Post by Peter Vaughn on Oct 22, 2023 3:16:01 GMT
The Present
~The shot opens with the display of a dining room table, with all seats currently empty. We can see a handful of items on the table, left there as work was being underdone elsewhere in the main ranch house. As we move closer, one of the items suddenly lights up: a cell phone, belonging to Peter Vaughn. We can see the image on the screen, that of Gloria Ramsey. Hearing the ring, a person approaches, and for a moment, we see a hand hovering over the phone, as if debating whether or not to answer it.~
~After a long delay, though, the hand picks up the phone, and we follow it around as we see Peter Vaughn pressing the Connect button. He places the phone to his head carefully, as if dealing with a dangerous weapon.~
Peter: Hello, Gloria. I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon. What?
~Vaughn listens for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing.~
Peter: Okay. I'll be right there.
~With that, Vaughn hangs up. He quickly scoops up his keys and wallet, heading out the door to where his beloved truck, Gabriella, is parked. The door closes behind him, as we cut away.~
The Past
~The picture shifts to a gray tone, minimalizing the colors in the room. We now see a younger Peter Vaughn seated at his school desk, idly doodling on his notebook as he waits for class to start. He scrawls out what appears to be a poor man's version of The Flash, trying to design him to look more like himself. That's when the spitball lands right between his eyes, stinging him.~
Peter: Ouch!
~He pushes the spitball away, looking over at where Tomas and Billy are snickering, loving to torture Vaughn just because he's one of the poorer kids in school. They quickly turn forward, acting innocent, as the teacher comes into the room with a young red-headed girl with her. They move up to the center near the boards, and Vaughn is immediately captivated by the girl's beauty.~
Teacher: Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new student to introduce to you. This is Gloria Sternum. She's coming to us from Houston, so please give her a warm welcome to our fine school!
~The teacher tries to start an enthusiastic round of applause for the embarrassed girl. Vaughn is one of the only ones to clap. Billy & Tomas, of course, take notice of it, as they gesture for Gloria to sit near them. She instead sits near the front of the room, turning away from everyone. The teacher starts talking about the lesson plan for that day, but her words aren't that important. Vaughn has gone back to doodling... but now he's drawing a female hero instead. A red-headed hero. He works on that picture the rest of the morning, before finally closing it as the lunch bell goes off. They all get herded towards the cafeteria, where Vaughn gets his normal meal: the free one, which is basically just a peanut butter & jelly with a juice box. He takes a seat at his normal table, as his friend, Jeffrey, joining him. Vaughn barely notices him, looking around the cafeteria, but Gloria's already sitting elsewhere.~
Jeffrey: Earth to Peter. Oxygen's running low. You need to come back for a new pack.
Peter: What?
Jeffrey: There you are. I thought about saying your food was getting cold, but I'm sure it's been frozen since last week when Miss Toofer over there made it. So what's got you in a daze, my friend?
~After a few seconds, Peter nods across the way, trying to be subtle about it.~
Peter: The new girl. She's really... beautiful, isn't she?
Jeffrey: You mean the redhead looking over here?
~Vaughn gasps, ducking his head down, but Jeffrey keeps staring that direction. He smiles. We can now see that Gloria isn't paying attention to them at all, as she's just quietly eating her food.~
Jeffrey: Oh, she's alright, I suppose. You ought to go talk to her. I mean, the girl needs new friends, doesn't she?
Peter: Yeah... yeah, I guess she does, doesn't she?
~Summoning up his courage, Vaughn gets up from the cafeteria table, leaving his cold PB&J behind, and starts over towards Gloria. He walks straight up to her table, with Gloria noticing him coming, blinking her eyes as she looks at at him.~
Peter: ... Hi.
Gloria: ... Hello.
~Vaughn then immediately keeps walking, leaving rapidly for the restroom. She watches him leave, confused, before continuing to eat her fruit. Vaughn goes into the men's room, slamming it behind him and breathing heavily.~
Peter: She said hello...
