the wrestling world. Supreme Machine, that’s a true monster. “The Boogeyman” JC, he gets up there monster-wise. The Big Bifford? That guy still scares me. But you, Raab? I’m not sure I’m buying it. I watched the tapes on your losses to Larry Tact and Drake Wilcox & ISAAC. Sure, you can take a beating. Most of us wrestlers can, at least the successful ones. But is that enough to consider you a monster?
Hell, you’re not even the tallest person on your tag-team. How can you be a monster?
That just leaves the Lord part, and I’m going to assume you just assigned that to yourself. But if you ARE an actual Lord of a manor or something, hey, good for you. Maybe you should go back there and stay there.
Then we have Brandon Hendrix, “The Messiah”. Oooo, I love facing the one with God complexes. Although apparently your only godly power is resurrection. From what I hear, you keep making comebacks and keep failing to succeed. You showed that at The Last of Us II, when you let my partner take you out and leave you easy pickings for Mac. I’m sure you’re going to have a lot of anger aimed at Ryan for what he did, and hey, I can’t blame you.
Honestly, have at him, hoss. Go for the jugular. Look to end Mr. Ryan’s career. Try and show you’re the better man over the man who cost you TLOU2, brawl with him all over the arena if you like. Just don’t be too offended when you turn around and realize that I’ve defeated “Lord” Raab and won the match for our team.
Rage has been the downfall of so many wrestlers in the business. If you get too focused on one foe, it can handicap you in so many ways. I could easily see Drix opting to try and take Ryan's head off, while not realizing that I'm sitting there on the turnbuckle, just waiting for him to turn around and get squashed.
I’ve got no rage or vengeance in this fight. I’m just looking for another victory.
April 10th, 2022
~We rejoin Peter Vaughn and Thomas Hill on the USS LST-325. A tour guide is walking in front of them, explaining some of the history of the famous vehicle.~
Tourist Guide: You’re standing on the last fully functional American World War II LST, which stands for Landing Ship Tank. This craft brought troops to the shores of Italy early in the war, before later being part of the Omaha Beach landing, which helped end the German part of the war in 1944. You’re basically standing on history.
~He waves to a set of pictures placed along the wall, showing many of the previous captains of this ship. Most of them are no longer with us.~
Tourist Guide: LST's were once an extremely important part of the war effort, but they have also been used to rescue thousands of other sailors when their ships have been hit with torpedoes. Without this ship right here, it would be an entirely different generation of men & women out there in America today.
~The tour guide moves on, with the small group staying close to him. Only Vaughn and Hill are staying near the back.~
Thomas Hill: Well, you’ve exceeded my expectations, Pete. You’ve found a way to make our trip even more boring.
Peter Vaughn: You’re seriously not interested in something like this? Are you sure we’re related?
Thomas Hill: It just feels like one of those field trips I was forced to take in school. I’ve never been too interested in history.
Peter Vaughn: Well, you should be. You know how many dead or dying soldiers were probably brought aboard this thing? It’s probably haunted as hell. Also, it’s still functional, and who wouldn’t want to be aboard a fully functional water tank?
Thomas Hill: Well, okay, yeah, but it’s not like it’s going anywhere. The sign said it only does runs on the river in September.
Peter Vaughn: Yeah, well, it’s funny what can happen with you have some connections…
~Vaughn suddenly breaks off the tour, moving up a nearby stairway. Surprised, Hill looks to the front, where the oblivious tour guide continues the monologue he’s given a thousand times. Hill finally moves, heading up the stairs as well, as he wonders what his half-brother is up to now.~
You should always have an intelligent strategy anytime you’re entering into a brand-new endeavor.
As easily the smallest wrestler in our foursome, it seems obvious that I’m going to be the man in charge of hit-and-run attacks. I could surprise “Lord” Raab with a dropkick to the face, or shock Hendrix with a corkscrew bomb from above. A lot of people tend to underestimate me due to my size, but that always works to my advantage in the long run, because a lot of the time, they never see me coming.
It’s the way I became a four-time World Champion, and I’m only just beginning my true career this year.
But I’ve never been content with just striking out and falling back. With my speed and agility, I can run circles over these modified behemoths any day of the week. That means I could probably nail Raabby with several kicks and chops all around him before he could raise a hand in defense. He doesn’t exactly look like he’s got any acceleration in him, after all.
Then there’s my partner, Ryan, who doesn’t exactly look speedy himself. Odds are he’s going to want to be in there as much as possible, and I don’t see any reason on denying him that request. I’ll get to watch as he takes every lump, bump, and backbreaker that Raabby & Drix can dish out, making sure to save him every time he finds himself in trouble. And when he finally manages to tag me in, he’ll have done his job and weakened the opposition, so I can take full advantage of it.
The more I think about it, the more this tag-team match looks like a dream contest for me. When the match is over, I’ll have the attention of every wrestler in Level Up. They’ll all realize that it wasn’t Jason Ryan who was the force in this contest. It wasn’t “Lord” Raab that masked up and dominated the event. It wasn’t “The Comeback Kid” Hendrix, finally showing the world that he’s worth a damn.
It’s going to be me. Peter Vaughn. The new force in Level Up Wrestling. I can’t wait.
April 10th, 2022
~We’re now outside the bridge of the WWII LST-325. We see Thomas Hill standing in the background, looking a little nervous, as Vaughn is in the midst of a conversation with a man clad in custodial garb. The man’s Italian ascent can be heard as he talks with Vaughn.~
Custodian: It’s all set up. They know you’re coming.
Peter Vaughn: Awesome. You tell the others in the Custodial Coalition I appreciate this.
