Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

Peter Vaughn · (01-29-2023)

The Road So Far:

Seeing The Other Side

A Sin Revisited - A Fight Finally Ends (CCPE Vs. The World)

Break From Insanity, Or Break From Reality - P1

Sometimes you just feel like you have to get away.

Apparently this was the case with "The Mechanic" Peter Vaughn. After attending so many 'meetings' involving the Custodial Coalition, the PMV Ranch, and CCP Enterprises, Vaughn suddenly made the decision to disappear off the board. With Bill Sykes, Thomas Hill, and Chris Page all looking for him, Vaughn jumped onto a bus headed towards the mountains, his destination unknown.

All that's known is that it involves the picture of William Kimble, a young man who was badly injured while running across the road to see one of his favorite wrestlers - Peter Vaughn. The Mechanic recently had a violent encounter with William's father, who told him that William had since passed away due to complications. Vaughn hasn't acted the same since, and now, he appears to be on the run from his responsibilities... or is he? We will soon find out.

~We find ourselves back on the PMV Ranch, as Chris Page is angrily pacing outside the main homestead, speaking on the phone to one of his aides.~

Chris Page: This is unacceptable! How can you not find Peter Vaughn's name on a flight manifest? I don't care what you need to do, but I need to find out where he was headed! The man has an XWF Universal Title fight coming up, he can't just go off the reservation! Okay, fine, ranch, whatever!!

~As Page angrily paces off to the side, Thomas Hill can be seen, walking out from the ranch-hands' building. He and Sadie are talking, as they walk our direction.~

Thomas Hill: Until we locate Peter, I'm going to need your help in keeping this ranch moving forward. I know we've got the plumbing getting installed in those ditches out there. What else do we need to keep an eye on?

Sadie: Just the animals we've got locked away in their protective enclosures. We've got a schedule to feed and chickens and pigs multiple times a day, and they've been able to stay sheltered and avoid all the snow we've had, so I don't see any problems there. So, you really don't know where Pet- ummm, Mr. Vaughn is?

Thomas Hill: No, not at the moment. But c'mon, we all know Peter can take care of himself. Right?

~Thomas doesn't sound all that confident, but Sadie nods along with him all the same. As they break apart, with Sadie heading over to the animal enclosures, we see a small car making its way painfully up the trail. While some of the roads have been paved to the ranch, it's still not an easy journey for anything without four-wheel drive. It still manages to make it to the parking area, though, pulling itself off to the side. The car's engine seems to wheeze for a moment before it turns off. The door opens, with Bill Sykes getting out. He sees where Thomas and Page currently are, and heads that way.~

Bill Sykes: Mr. Page? Mr. Hill? It's good to see you both. I was wondering if you'd heard anything from Mr. Vaughn recently.

~Thomas stares at Sykes, then turns towards Page, who is just hanging up his phone. He turns towards Sykes, studying him for a moment.~

Chris Page: ... And who the hell are you?

~This seems to take Sykes off-guard. He glances over at Thomas, who gives an imperceptible shake of his head. Sykes then looks back at Page, who doesn't look very patient at the moment.~

Bill Sykes: I'm... an associate of Mr. Vaughn's, from the old days. I currently... work as a custodian.

Chris Page: Really? I thought Vaughn left all that behind him? Interesting.

Bill Sykes: So I take it neither of you know anything? Mr. Vaughn and I were, uh, supposed to meet today to discuss some... projects he's been helping out on.

Chris Page: No, we don't know anything right now, other than he took off without his cell phone. Who does that nowadays?? Damn it, hold on...

~Page walks away as his phone is once again ringing, perhaps symbolically showing why Vaughn left his own behind. As Page gets out of range, Thomas steps closer to Sykes, leaning in towards him.~

Bill Sykes: Page hasn't been told about the Coalition?

Thomas Hill: Well, I mean, I guess Peter never said anything, and it didn't seem like my place to reveal a secret underground organization, y'know? So... the Coalition doesn't know anything, either?

Bill Sykes: Oh, I wouldn't say that. We know that Mr. Vaughn took a bus out of the Dallas depot headed west towards the mountains. His truck is still sitting in the parking lot there, and we were able to get witness accounts from a few janitors that were working at the time.

Thomas Hill: He took a bus?? Strange...

Bill Sykes: Even stranger is that we know he contacted one of our analysts less than an hour before he went to the bus station. We're still trying to track that analyst down, she might know something. Until then, I guess we have no choice but to wait.

Thomas Hill: Yeah... waiting sucks.

Bill Sykes: Tell me about it.