~Grinning to himself, Vaughn goes back to use the restroom, as the camera quickly cuts away.~
The Present
~Vaughn brings Gabriella to a stop, which the movement almost coinciding with the switch in the screens. He looks over at the small house nearby, a cookie-cutter variation of every house around it. That's how they make the homes in this suburb area near Dallas. Vaughn gets out, making sure to lock Gabriella before he heads for the front door. He goes to ring the doorbell, but the door swings open before he gets there, with Gloria stepping out to greet him.~
Gloria: Thanks for coming, Peter. I... I didn't know who else to call.
Peter: It's fine, Gloria. I'm, uh, always willing to help. Let's talk inside.
~They both go into the small house, where Gloria had once lived with her husband, Jeffrey Ramsey. His funeral was just last week. Vaughn made sure to attend it, although he had tried to avoid seeing Gloria there. He failed, with the two reconnecting, and Vaughn giving her his phone number in order to send him a picture. Apparently, she kept the number. They both take a seat in the living room, with Gloria wiping her eyes.~
Gloria: I'm sorry, Peter, I've been a mess for weeks now. Ever since Jeff...
Peter: I understand. So you said there were problems with his insurance?
Gloria: Yes. I just don't understand it. They were willing to cover his funeral expenses, as they were supposed to, but now, for some reason, they're denying the rest of his coverage. They're wanting an investigation into how he died! It makes no sense!
Peter: Okay, hold on. Let's go through this step by step. I know Jeff had a heart attack, right? Out of nowhere?
Gloria: He... he collapsed at his office. They tried to resuscitate him, but...
Peter: Alright, so why would they want an investigation? Did they do... an autopsy?
Gloria: No... I don't think they did. I don't know, I'm not sure... it's just been so hard...
~Vaughn makes sure to give Gloria a tissue from the box nearby, as she fights back tears again. He waits for her to compose herself.~
Gloria: I'm sorry. I just... I don't understand any of this. We had... so much life left ahead of us, you know?
Peter: Yeah. I know. It's a, uh, tragedy. So tell me more. Did they say anything about who's doing the investigation?
Gloria: I... I just assumed it was someone in their company.
Peter: Not always. I'll check around a few sources, see if they know anything.
Gloria: It's just... we're barely keeping our heads above water right now. I just got Jeff's last paycheck, but... I have to be here for Crystal...
Peter: .... Crystal? Your daughter?
Gloria: Yes. She's... in the next room. I don't know what we're going to do....
~Immediately, Vaughn is up, pulling out his wallet. Gloria looks surprised as he starts pulling out several bills and tossing them onto the nearby table.~
Gloria: Oh... oh no, Peter, no, that's not why I asked you to come...
~She tries to pick up the money to hand back to him, but Vaughn stops her, his eyes serious as he looks at her.~
Peter: You're taking this money, and there will be more where that comes from. I owe Jeffrey, and honestly, I've got more than enough at this point than I ever needed. I might as well give some of it back.
~He puts away his wallet, just as Gloria steps into him, giving him a huge hug. Vaughn freezes up, unsure what to do, but hesitantly returns the hug as Gloria lets out a few sobs.~
Peter: I... I can't say it will be okay, Glory. But you'll keep going forward, okay? For Crystal. Now I've got to make some calls, figure out some things. Uh... so just to ask... did your husband... still work for your step-father?
~After a moment, Gloria, releasing the hug, just nods her head. Vaughn thinks about it, and who he should call first. He steps away...~
The Past
~And we see Vaughn, as his younger self, flying around a corner, racing for the exit to the school. Behind him, we can hear a loud bellow.~
Tomas: GET BACK HERE, LOSER!!!
~Tomas comes lugging around the corner, but his huge bulk is a hinderance now as he tries to catch up to the speedy Vaughn. He's got a good lead as he slams through the exit doors, out into the main parking lot. But Vaughn doesn't keep running. He suddenly darts to the right as soon as the door closes, diving behind a couple of large trash bins. A few seconds later, Tomas comes out, huffing and puffing, with his other stooges right behind him. They look around in annoyance.~
Tomas: He... he probably... headed... for the... park...
