Post by petervaughn on Sept 4, 2023 22:47:37 GMT
~The picture slowly comes up on an incredible landscape. We're at the top of a hill, staring downwards at a shot that almost looks straight out of the Lord of the Rings. The sky is a brilliant blue color, almost sea-worthy. However, as we watch, the color begins to change, shifting into a bright lime green, altering the landscape. It doesn't stay that way long, as the green begins to fade into a sun-lit yellow. The camera slowly zooms back, allowing us to see the men standing at the top of the hill, watching the scene. One appears to have a big smile on his face as the camera spins around him.~
Peter: That's quite a spectacular view. I'm betting it's something you only see once in a lifetime.
~The other man puts a hand on Peter's shoulder, nodding.~
Mr. Vaughn: I'm sure there have been a few who have gotten to see it more than once, son. But it's a rare gift.
~Mr. Vaughn looks the same age as when Peter was a boy, which makes sense, as a deceased individual can choose to look however he wants. He stares ahead, taking in the path cutting across the checkered landscape.~
Mr. Vaughn: Are you ready to get going? You know this journey won't be an easy one.
~Peter can't help but laugh, sniggering.~
Peter: Since when have I ever wanted to go the easy way?
~Mr. Vaughn laughs with him, the two men sharing a familiar bond.~
Mr. Vaughn: You always took after your mother that way. Okay then, son. Let's begin.
~Peter nods, with the duo beginning their march along the dirt path, even as the sky begins shifting from a vibrant orange into a darker, more ominous red. As they begin to make progress, we cut away.~
What is an enigma? A riddle, maybe? A confusing puzzle to solve? Someone who is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand?
Or does it mean someone who is trying too hard to be noticed? Someone who acts out, possibly, thinking that's the only way they can become an icon in the business. Someone who thinks that they need to be 'scary' or 'intense' in order for someone to believe in them.
Do you think that describes you, Sev? Do you mind if I call you Sev? It sounds better than your many nicknames. I mean, Monster Machine? That just feels... redundant. I'm a big fan of Monsters, don't get me wrong. Godzilla, King Kong, The Thing, Paris Hilton... they're all terrifyingly fun. As a mechanic, I'm also a huge supporter of machines of all types. They can make work so much easier on the ranch, even if some 'traditionalists' frown on their usage. But a "monster machine"? That brings to mind Stephen King's Maximum Overdrive... and I really don't want that movie brought to mind, you know?
I mean, the Green Goblin truck was cool, but the acting was so, so bad...
Anyhow, we're getting off track. How are you doing, Sev? Nice to meet you finally. I will say, I've heard some good things about your wrestling career. Believe it or not, I think we have a lot in common. You started out as a jobber in the WGWF. I had a run as a jobber in the GCWA. We both spent some time at the bottom of the feeding pool, being used to boost up others while we languished in obscurity. But we've both made a lot of moves up the ladder since then, haven't we? You found success with the Entity and a few other feds, while I took over the business, winning six World Championships in five federations over the last two years.
Some might say I've done a hell of a lot more than you, but I'd disagree. Gold isn't everything, is it? I mean, it's a lot, but it's not EVERYTHING...
There's also a wrestler's reputation, and you seem to be one that has the admiration of your peers. All I've heard since our match was signed is that our fight is going to be a marquee event. It's going to be the contest that everyone looks forward to, because the battle will be the most intense of the night, leaving guys like J Mont and Matt Knox in the dust. Personally, I believe it, because any match involving myself has a chance to be the show stealer of the night. I'll just be counting on you to live up to the billing, won't I?
When I agreed to do this favor for Chris Page, I was hoping that I would get to face someone new, someone who could bring out the best in me. So many have failed to rise to my level over the past year. It's been extremely disappointing. So I'm pulling for you, Sev. Don't get lost in your 'character', hiding behind that horned mask and spitting bloody mist in the air. Come ready for the biggest match of your life.
Because I don't want to face a man lost in his own identity, a 'beast' with no ability to adjust when he gets socked in the mouth. I want this to be a war that people will be talking about twenty years from now. I want the crowd to chant "This Is Awesome" with all their might, as we go back and forth in a titanic struggle of two of the greats in the business.
I want you to bring yourself, Sev, and give me the fight I crave. Solve the riddle. Be your best. And find out if your best is good enough to last an hour in the ring with me.
Or else I'll leave victorious, disappointed, and moving on to solve the true enigma: how I ever thought you'd be competition in the first place.
~The two men have continued down the dusty trail, taking things in. Peter stops for a moment, looking to the right at where a cornfield has been set up. The corn appears almost maroon in the current light, making it appear less appetizing. It's also not tall enough to disguise the scarecrow sticking out, hanging there as a few crows end up landing on top of it.~
Peter: It doesn't look like that guy's doing his job very well.