~The two men look off to the west, where you can see some storm clouds on the horizon. The camera zooms towards the weather front, focusing on the darkness of the clouds...~

~The image distorts for a second, then becomes a different stormy sky, one that seems to be bringing down flakes of snow. The camera zooms out, showing us Peter Vaughn as he stares upwards, even as he steps off the bus. He walks forward, making no motion of going back to pick up any additional luggage other than the shouldered backpack. He's wearing a ski cap and a heavy jacket, which might help keep anyone else from recognizing him... although he knows complete anonymity will be impossible, with so many groups likely looking for him at the moment. After a few seconds, Vaughn turns and walks up the street of the town, immediately seeing what he's looking for. He stops in front of a stall filled with snowmobiles, all locked down and covered to protect from the oncoming storm. A man steps out, seeing Vaughn, and comes over to him.~

Man: Can I help you, sir?

Peter Vaughn: I'm looking to get one of these snowmobiles. How much?

Man: Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid we're not renting any snowmobiles out at the moment, due to the winter storm advisory. It's just too dangerous to allow anyone out into the wilderness right now. But if you wait until tomorrow, we might be able to...

~Vaughn already has his wallet out, and is counting out what appear to be one hundred dollar bills. The man, seeing this, abruptly stops talking, even as Vaughn lays out a healthy stack of bills.~

Peter Vaughn: Is $3000 enough?

Man: I... sir, I really can't rent these out. We have to take your health into consideration, and plus... these snowmobiles cost $10,000 each, and we really can't afford to let one go if it's too much at risk.

Peter Vaughn: So maybe I stole it... and you don't know what happened to it. And if I happen to return it to you, you don't have to worry about the rental fee, you just get to pocket that $3,000 yourself.

~The man looks awfully tempted, as it's not often he gets offered this much money way out here. He looks back at the store front, seeing if the old owner had noticed anything, but there's no sign of him. He's probably in the back, watching Jeopardy or something. The man then turns and picks up the cash, before quickly unlocking one of the snowmobiles.~

Man: It's fully gassed up and has been checked over by me personally.

~The man reaches into his pockets, finding a set of keys. He starts to hand them over, then looks at Vaughn again.~

Man: Are you REALLY sure about this? Is it really that important to get up the mountain today? I'd hate to have your death on my conscience.

Peter Vaughn: Well... we wouldn't want that, would we?

~Vaughn then jumps forward, surprising the man as Vaughn plants him with the Revenged!!! The man, unconscious, is quickly rolled back behind the snowmobile pile. Vaughn then reaches into the man's pocket, pulling out the cash and pocketing it again.~

Peter Vaughn: There. Now you won't feel guilty, will you?

~With a twist of the key and the turning of the throttle, the snowmobile comes to life. Vaughn takes off, working to control the snowmobile until he's off the main streets, where he can get into deeper snow. He disappears on the path up the mountain, leaving the small town behind.~

See, some might think the inability to fear death and dismemberment would be a bad thing. But for me personally, it's always seen me through the hard times.

I just don't let myself care, and it all works out. Usually.

I suppose that's what has led me to this match at Snow Job. Others might have been concerned with upsetting their tag-team partner and ally by accepting a match for their XWF Universal Title, but not me. I honestly saw it as an exciting test of strength, as it's always been a thrill to wrestle someone like Meanie Mark Flynn. The guy's earned a lot of glory for himself, after all, and has a high placement on my List of the Vanquished.

I was coming into this one mostly just thrilled for the opportunity to become a two-time Universal Champion, while fighting someone I happen to respect. I saw it as a business maneuver, one that shouldn't put any strain on our relationship, just one that would pit two amazing superstars against each other.

But now I'm starting to wonder, Mark, after seeing your reaction to the news on Jenny's talk show and hearing your promo that aired just recently. You went out of your way to try and make me look bad. Me, your tag-team partner, your CCPE ally. It's a very interesting reaction, friend.

It's the reaction of someone, who, perhaps, is feeling a little... afraid?

That can't be true, can it? The King of the Midcarders can't be scared of little ol' Peter Vaughn, a man who's defeated him a few times now outside of the XWF. This is your territory, after all, you should feel confident and relaxed coming into this one. So why dredge up the past? Why try and talk yourself into feeling that I don't actually deserve the Universal Title shot?

Are you trying to convince Theo Pryce? Or yourself?

I'm still looking at this one as a true dream contest for the XWF, a headlining event that everyone will be on the edge of their seat watching. I'm coming into this one intent on tearing you down, sure, but I'm not seeking a violent end for you or anything, other than maybe knocking your ass unconscious for a victorious period of time. But you? You seem to be wanting to make things personal.

You know what? I don't give a damn. I'm just coming to kick your ass, I don't really need to see it as a blood feud or anything. I could spent time correcting all your mistaken statements, but I'm tired of doing that. Guys like you will always try to twist every single accomplishment of mine so that it doesn't matter, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm one of the greatest wrestlers alive today.

I'm the man who got the victory over James Raven and then pinned Jack Sullivan to win it all at CCPE Vs. The World. You missed out on that, Flynn, taking a break while I did all the work. I'm the one who survived everyone, including yourself, to win the WGWF West Coast Rumble. I'm the World Series of Wrestling 2022 winner.