~After a few seconds of catching his breath, Tomas leads the group to chase after Vaughn. Who knows what he did to warrant the attention this time. Probably he was just caught breathing by the thugs, who seemed to get off on being bullies and vandals. Vaughn watches them go, letting out a sigh of relief that he managed to avoid them this time. He glances out at the parking lot nearby, where he sees Gloria waiting, pacing back and forth for her ride. Vaughn smiles, glad to be able to see his crush one more time that day. That's when the small sports car pulls up next to her. The driver gets out, an older man with an annoyed expression on his face. Gloria goes to talk to him, but he just grabs her bag from her and chucks it into the back seat. Gloria's trying to ask where her mom is, but the man drags her by the arm and shoves her into the car, before going back around and driving off. Vaughn watches the whole thing, suddenly looking a little concerned as he watches them leave.~
~We cut to a few hours later, as Vaughn is reliving the entire moment, telling it to his best friend, Jeffrey, on their apartment building's roof.~
Peter: ... and he just grabbed her and knocked her into the car!
Jeffrey: Sounds like a real douchebag. So what happened with Tomas? He ever find you?
Peter: What? Uh, no, Tomas never found me. But seriously, what should we do? Should we call someone?
Jeffrey: For what? There are a lot of asshole dads out there, Peter. Just because you got lucky and got a nice one, don't think that the rest of us are that lucky.
Peter: Oh... I'm sorry, Jar, I didn't mean to bring that up...
Jeffrey: It's fine, Petey, really. I just don't know there's anything to do. That's more up to Glory.
Peter: ... Glory?
Jeffrey: Uh... yeah... silly nickname, huh? Anyway, why don't we get back to that game design we were talking about? You finish drawing up those new images?
Peter: ... yeah. Yeah, I've got them right here...
~Vaughn pulls out his notebook, and they begin to look at what he's put together. They aren't incredible, but for a kid his age, they aren't bad, either. He's currently tracing one of the main objects they've been discussing: a large crystal, shining in the sky.~
The Present
~Vaughn is seen flipping to a new shot on his phone, showing Gloria, Jeffrey, & their daughter, Crystal, in front of some theme park. The little girl is looking like she'll be just as beautiful as her mother. Vaughn smiles to himself, knowing the likely reason behind her name. He then gets serious again, putting the phone away as he gets out and heads into the Norhtwest Dallas Police Station. It doesn't take him long to find the guy he's looking for, as a big guy waves him over from the side.~
Tomas: Yo, Vaughn! Over here!
~Vaughn walks over to where the heavyset Tomas is standing, dressed in his police blues. He smirks arrogantly at Vaughn, but his grin softens as he smacks him on the shoulder.~
Tomas: Hey, sorry about Jeffrey. Crazy that he died. We weren't friends, but I always thought he was a stand-up guy, the way he helped out Gloria back in the day.
Peter: Yeah. Yeah, he definitely was. So what can you tell me about his case? Do you know why the insurance company is blocking his family?
~Tomas looks around for a second, nervous, then directs Vaughn to follow him back to a smaller office. He closes the door, sighing before turning to Vaughn.~
Tomas: Don't just blurt out stuff, okay? If the chief knew that I was giving you any info...
Peter: He'd probably just fire you, which is better than what he'd do if I released anything about your penchant for reselling old evidence lockers. Don't forget who's in charge here.
Tomas: Hey, don't forget, I've got dirt on you, too...
Peter: Maybe, but you're too scared to ever use it, because you know you'd go down too. Probably harder. They don't like police officers in prison, do they?
~Tomas gulps, but keeps from losing his temper. It's clear that time hasn't changed everything, as these two are clearly destined never to be friends. The bigger police officer goes over to a nearby file cabinet, popping out a folder and handing it over to Vaughn to read. He looks at the folder quizzically.~
Peter: Seriously? A paper copy? You couldn't just send me a PDF?
Tomas: They monitor all our emails around here. Just take a look, take a picture, do what you need to do. Apparently your friend was still a goody-two-shoes, because he was making a deal with the DA. Something to do with the company he worked at. That's why they think his death is suspicious. But I don't know what the Medical Examiner thought. They rubber-stamped his burial pretty quickly.