Mr. Vaughn: Well, he never really was that scary, was he?
~The camera lifts up, giving us a better view of the hanging dummy, which appears to be dressed in a janitor's uniform, complete with a mop attached to one 'hand'. The crows peck at that hand, showing no concern whatsoever.~
Peter: No. He never had that aura about him. Not until things... changed...
~Suddenly, the cornfield seems to spontaneously catch on fire. Startled, the crows immediately fly away, saving themselves, as the scarecrow burns in the center. Peter watches it for a moment longer, before shaking his head.~
Peter: Well, Dad, I guess we should keep moving... Dad?
~Peter does a quick circle, but he's suddenly alone on the path. For a moment, this seems to shake him up, as he was comforted by his father's presence. But Peter quickly takes a deep breath to refocus before continuing onwards on his own. He goes over the next hill, setting a better pace now that he's alone. That's when he comes up to what appears to be a break in the path, as a deep ravine cuts across the road. Peter approaches it cautiously, ready for anything.~
Peter: So what is this? A leap of faith? I've had plenty of those in my life, and I always make the jump.
Voice: Well, sure you do, Petey! You've never been one to shy away from heights, and I should know!
~Vaughn spins, surprised, as Mike Zybala, his former trainer and mentor, is now standing behind him with a big smile on his face.~
Peter: You set this up, Mike? There's not an army of orangutans down there, right? Because I've fought enough orangutans...
Zybala: Afraid they couldn't make the trip, Pete. But there IS something waiting for you, if you have the courage to look over the edge.
~Peter scoffs at this, as he's never been afraid of heights. He steps forward, looking down... and immediately goes pale, as he sees a woman dangling from a metal protrusion, desperately staring up at him.~
Peter: Sadie!
~Peter immediately drops, reaching over the edge towards his best ranch hand, Sadie Anderson, a woman who's become an integral part of Peter's life. He tries to grab her, but she's just slightly out of reach.~
Peter: Reach out to me, Sadie! Give me your hand!
Sadie: That's a laugh, Peter, considering how much I've reached out for you... and you've never responded. Not once.
Peter: I... I don't understand...
Sadie: You don't need me, Peter. You don't want me. Just let me go.
~Sadie releases her grip on the protrusion, but at the last second, Peter lunges forward, catching her wrist. He hangs on tightly, trying not to be dragged off the edge.~
Peter: You're... you're wrong! I do need you... don't go...
Ronnie: I thought you didn't need anyone. Isn't that why you lost to me?
~Peter gasps, as the woman he's hanging onto has now become Veronica Strader-Cain, a nemesis... but also someone he ended up going to Hell for, in order to rescue the love of her life.~
Peter: Ronnie... why are you here? Where's Outcast? Where's Christian?
Ronnie: You may have saved Christian... but you don't care about us, Peter. You don't care about us at all.
Peter: No! I've... I've tried to be there... I was his best man... but I... I can't FEEL...
Angela: You can't? Not even when seeing your mother?
~The woman has changed again, this time into Angela Hill, Peter's estranged mother, who abandoned them when he was still young. Peter gasps, almost losing his grip.~
Peter: Mom... Mom, you've got to reach out with your other hand... help me bring you back!
Angela: I'm never coming back, my son. You know this. My departure is... inevitable.
~With that, Angela pushes against the wall, yanking away, and despite Peter's best efforts, he has to let go to avoid being pulled in. He watches as his mother falls, disappearing from sight into the cavernous depths below.~
Peter: MOTHER!!!
Zybala: Aww, ain't that a shame? Sorry, Petey. But looks like it's time you move on.
~As Peter continues to stare desperately into the darkness, the ravine suddenly shifts, closing on its own accord. Peter stands, shaking for a moment, before glaring back at Zybala... only Zybala's no longer there. Peter sighs, then, with no other choice, continues walking forward, down the newly-rebuilt path.~
Nothing scarier than reliving the past, is there, Sev?
Of course, you know all about the skeletons left in your closet. I've been checking up on you, seeing what you've done in the Entity to warrant your high standing. And I can't help but notice that your Crimson Championship run early in the year came to an end... because you failed to show up for a match against Damien Thorne at Midnight Massacre. Seriously, that's pretty bad, Sev. I've lost plenty of title matches, but never once have I just not shown up. I don't have that in me. If I'm scheduled to fight, you can guarantee that I'm going to be there, set to give my best, no matter what condition I'm in.
It worries me, actually, that you won't be at Us Vs. Them. But no, you seem to actually care about this one. I'm sure you'll show.
You at least bounced back from that debacle... eventually. You got back the Crimson Championship, and even defended it against Todrick... a well-known tag-team wrestler. But it allowed you to unify two of the smaller titles, so good for you. Sure, it wasn't for the top championship, but I'm sure that had nothing to do with the fact that Chris Page holds that title. You don't seem like the type that would fear his incredible talent inside the squared circle. Still... I definitely would have been calling out Page at every opportunity, watching my shot at his gold. You don't seem to have yelled loudly enough, have you?
