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Peter Vaughn · (03-11-2023)

~The picture slowly comes up outside the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The crowd is slowly filing out of the arena, excited after a big Spurs victory, which has been a rarity this year. The camera zooms over the crowd of mostly happy individuals, before dropping down to see two people making their way through the exits. Sammy Mitchell, Vaughn's newly-discovered half-sister, comes out first, her face glowing after such an enjoyable event. Behind her is Vaughn himself, who looks rather annoyed. He tries to hide it, though, as they start heading towards the parking lot.~

Sammy Mitchell: That was such a great game! Did you see that great move from Sochan? He's going to help bring the Spurs back to how they used to be, just you wait.

Peter Vaughn: Maybe. I thought the best part was when those players started going at it and got ejected. They ought to just allow them to fight it out, like hockey, and put them in penalty boxes.

Sammy Mitchell: The NBA has enough issues without daily brawls on the court.

Peter Vaughn: I suppose that's true. I still don't see why we couldn't go to a Dallas Mavericks game. That would have been a lot less of an issue transportation-wise.

Sammy Mitchell: Please. I'm a lifelong Spurs fan and nothing's going to change that.

Peter Vaughn: Now I'm really wondering if we're related.

~Sammy laughs as she moves on ahead, remembering where they parked. Vaughn just shrugs, as they continue forward... until Vaughn takes a hit on the side of the head, from a thrown soda cup. He stops, turning in disbelief, as two younger men are standing there, laughing. They look like they're barely out of high school, and maybe not even that.~

Fan: Take that, Vaughn! You suck! Hah!

~It seems that Vaughn was recognized. The two guys laugh again, starting to walk away... but Vaughn walks up to them first, shoving the first teen down. He then grabs the second by the shirt, holding him in place. If looks could kill, the young man would be toast. His tone quickly shifts.~

Fan: Whoa whoa! Man! Don't hurt me! It was a joke!

~Vaughn doesn't seem to be laughing. But Sammy's there, putting an arm on Vaughn's shoulder.~

Sammy Mitchell: Peter! Let him go!

~Vaughn glances over at Sammy, still looking ready to kill. But after a second, he knocks the second guy back into the arms of the first one, nearly sending both back to the ground. He glares at them, wiping some of the soda from the side of his head.~

Peter Vaughn: Leave. Now.

~The two don't waste the opportunity, sprinting away. They both look like they've probably soiled themselves, but that could have easily happened due to them being drunk beforehand. Vaughn watches them go, then looks back at Sammy, seeing for the first time disapproval in her eyes.~

Sammy Mitchell: ... C'mon. Let's just get out of here.

~She walks off towards the car, even as Vaughn thinks it over for a moment. He then shakes his head and follows, as we slowly cut away.~

Sometimes the lines between heroes and villains can be blurred.

Take, for instance, Raion Kido. So many look at this man, and see a role model. They view him as someone to strive for, even when he's making a massive amount of mistakes in his career. The number one mistake that's bothering me right now, though? The fact that Kido is taking such a vintage vehicle and bringing it to absolute nitwits.

I was quite frankly offended at their workmanship, Kid. I found myself angry for you. I mean, you get a car like that, you don't spend a ton of time trying to get it to work BEFORE YOU CHECK THE SPARK PLUGS!!! I mean, c'mon, that's one of the very first things they should have replaced!! If they were a reputable dealer, they would have known that. Did they charge you by the hour? Did it feel like they were stalling?

Seriously, that's just insane that they took that long to do the minimum basic checks.

That said, I also heard a lot of the Kid's comments during his forced interlude waiting for them to get their acts together. It seems Ray believes that I'm someone who burns brightly then burns out fast. You talked like I'm worth nothing now in the XWF, even after holding multiple championships there. Strange comment to make, when you consider that I'm here in the Elite Eight with you. Are you truly bashing the good names of Calypso and Goth, saying neither one of them deserved to be in the tournament with us?

I mean, I might say that, at least for Calypso, but I thought you were supposed to be "the good guy".

You talk very high and mighty over there about yourself. Yet you haven't really done anything since Flynn handed you your ass the way he did. This tournament is the first time you've come back to life, really, and yeah, Theo's banking heavily on you making the finals. His advertising budget has made that extremely clear. I understand why you're feeling so confident. And yet... you, of all people, are overlooking me. That's rather embarrassing for you.

It also pisses me off.

If nothing else, Rao, I have shown you the respect of seeing you as a powerful individual, one who could very well rewrite the history books if you ever shook off that angel off your shoulder. The fact that you don't show the same respect for me? It just lets me know that I've got to give you a pretty harsh lesson in the way of the wrestling world. I guess maybe I won't be coming into this just to maneuver myself into the Final Four.