Peter: That figures. Probably some money was involved. Unfortunately, the insurance company got wind of it, and they'll take advantage of any loophole they can. Thanks, Tomas. I appreciate your help.
Tomas: Yeah, whatever. Just get the hell out of here, so I don't have to worry about you causing me trouble here.
Peter: Nah. I'll go cause trouble elsewhere. Keep your chins up, Tummy.
Tomas: Don't call me that!
~But Vaughn's already headed out the door, having gotten the pictures he wanted. He knows where his next destination needs to be. He's got to put someone under surveillance.~
The Past
~The shot changes back to a shot through a pair of binoculars, looking towards a house. There's a police car out front of the house, just sitting there, as the officers have already gone inside.~
Jeffrey: You see anything yet?
Peter: Nope. Haven't heard any gunshots yet, either.
Jeffrey: That's a good thing, Petey. I still think this was a dumb idea.
Peter: Wait... they're coming out...
~The police exit the premises, with one holding onto a handcuffed suspect. It's Gloria's stepfather, who is angrily railing away at the officer, demanding to be set free. The officer has no sympathy for him, putting him into the back of his police cruiser. Meanwhile, the other officer is still talking to another woman, who has to be Gloria's mother. She has a bloody nose, but seems to be disagreeing with the officer, saying that she's perfectly fine. We can see Gloria looking through the window, looking shocked. Vaughn focuses on her for a few seconds, before Jeffrey yanks the binoculars away.~
Peter: Hey!
Jeffrey: It's my turn. Plus, you weren't telling me anything.
~Jeffrey takes in what's happening, then sighs and puts the binoculars to the side.~
Peter: At least the police did something.
Jeffrey: Only because they clearly caught him in the act. The mom's still acting like she slipped or something. Still, I hope they put him away. I just wished it changed anything.
Peter: What are you talking about? We just saved Gloria!
Jeffrey: Maybe. MAYBE. If the police lock him up. But even then, I bet her Mom's back with another scumbag within a month. Some people never learn...
~Jeffrey's suddenly quiet, and Vaughn knows why. His own family had their problems with abuse, and things hadn't gotten that much better, lately.~
Peter: There has to be something else we can do...
Jeffrey: Yeah... maybe so...
~Jeffrey picks back up the binoculars, focusing them on Gloria's window. He seems to be taking too much of an interest in the girl that he knows his best friend has fallen head over heels for. But then... Peter's not the only one. He can't help but stare at Gloria, now that Peter's got him involved. Suddenly, the binoculars go out of focus...~
The Present
~The picture comes up on another shot from binoculars, this one focusing on the Barley Consumables Factory. The shot moves from window to window, keeping an eye out for a certain individual. But that person hasn't been found yet, so Vaughn drops the binoculars and sits back in his observation post he had set up in a nearby building. It helps to have plenty of connections with the custodial corps in Dallas. As he sits there, thinking things over, he suddenly opts to break the fourth wall, looking right at the camera.~
Peter: Since I have a little time here, we might as well discuss the Denzel Porter Games, right? It was just a short time ago that I took one Maxwell Mason Stone to school, spanking the man with MMS down with The Revenged to move into the second round. This was the expected result, although props to Maxey for giving me a decent fight. It was mostly what was expected, though, across the board, other than Enigma and J Mont getting themselves early exits. And Dionysus, which brings me to my true opponent #2: Sean Parker.
~Vaughn pauses for a second, as if hearing what he just said.~
Peter: And for the record, I'm not calling you a #2, Parker... although that's what you are, but not in that way... at least, not as far as I know.
~He shrugs his shoulders, deciding that if the shoe fits, you just go with it. So instead, he just continues on.~
Peter: So let's talk about you, Shawnie. You got a pretty impressive win, in my book, taking down Mr. Dionysus to get to this point. Hey, much applause, he's not an easy adversary. Now, was he near the top of my list of opponents to face? Not at all. I still had Chris Page higher. Larry Tact. Joe Montouri, who already blew it. Gabriel Baal. Ned Kaye. Basically, most of the list. But that's not really a slight to him. Or to you, by the way. You got asked to be in the tournament, so you must deserve to be here. It's just that almost everyone else... deserves it just a little bit more.