It's in a similar vein in IIW, isn't it? You made enough noise to get yourself the Legacy Championship, a very ironically-named belt. But the people at the top, people like Joe Montouri, ran things, not you. Once again, you failed to make that climb to the top of the mountain before it collapsed. Hell, you were below Mac Bane, Xavier Lux, and so many others. Where was the initiative, Sev? Where was the motivation to climb the ladder? You've got to have that fire, Sev, if you want to hang with the big boys.
Guys like me.
I've toured the world, Sev, putting on the greatest matches wherever I go. I put on a clinic in an Ultimate X match on a cruise ship to stay the SCW Roulette Champion. I fought through an army of wrestlers in order to win the West Coast Rumble and earn the WGWF World Championship. I went through a blood-soaked brawl with the owner of TPW to remove him from my path, before reclaiming my TPW International Championship from Larry Tact. I have faced the best this industry has to offer, and I refuse to slow down until my name is listed at the top of the list with all of the rest of them.
I have a raging inferno inside of me, Sev, which continues to shove me further and further up to the top of the industry.
And if you can't find the same fire, boyo, I'm afraid you're going to get scorched.
Don't get left in the ashes of the past, my friend, still waiting for your opportunity to become an icon in the sport. Find a way to break through. Find that next gear to finally break out of the mid-tier.
Leave the past behind. At Us Vs. Them, let me make you famous. The future could still be bright.
~As Peter has continued on the trail, it seems to have become more of an incline. He struggles up it, trying to find purchase, finally dragging himself to the peak of the hill... only to find another large slope ahead of him. Peter slumps to a knee, working to catch his breath. Suddenly, though, there are hands on either side of him, helping him up.~
Thomas: C'mon, brother. You can do this. We believe in you.
Samantha: You've never quit anything in your life, and you're not going to start now!
~Vaughn glances between the two of them, seeing his half-brother, Thomas, born from the family his mother found after deserting him, and his half-sister, Sammy, a sperm donation of his father in order to make some extra cash. Both of them have entered his life in the last few years, forming a very intriguing family tree. They support him, bringing him towards the steep climb.~
Peter: Thank you... thank you, both. I've been extremely lucky to have you in my life...
Voice: Strange you should say that, Vaughn, since you haven't been staying involved in theirs...
~The trio turns, seeing Chris Page standing behind him. Page smiles, his usual expression, as Peter quickly steps in front of his siblings, preparing himself.~
Peter: You trying to stir things up, Chris? Make me feel guilty? I've been there for them when they've needed me.
Chris: Is that so? Wasn't your brother hospitalized because of you? Were you there for him in the hospital room? Or did you go on tour, leaving others to take care of him And what of your sister? When's the last time you talked to her? When's the last time she bothered to reach out to you?
~Confused, Peter looks over his shoulder at the sad faces of his family. Thomas just shrugs, before fading away like dust in the wind. Sammy quickly gives a wild laugh and follows, as Peter tries to reach out for them.~
Peter: ... That's not right... I've talked to them... I've kept up... Thomas is recovering... Sammy's touring the country...
Chris: And you've had plenty of your plate, right, champ? And hey, it's not like you haven't had your wrestling families. There was the Exiles...
~For an instant, we see men like Xavier Lux and Bam Miller standing there besides Page, but they quickly disappear.~
Chris: But they didn't last long, did they? Then there was the Saviors, right?
~Now we can see Mac Bane, Ken Davison, and Goth make an appearance. But they, too, don't stick around long.~
Chris: Course, most of them didn't stick around to work with you. But you've always got CCPE, right? You've always got me...
~Page steps forward closer, his smile turning darker and more sinister.~
Chris: As long as you keep winning...
~Peter seems to think about this for a moment, before suddenly turning his back on Page, staring up at the mountainous slope ahead of him.~
Peter: I don't need you. I can do it all by myself.
Chris: Have it your way... champ.
~Without another glance behind him, knowing that Page has disappeared, Peter starts the climb, determinedly working his way towards the heights above.~
What a long, strange road it's been.
I wonder, Sev, have you taken similar twists and turns in your life? Is that why you dress like a freak, demanding attention from the crowd? Isn't that your favorite slogan? "Do you see"? Well, yes, Sev, I see you... and I see your potential. I want you to become one of the utter greats in the business, Sev, because you can get there, no question. And then, you'll look so much better on my List of the Vanquished.
But let me pass along to you a lesson that I learned early on: sanity is somewhat of a prerequisite of becoming a top-tier superstar.