I suppose I might come in to bash your face bloody until your sweet girlfriend has trouble recognizing you.

Maybe she can just pull down your pants and do a measurement. That would probably suffice for identification.

The best tape measures nowadays come in millimeters, don't they?

~As the rental truck drives down the road, the two occupants sit in silence, with the great mood of the event irrevocably broken. You can feel the tension in the air, as Sammy works to just stare out the window, not even looking at her half-brother. For his part, Vaughn is still seething, having been unable to release the frustration he had been feeling. Suddenly, it just becomes too much to take. The truck pulls off the road, startling Sammy, as it comes to a sliding stop in the dirt. Vaughn gets out of the truck, moving to the front while rubbing his head with both hands. Sammy finally gets out, too, walking over to him.~

Sammy Mitchell: Peter... you okay?

~There a few moments of silence, before Vaughn finally responds.~

Peter Vaughn: It's been a long time since anyone could call me "Okay".

Sammy Mitchell: ... I just don't get it. I've never seen that side of you, Peter. I mean, I've heard the stories from online, but... were you really going to hurt that kid?

Peter Vaughn: His age had nothing to do with it. He disrespected me. He assaulted me. And I should have made him pay for it.

~The cold fury in Vaughn's voice is enough to shake anyone, but Sammy doesn't back away.~

Sammy Mitchell: He was just a drunk teenager. They probably snuck some hooch in, because there's no way they were served at the refreshment stands. You could have looked the other way.

Peter Vaughn: You don't understand, Sammy...

Sammy Mitchell: Then help me understand.

~Vaughn looks up at the night sky, feeling the only emotion that usually keeps him going: the rage. He takes a deep breath, trying to control it, before finally deciding to talk.~

Peter Vaughn: You didn't know me in the past, Sammy. You don't know how I was.

Sammy Mitchell: Were you... were you violent?

Peter Vaughn: No. The complete opposite. I was a janitor.

~This isn't exactly a revelation for Sammy, but she lets it go for now.~

Peter Vaughn: I was a pushover, Sammy. I let everyone walk over me. I got put in unwinnable situations and was told just to smile and be a good "worker". I rolled over so many times you might as well have called me Paul Hamm.

Sammy Mitchell: Who?

Peter Vaughn: Right, you're young. Look it up later. The point is, I wasted a lot of time helping others and doing nothing for myself. It's when I finally realized how badly it made me look to everyone that I had to change. I had to become something else... and I have. I've done it all in this business, and I still have a decade or two still to go. But people... people still disrespect me. They fail to see how damn good I am, and it's... infuriating.

~Vaughn is absolutely seething at this point, trying not to lose control and punch the rental truck. He doesn't need to raise his deductible. Sammy walks up to him, grabbing his arm.~

Sammy Mitchell: I don't know, Peter. I didn't know the "Peter" from back then. But maybe... just maybe... it's time to try a new track? Because if it's respect you're looking for... you may need to make some changes.

~Vaughn doesn't say anything to that. He just keeps looking towards the stars in the sky, focusing on a shooting star that appears to be burning out in the atmosphere. He stays there, watching, as Sammy stays next to him, waiting patiently. The shot fades out.~

It's been a crazy ride, hasn't it, Ray?

I mean, as you brought up, we had a good, long run in the World Series of Wrestling. And yes, you were a front-runner... until you blew it. That "good guy" attitude ruined you at the end, and I was more than happy to slip in there and take advantage. That's why I'm the one with the trophy there, while you went home with your tiny tail between your legs.

And then our time in the WGWF, where your viewpoint has been skewed to try not to see the truth that's plain as the rather large nose between your eyes. You blame your loss there on a double-team, and yet, it was a RUMBLE. You have to be ready at all times, and on that night? You weren't.

In fact, the more I think about it, the more it becomes apparent that I've really had your number lately. So we'll have to see what happens at Warfare, won't we, Ray? I mean, the odds are fully stacked in your favor. Theo, your handler and controller, has rigged it as much as he possibly can for the Saga. The fans will be cheering like insane people for you, because of the promotional values that you get from the XWF. It's basically home field advantage every time you wrestle.

And yet... I don't think it will be enough.

I have faith in myself, Kid. I believe heavily in my ability to win any match, no matter the odds. So I'm not backing down. I'm coming for you. And maybe, in the end, the supernova known as Raion Kido will finally burn out and becomes a black hole to all of those around him.

And you know what black holes do, right? They suck.

Prep yourself for the Plunge, Kid. See you on the other side.

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