~Vaughn's just speaking the truth. He looks out the window one more time, before continuing on.~
Peter: I guess it's just a sign of what you've done in your 10-year career that so many people would be seen as greater threats than you are, Seannie. But, hey, you were still ranked #11 out of 16, so not too shabby. By the numbers, you're a step up from MMS, so good for you. Still, I had to do some research to figure out more about you. I saw that you had been participating in XWF, which is a pretty dangerous fed. You know, I was the XWF Universal Champion last year, beating Jim Caedus. I also took down Mac Bane there to become the XWF Supercontinental Title, a belt that, sadly, isn't around anymore. So I had a good run there. So what about you?
~The wrestler turns to his side, grabbing a printout he got made for Parker before coming out on his stakeout. It's always good to multitask.~
Peter: I see here you did have a contenders match at their biggest show of the year, Relentless... but you blew it, didn't you? You fought to a Draw with this Kevin Mears, with both of you pinning the other. You missed your chance at a major moment, and you won't have that opportunity for another year. Plus, you're on Madness... yeah, I've always been more of a Savage guy myself.
~Vaughn shrugs, before looking at the paperwork again.~
Peter: I also see that you're competing for Pro Wrestling Valor. Hey, you know, I was the PWV World Heavyweight Champion last year as well. What a crazy coincidence, huh? Wait... you're not following me like a stalker, are you? Nah, that's farfetched. But I had success there as well, so you must be doing well, too, right? Oh... maybe not. You and Cassidy got yourselves beaten by the Unity Champions, Noelle Rivers & JJ Starfire? That sucks. Really, though, I'm not going to hold that one against you. Honestly, tag-team wrestling has been my curse for many years now. I just struggle when it comes to relying on a partner. Now, when it comes to singles wrestling, I'm practically unstoppable... as I'm sure you know.
~He smirks for a moment, before clearing his face, not wanting to seem too arrogant... even if, y'know, he is.~
Peter: I see you also won some Endurance belt in Zion Wrestling. Hey, you know in Zion... okay, no, I never held that World Title... yet. Maybe I should go there someday, because if you can win gold there, I should be able to do so, too, right? No, I should stop there, that's rather unfair of me. I have no idea who you beat for that title, so maybe it was someone actually impressive. In fact, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe that win is what got you on Denzel Porter's radar. There had to be some reason, right?
~The wrestler suddenly turns, grabbing the binoculars and looking out again. But after a second, they come back down.~
Peter: Sorry. False alarm. So anyway, back to you, Parakeet. So you've really sunk a lot of stock into this tournament, have you? You want this to be your breakout moment, the one that finally puts you on the map as one of the top competitors in the world today. It's a worthy goal. I applaud you for it. After 10 years, you should have been a star already, but the late bloomers can still be extremely successful in this business. Hell, if we weren't facing off in the second round, I'd be pulling for you to move forward. I mean, what do Page, Tact, Baal, Kaye, and I have to prove? Most of us have already done it all already. We probably SHOULD be stepping aside, to let the next wave of superstars in our business take over. The problem is.... none of us want to do that. Because, after all, we're still in our prime.
~Vaughn stops for a second, thinking it over.~
Peter: Well, at least I am. I guess Kaye could still be considered younger as well. Anyway, none of that really matters, Shaunnie-Boy. What matters is that if you really want to grab the brass ring, if you really want to push past us all and make yourself one of the top wrestlers in the world... you're going to have to earn it. Which means you're going to have to be willing to risk it all, including having another severe injury that could put you out of the sport entirely. Are you willing to risk that, boyo? Are you willing to gamble it all? I hope so, because being in a fight with me... well, sometimes it doesn't always end well for my opposition.