You see, when I first started to break out of my janitor mold, I wasn't exactly keeping all four wheels on the ground. I was a loose cannon, a wild man, someone who couldn't control himself. In some ways, I guess you could say I'd be like you, Sev, in that I didn't care about myself enough to pull back and not take unnecessary risks. Judging from what I saw in that Glass House match you had, you clearly haven't learned that lesson.
Now, I wouldn't say I'm a poster child for sanity still. But I've learned to ride that edge and control things. I've become a ranch owner, a prominent businessman, and a career superstar in the business. I've been able to focus that wildness in my soul and channel it in the right direction. So the question is, Sev: can you do the same?
Blood and guts are all well and good until you end up spilling too much of it, bringing an end to your promising career.
Again, I have to say, Sev, we have too much in common for me to just let you go on the way you are. You've shown flashes of finding yourself. You got married, which I assume means you found love, something I probably never will do. You could still find a way to find the balance in your life needed. If I can help you to keep from falling off, hey, I'm there for you. But in the end, Sev, you have to stay yourself... and I don't think you can do that.
You love to be Enigma too much. You love the idea of a Monster Machine (damn, that still sounds silly to me).
Whoever comes to Us Vs. Them, I'll be waiting for them, boyo. I'll have every trick I need up my sleeve to come out victorious and add another incredible accomplishment to my resume. I'll do what I have to for CCPE, even if I'm not doing it for them.
I'm coming to this show for myself, Enigma, and I'm coming to prove to you that I can solve your mystery. And in the end, you'll have to lay there, Sev, barely conscious, realizing that you ran into the buzzsaw of wrestling. The Mechanic Monster Machine, you could say (but please don't).
And the last thing you'll remember will be taking The Plunge.
See you then, boyo.
~At the top, Peter pulls himself over, rolling to his back. He lays there, breathing, before finally getting up and looking around... and realizing that he's standing on a rooftop. It's a strange sight, at the end of such a long journey. He walks to the edge, puzzled, before gasping as he looks down at the darkened city in front of him.~
Voice: Realized where you are, huh?
~To Peter's side, we see a figure step forward: Jonathan Barrows, Vaughn's former manager, and the man most blame for Vaughn's turn to the dark side. His torture of Peter led to the loss of Peter's sanity for a time, but also indirectly led to Vaughn's run of success.~
Jonathan: This was one of your darkest moments, wasn't it, Peter? The one time you considered ending it all, after that fan of yours got broadsided in the parking lot... and you felt nothing about it. You wanted to feel, didn't you? But you couldn't. So you considered taking that long step...
~Without consciously thinking about it, Peter's foot is suddenly hovering over the ledge. He shudders, as if reliving that moment.~
Jonathan: You still have that option, you know. You could end it all here... you can walk off this ledge and into the sunset...
~The sun is suddenly shining down in the distance, a bright spot in an otherwise hellish scene.~
Jonathan: It's really up to you, Peter. Are you finished? Are you done?
~For a second, the foot seems to move further out... but then it comes back in, quickly, as Peter spins on the spot, launching into a superkick into Barrows' head! He drops to a knee, stunned. He tries to rise, but Vaughn latches onto him on the way up, landing the Revenged!! Barrows lays, unmoving, as Peter gets back to his feet. He glares down at him.~
Peter: I'm never finished. I have too much more to do... and I certainly don't need someone like you holding me back.
~With that, Peter turns, walking away towards the newly-appeared doorway that's popped into existence. He opens it, as a weak Barrows tries to look up at him, bloodied...~
Jonathan: Peter... PETER...
~Vaughn doesn't look back, stepping through.~
Thomas: Peter!!
~Peter's eyes suddenly open, blinking heavily as a few tears run from his eyes. He blinks the moisture away, trying to sit up.~
Thomas: Careful! Take it easy on the way up. Man, you said this wasn't going to be too severe, Dr. Palmer!!
~Thomas angrily stares over at the psychologist, who raises his hands, looking completely bewildered.~
Palmer: In all my years, I've never seen anyone react like that just from hypnosis! I don't know what just happened!
~Shakily, Peter pushes himself up, with Thomas trying to support him, although he's still not at full power. Luckily, Peter doesn't seem to need it, straightening up.~
Thomas: Are you... okay?
Peter: That... was wild. How long has it been?
Palmer: About three minutes.
Peter: Seriously?
~Peter rubs at his head, surprised at how long it seemed.~
Peter: Guess if I'm paying by the hour, you're not getting much, doc. Let's get out of here, Thomas.
Palmer: Wait! We need to go over this. What did you see? What did you experience?
~At the doorway, Peter looks back, smirking.~
Peter: I saw my life, Doc. And I saw the future, bright as hell.
~The two men then leave, with the psychologist, sputtering, starting to follow. But the door slams shut. He stands there, torn, as the shot ends.~