You want to talk past accomplishments, like that matters? We could talk about all the times NKWC carried your ass, or how you weren't a World Champion before Chris Page started backing you, but what's the point in doing that? What's that going to accomplish? It won't change a thing.

I mean, I could talk for hours like you did... sans the Halloween costumes and everything... and list every failure you've ever had in your career. All the times where you were supposed to come out on top, and for some reason came up short to guys like Thunder Knuckles, Bobby Bourbon, and others. I could comb through your history, bringing up every relevant data point I can find that makes you look like a piece of shit wearing a fancy gold belt around it.

I could... but I don't see a reason to do so, because does it really matter now? You're the Universal Champion here. I'm the World Champion elsewhere. Why not see it as a true spectacle for the crowd to ooh and ahh over, even as I'm using your body like a ski board and slide you all the way back down the mountain after I'm triumphant?

Let's face reality, mate. All that really matters is who takes the optimal path at Snow Job... who can avoid all the boobytraps and false flags to make it to the top of the mountain. I'm a hell of a climber, Marky Mark. I'm known for ascending to the top faster than anyone alive, as you yourself pointed out. So are you really trying to doubt my accomplishments and the danger I present to your championship, Mark? Or are you just trying to convince yourself that you still stand a chance against me?

Suppress the fear, Mark. Contain it. Just come out there knowing that we're both going to give everyone watching the match of their lifetimes, and if it ends with me walking out as the Universal Champion once again... well, then, I guess that fear of yours was justified.

If you're not too terrified, maybe I'll give you a rematch at March Madness, even as I'm winning that whole damn tournament as well.

Because I'm not afraid, Mark. I'm just positively THRILLED to have this chance to drop you down the leaderboard once again.

Don't fear me, Mark. Just accept the truth and deal with what's to come, partner: you just might be taking the Plunge from the top of a mountain, and what a hell of a way to go.

~We find ourselves back at the ranch, as Sykes has just stepped off with his phone. With Sykes and Page both occupied, Thomas is the only one left staring at the sky, wondering what's happening.~

Thomas Hill: Hope you're okay, brother. Come back safe. We need you here.

~As Thomas continues to contemplate the cloudy night sky, Sykes comes back over, nodding to Peter's half-brother.~

Bill Sykes: Okay, we finally heard back from the analyst. We had to interrupt her Lamaze class, which she didn't take too well. I had to offer her an additional week of parental leave when the time comes.

Thomas Hill: Good for her. So what did Peter call her about?

Bill Sykes: Well, apparently he just wanted a current address of someone, which she had no problem getting for him. After all, he's the Head Custodian for us.

Thomas Hill: Who was it? Wait, it wasn't Mark Flynn's address, was it? Because that could be disastrous.

Bill Sykes: No, no. It was someone named... Sally Kimble.

Chris Page: Kimble? Like that crazy guy who tried to shoot Vaughn a few weeks ago?

~Page walks over, having overheard the conversation. If he picked up any of the Coalition discussion, he opts to ignore it at this point, as he's only interested in Vaughn's location.~

Bill Sykes: Yes, well, apparently... she's the mother of William Kimble.

Thomas Hill: Okay, well, that's good, then, right? We know where Peter is headed. What's the address?

Bill Sykes: You see, that's the problem. Unfortunately, Ms. Kimble is apparently looking to get away from the world with her young daughter. They're apparently staying in an old hunting cabin that's been refurnished up in the Rockies. The problem is... there's a major snowstorm going on there now.

Thomas Hill: So... you think Peter's waiting at a hotel in a nearby town for it to clear up?

Chris Page: That doesn't sound like the Peter Vaughn I know...

~Page shakes his head, picking up his phone once again to make more calls, now that he has a general location in mind. Sykes moves off in the other direction, with Thomas thinking it over before pulling out his own phone. He presses a speed-dial, waiting for it to finish ringing.~

Thomas Hill: Hey, Mom? We... we might have a problem with Peter...

~As Thomas goes to fill his (and Peter's) mother in, we slowly cut away, with the image almost looking like static at first...~

~The static appears to be less technological snow and more actual snow, though, as it continues to come down in our path. Despite the snowstorm that's going down, we can still barely see Peter Vaughn as he continues on his way up the mountain, revving the engine of the snowmobile as it clears another hill. He stops at the top, consulting his watch, which appears to have a built-in GPS locator.~

Peter Vaughn: It's... it's not much further, William... we'll get there... we'll get there...

~Vaughn figures out where he wants to go, even as his hands seem to be shaking on their own volition. Despite this, Vaughn gets them back on the throttle and continues forward, quickly disappearing into the snowy night, with the engine of the snowmobile moving further and further away from us. We slowly fade out.~

Threaded Mode \| Linear Mode Break From Insanity, Or Break From Reality - P2
Author	Message