~Vaughn shrugs, not looking at all repentant for what's happened in the recent past.~
Peter: Now, don't get me wrong. I have no reason to want to come into this one and break your bones after a high-risk maneuver. But the chance is always there for guys like us. Bad things can happen. And it really could end with you writhing on the mat, even as the referee puts up the dreaded X signal. I suppose I'll just sit there and let them take care of you, letting me move forward in the tournament, although it'd probably be more respectful for me just to put you out of your misery. Then again, maybe it won't go down like that. Maybe it'll just end with the Keyholder knocking you unconscious, or the Revenged crashing you down out of nowhere. Maybe you'll just be taking the Plunge.
~Vaughn's raising fingers at this point, showing off each possibility.~
Peter: Maybe you'll be unable to recover from me dropkicking you off of the top rope and sending you falling sickeningly to the floor onto your skull. Maybe it'll just be over quick, as I snap you into a schoolboy and hang onto the ropes to put you away. Hell, maybe lightning will strike straight through the arena and electrocute you, right in front of thousands of screaming, terrified fans. That last one is extremely unlikely, but the odds are never completely zero, are they? The fact remains, Seany, that almost every scenario in the fans' minds out there has me getting the victory. But that doesn't mean you can't find a way. Flukes can happen. I've accidentally slipped up before. I'll take the blame every time. But that's because it's my fault... not anything my opponents were able to do.
~With that, Vaughn leans towards the camera, considering it closely. It's almost like he's trying to look right into Sean Parker's eyes, and if you think about it, at some point, that's exactly what he's doing, because you know Sean's going to be watching this. Hi, Sean!~
Peter: But maybe you can be the one, Parks. Maybe you can be the one to beat me at my own game, to end the run of the Mechanic in the tournament and sent the multi-time World Champion packing. It'd certainly be the biggest win of your career. If it happens, hey, take the applause and run with it. But if it doesn't... well, don't take it too hard. Leaving that ring under your own power will be a pretty tremendous accomplishment on its own. And let's face it, having a match with me, even in a losing situation, has been extremely successful for many fledging, struggling careers. You can always tell your grandkids that, hey, I got to fight one of the greatest wrestlers of my generation, and it helped propel me to greater success afterwards. I mean, assuming I don't kick you so hard in the balls that grandchildren are no longer possible.
~Knowing that this is always a possibility, Vaughn just smiles.~
Peter: In the end, Sean, I'm looking forward to this fight. I love facing new blood, and getting that blood on my knuckles. I want you to give me all you have and more. I want you leaving every bit of blood, sweat, & tears out there on the canvas, knowing that you did everything in your power to hang with me. And I want you to be proud of yourself. Sure, I'm interested in leaving you flat on your back, staring up at the lights, maybe wondering where it all went wrong, but that doesn't mean I don't want you to cherish this moment. We might just have ourselves a war on our hands, and once it's all over, once the dizziness subsides, take heart.
~With that, Vaughn gets just slightly closer to the camera, as if there to impart a serious secret to our viewers.~
Peter: Just showing up for this one and fighting me? It makes you a winner. Even once the Plunge sends you reeling for the 1-2-3. I'll see you soon, friend. Very soon.
~He leans back up, grabbing the binoculars and turning towards the business once again. It's almost like the camera now no longer exists, as he ignores it completely. Instead, he refocuses, zooming in to one particular window. We see a heavyset man there, looking out nervously. Behind him, we can see a few workers running back and forth, using the shredder with perfect skill, removing a lot of paperwork from the building. Vaughn smiles, sitting back.~
Peter: There we go. I knew you couldn't help yourself, Barley. As soon as that report mysteriously found its way into your hands. You're panicking, aren't you? So does that mean you had something to do with Jeffrey's death? Or are you just, as Jeffrey would say, a scumbag? I guess we'll find out soon.
~Vaughn looks over to his right, where we can see a computer screen set up. It seems to be picking up file after file, reading them just before they're shredded in the business across the way. Once again... it pays to have connections with the custodians. You can really get yourself in anywhere. Vaughn sits back, watching the information come in, and waits to see if he gets what he wants... what he needs. Gloria deserves it... and so does Crystal. Vaughn watches some more, keeping an eye out, as we slowly fade out.~