Post by petervaughn on Jun 22, 2024 16:15:50 GMT -5
~The picture slowly comes up on a darkened cemetery gate, sitting mostly closed in front of us. There's a flash of lightning from the sky, lighting up the gate, followed by a crash of thunder a few seconds later. Suddenly, a man walks in front of the camera, carrying what appears to be a bouquet of flowers. He walks forward, pushing the gate open, and heads inside the cemetery. The camera follows, not wanting to be left behind, as we head inside. The man in front of us takes his time, walking around several graves marked with various names. Kevin O'Connor. Anthony Logan. Robert Santana. The man walks past all of them, not paying attention. He does, however, stop at the next grave, noting that the ground appears to have been dug up... possibly from the inside. It is the mark of a zombie coming back to life, something that would trouble most visitors to this place. The man, though, just shrugs, having seen it all before. He walks past the Xtreme grave, before heading deeper into the cemetery. He finally finds what he's looking for, nodding, as he turns back towards the camera.~
Peter Vaughn: It's been a long, hard road, hasn't it?
~Vaughn grins to himself for a moment, but it slowly fades from his face. It just doesn't feel appropriate in a place like this. He shakes his head.~
Peter Vaughn: I remember when it all began. I was a true Outsider, having left behind my former home. I was working to try and find a place, but nothing felt right. The egotistical jackasses were controlling everywhere I went, not wanting to make room for a former Janitor who was now ready to become a megastar. And then... I came to you. And you were the best thing that I could have ever expected in my life. You were there for me when I truly needed you. And for all those years, you gave me a home, a place to do my work. I will never forget that. I will make sure that people always remember you for who you were, and not for what happened at the end.
~Vaughn kneels, placing the bouquet of flowers in front of the tombstone. The camera moves up from the bouquet, showing us the name on the stone: Thunder Pro Wrestling. 2021-2024. The bottom portion reads as follows.~
Peter Vaughn: Thunder Pro Wrestling was my locked-in home for wrestling. I would fight elsewhere, having success in XPW, PW Valor, Sin City Wrestling, and the WGWF, among other places. And of course, I came back to Outsiders Wrestling to become a four-time champion here. But for me, no place fit me better than Thunder Pro, the place I became International Champion three times, covering 688 days at the top. I always knew that, no matter what happened elsewhere, I could always come back to where I belonged. Until... it was taken from me.
~With a bitter shake of his head, Vaughn rises to his feet. He looks down at the gravesite, rubbing at his eyes for a moment, as if emotional. Although with Vaughn, you never really know what's true. Either way, he turns to glare at the camera.~
Peter Vaughn: You know, Terry, we never saw eye-to-eye on virtually anything. You wanted wrestling to be this pure, golden ray of sunshine like it was back in your time, decades ago. You thought that doing anything to win tarnished the victory, seeing it as a black mark on our sport. I never could convince you that sometimes the ends really do justify the means. I look back at that now as a major failure on my part. Maybe if I had worked harder to prove to you that you had to leave all options on the table, you wouldn't have found yourself in the mess you did at the end. You would have taken any available path to keep my precious Thunder Pro Wrestling alive and well. But you didn't do it, Terry. You cashed in your chips, and a great company fell. And I, for one, will never forgive you for it.
~Vaughn spits to the side, as if even the thought of Terry Marshall's betrayal of TPW makes him feel nauseous. There's another clap of thunder in the distance, but judging from the flash before it, the storm is beginning to get closer.~
Peter Vaughn: I know I made you suffer over the years, Terry. I sided with your brother Alexander to make TPW better, against your wishes. I tried to drive you from the business, because I had the feeling that you were the one who would be a detriment to the company. And boy, was I proven right. TPW shut down once again, this time seemingly forever, thanks to you and Greg being unable to keep the heart beating. I wonder now, if I had followed through back last year, would TPW still be here, under new management? Maybe I should have taken control of it myself. Without one of your time-traveling machines, I guess we'll never know. I made the call back then not to end you, Terry, once and for all, when I had the chance. I gave respect to the fact that you were the creator of TPW. That was a mistake. And now, Terry, all the reasons to keep you around... they don't seem to exist anymore, do they?
~There's another, rather ominous, flash of lightning, followed almost immediately by the crash of thunder. The storm is almost upon us. Vaughn doesn't seem to acknowledge it. He's fully focused on the camera.~
Peter Vaughn: You may think you deserve this title shot, Terry, but you and I both know that you didn't earn it. You beat a non-wrestler in your own brother to get here. That's like the Houston Texans beating the Cleveland Browns to get into the playoffs last year. The Texans soon got shown the door, didn't they? The true champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, showed the world once again that they were the best, by winning any way they could. It's sad to say you're the Texans in this scenario, Terry, because you should really be the Jets, left at the bottom to rot. But here you are, in my way again, like a bad penny covered in corrosion. You won't stay down... unless I MAKE you stay down.