Custodian: After what you’ve done recently for us? We owed you, Mr. Vaughn.
~Vaughn turns and goes through the bridge door, heading inside. After a second’s hesitation, the custodian and Hill follow. Inside, we see the crew, always on alert during tour days, coming to attention.~
First Mate: Lt Commander on the bridge!
~Vaughn glances back at the custodian, hiding a smirk. Hill can only shake his head.~
Thomas Hill: Lt Commander? Geez…
~Vaughn steps up and returns the salute to the first mate. Thankfully, he’s not dressed in his usual wrestling clothes, which would have likely given the game away.~
Peter Vaughn: At ease, all of you. As you may or may not know, I’m here for a surprise test of your crew & equipment. I want to make sure the LST-325 is always ready for any emergency! Are you always ready, Ensign?
First Mate: Sir, yes sir! It may be an easy position, but we drill all the time, sir!
Peter Vaughn: Then you’d have no problems with quickly bringing us away from port and down the river, would you, Ensign?
~A brief flare of concern rushes over the first mate’s face… as well as Hill and the custodian, who both suddenly look more nervous.~
First Mate: Sir… I…
Peter Vaughn: Well, son? Can you or can’t you? Were you lying to me about always being prepared?
First Mate: Sir, no sir! It’s just… we have civilians on board… the tours that are going on…
Peter Vaughn: And let me ask you this, Ensign. If there was an enemy attack on this ship, do you think they’d wait patiently for you to get all the civilians off first? Or would they just attack??
First Mate: Sir, I… suppose they’d just attack, sir.
Peter Vaughn: Exactly! Now let’s set this ship to sea, Ensign! Restrict all civilians to a safe position on the ship, raise the gangplanks, and let’s be on our way! That’s an order!
First Mate: … Sir, yes, sir!
~The first mate begins shouting orders to his young-but-skilled crew, as Vaughn steps aside to where the custodian is waiting.~
Custodian: When I set this all up for you, it wasn’t so you could cause a major incident! It’s going to be impossible to cover up the LST leaving port!
Peter Vaughn: You think they’re going to want to reveal that this ship was out of their control after the fact? No, they’ll go along with this, because it makes a more sensible story. It’s an emergency test, friend. Nothing more.
~Smiling, Vaughn steps towards the windows, staring out at the now-frantic preparations that are taking place on deck. The custodian shakes his head, as Hill steps up to him.~
Custodian: This guy’s a little Psicopatico, isn’t he?
Thomas Hill: You have no idea.
~The camera switches back to Vaughn’s face as he grins, enjoying the feeling of the ship beginning to move in the harbor. It's always hard to judge Vaughn's emotional state, but right now, he seems remarkably pleased at this turn of events.~
I've never been one to back down when I want something.
I'm not saying I always get what I want. If that was the case, I'll still be holding all of my World titles. Nobody's that lucky, no matter how inflated their egos are. Sometimes you're victorious, and sometimes you have a bit of bad luck and fall. The key here is that, whether or not I win, I plan to give 110% to coming out on top. I will do whatever it takes to give me better odds of success in any company I'm in.
If that means raking the eyes of my opponents so they can't see, I'll do it. If it means sneaking in a shot from outside when they least expect it, I'll do it. And if it means working out the odds and risking my own neck in order to destroy someone, well, as I said, I'm not one to back down from any challenge when I want the victory.
So I hope Raaby and Drix are prepared for what's coming their way. They shouldn't be expecting just an ordinary wrestling match. Because they're facing a master strategist with no self-restraint, a force of nature inside that ring… and Jason Ryan, too.
Hell, if they’d let me, I’d bring my tranquilizer gun to the ring as well, but something tells me the management wouldn’t be too pleased with that.
So we’ll stick to more ordinary means… unless I get an opening, then all bets are off.
Brace yourselves, Raaby, Drix. Get ready for a foe you never expected to be your downfall. And prepare for the Plunge.
~We get an aerial view of the USS LST-325, as it sails back up the Ohio River. It makes its way back over to port, expertly being piloted back into position. Standing on deck is a furious-looking man, pacing back and forth as he waits for the planks to be lowered. It’s clear he’s the actual captain of the ship, who must have been called away for some reason. He storms onto the ship, as we return to the bridge view.~
Peter Vaughn: An excellent job, Ensign. That was an extremely smooth cruise. I will make sure to put in commendations for all of you.
First Mate: Sir, thank you, sir!
~Suddenly, the custodian has moved forward, anxiously whispering something into Vaughn’s ear. Most likely, his contacts have alerted him to the arrival of the captain. Vaughn’s face doesn’t change, as he continues to smile and nod to the crew.~
Peter Vaughn: Well, gentlemen, I’m going to go check in on the engine crew. Please don’t alert them that I’m coming, I want to do a quick inspection. Thanks again for all your hard work!
~Vaughn shoots off a proper salute, which is returned by the crew. He turns and nods to Hill and the custodian, and they quickly head out the back door. The custodian directs them down a specific hallway, away from where the enraged captain is likely approaching.~
Custodian: We need to get you guys off the ship, pronto!
Peter Vaughn: Didn’t she just glide like a cloud in the sky, Thomas?
Thomas Hill: I’ll admit, it was an experience getting to ride in one of these. I definitely will never say you’re boring again, Pete.
Peter Vaughn: If nothing else, I cause experiences wherever I go.
Custodian: Yes, yes, all well and good, amici. Now hurry up!!
~The custodian pushes them onwards, heading for the back exit, as the sounds of yelling can suddenly be heard from down the hall. We slowly fade out.~