~As the rain begins, starting to sprinkle rain down onto the graves in front of us, Vaughn steps forward, putting his hand on the tombstone for Thunder Pro Wrestling. Behind him, we can see movement, as if somebody coming closer, but it's hard to tell at this distance.~
Peter Vaughn: I won't forget you, TPW. You were the best of them. I will always cherish tricking Drew Archyle into thinking he had a fair shot, before becoming the first TPW International Champion. I will always remember avenging myself on Larry Tact at the Bohemian Bash to reclaim the title, in spite of all of Terry Marshall's efforts. And I will never forget humiliating Matthew Knox at the Denzel Porter Invitational in your name. I will always carry those victories with me, and use them to power me against Terry Marshall. With his final destruction, TPW, I will lay him to rest here next to you, which will hopefully comfort you in the future to have your first owner as your neighbor. It's only what he deserves, TPW. It's only what he deserves.
~Vaughn gets back up, the rain now dripping down his face. He doesn't turn as the figure gets closer behind him, crunching through the now-wet grass to approach the Mechanic. Vaughn, though, does acknowledge his existence.~
Peter Vaughn: I knew that you would come.
~Vaughn places his hands into his pockets, adapting an air of being unconcerned. He slowly turns, to face the king that stands before him.~
Peter Vaughn: You're just like Terry Marshall. You never know when to quit. I've taken your kingdom from you. I've taken your pride. And I've taken your money thanks to winning that court case against you. What more could you possibly want?
~As the rain intensifies, Louie reaches up, pulling off his crown. He drops it to the side, letting it roll away, before turning back to Vaughn. King Louie has never been that articulate, usually sticking to his chomps and grumbles towards his long-time foe. But today, he doesn't even bother speaking in the Orangutan language. He simply points at Vaughn... and then runs a finger across his throat. Vaughn nods, understanding what Louie means.~
Peter Vaughn: If that's the way you want it.
~The orangutan shows its teeth in a dangerous-looking smile, before smashing the ground a few times, cracking the stone he was resting on. King Louie then storms forward, straight at Vaughn, who holds his ground. As King Louie leaps at him, ready to smash Vaughn with a huge fist, Vaughn pulls his right hand out of his pocket. It's holding a Windex bottle, one of Vaughn's key trademarks. King Louie can't dodge in time, as Vaughn blasts him multiple times with the Windex to the eyes. King Louie staggers away, blinded, as Vaughn pulls out his other hand, showing a long, mechanized chain. He leaps forward to wrap it around King Louie's neck... but King Louie blocks it, hanging on, as he continues to blink in the rainwater coming down... the CLEANSING rainwater.~
Peter Vaughn: Well... crap...
~King Louie is able to use his superior strength to throw Vaughn off of him, before sending the chain flying off into the darkness. He rubs at his eyes, feeling them clear ever quicker, as the crazed orangutan heads straight towards the recovering Vaughn. He grabs Vaughn from behind, lifting him up into a large bearhug, attempting to squeeze the life out of the man. Vaughn struggles, managing to get one arm free, although that increases the pressure to his own ribs during the fight. But it allows Vaughn to reach into another pocket, pulling out what looks like a small pen-shaped object. He spins it in his hand, jamming it into the orangutan's arm, eliciting a shriek from King Louie. He drops Vaughn, looking at his arm in confusion... at the dart that's now resting there. He quickly grabs at it, knocking the dart free, but it looks like it's already having an effect, as King Louie staggers backwards, having trouble keeping up his balance. Vaughn gets to his feet with a smile.~
Peter Vaughn: You forgot, didn't you, king? I'm always prepared for any eventuality. I've had that needle with me ever since I first ran into you again back in October 2023. The tranquilizer has probably become quite potent by now.
~King Louie tries to shake the effect off, growling, but it's definitely had a major effect on him. He tries to come forward, although like he's drunk, as Vaughn waits for him. He catches hold of King Louie, turning him around... and landing the Key Holder!!! King Louie is down, his face bloodied, as Vaughn gets back to his feet. He grabs hold of King Louie's arm, dragging him backwards, as the orangutan's legs kick feebly behind him. They reach the spot that Vaughn is focused on, the former grave of Xtreme, bringing up King Louie and looking at him one more time.~
Peter Vaughn: It's time to put old relics in the past where they belong. Goodbye, King Louie. Enjoy the Plunge.
~With that, Vaughn leaps up, sending King Louie into the dug-up grave with Revenged!! King Louie crashes inside the hold, landing on the open casket inside. He lays there, not moving, as Vaughn starts shoveling dirt in on top of him. In no time, the grave is filled up, with Vaughn looking down on it, planting the shovel into the ground. He turns to the camera.~
Peter Vaughn: Terry? You're next, boyo. Time to get buried once and for all.
~Vaughn does one final nod to the burial site of TPW, then turns and walks away, leaving the cemetery. The camera stays focused on the former grave of Xtreme, now housing King Louie. It turns, looking at the shovel standing straight up... and then the hands that suddenly appear, wrapping around it and pulling it out of the dirt. The camera turns to focus on the holder of the shovel, but we only get a brief shot of a masked man with long hair and shredded clothes, before the madman laughs and smashes the camera with the shovel, ending the feed.~
