- Event: Refueled XXVII
Chicago Lakeshore Hospital
Hours After Refueled
It didn’t take Brian Hollywood long to implode after what happened to Alan Ventura at Refueled earlier in the evening. He saw what Hughie Freeman did to him and then what seemed like just seconds to him, he let himself unload the way he used to do.
“You know…it felt great being able to feel what I used to feel. It’s exhilarating…it’s empowering and more importantly it makes you feel in control. But I guess I just lost control…long enough to lose my match. But you know what? I don’t know what I’m more in turmoil about….the fact that I lost the match because I lost that control or the fact that Hughie practically got away with murder. Perhaps that’s what’s most troubling about this all.”
Hollywood brings himself back to ground level before he passes into the checking in area of the hospital. Hollywood was obviously there to check in on Ventura as he smiles at one of the employees at the desk.
Brian Hollywood: “Hello, I’m here to see Alan Ventura. He should have been brought in a little bit ago.”
There is a slight pause as the lady at the desk gives a concerning look on her face before addressing Hollywood.
Hospital Worker: “Oh I’m sorry sir…the hospital isn’t allowing visitors at this time. If you simply leave your contact information, we can have someone reach out to you with information regarding Alan when it becomes available.”
Brian Hollywood: “What the fuck do you mean you’re not allowing visitors at this time?! That’s the stupidest fucking thing I’ve heard all night! Well…okay..one of the stupidest..I mean, has there been some kind of complication, or is there just a whole lot of fucking incompetence right now?!”
For reasons unworthy of time mentioning here, the concerns were pretty basic in acquiring as Hollywood was very irate. What was concerning, especially to the hospital correspondent at the desk, was Hollywood’s erratic behavior and definitely felt uncomfortable with Hollywood’s body language, along with his verbal ousting.
Hospital Worker: “Sir…I’m going to have to ask you to calm down and respect our rulings for the hospital. I understand your frustrations…but like I said, you’re going to have to leave a form of contact and we can reach out to you…but right now, you’re going to have to calm down and trust in the system in place right now.”
Hollywood cocks his head back and doesn’t seem to follow or understand a word that the worker lays out for him and continues to berate into her ignoring her instruction as Hollywood flushes red with anger.
Brian Hollywood: “Trust in the system?! TRUST IN THE SYSTEM?! Jesus Christ, what the fuck does that even fucking mean?! Lady, I’ve been “trusting in the god damn system” for a long time now and the system hasn’t done jack shit for me! Now I want to know why the fuck I can’t see Alan because I know it sure as hell means more than just not accepting visitors at this time! So I demand to know WHY I can’t see Alan or demand to talk to someone who seems more competent than you’ve been for me so far this evening!”
Hollywood says as he slams his fist down on the counter right in front of the woman. The woman appears startled as she takes a few inches back from her current position. She is at a loss for words as she just looks on in terror at Hollywood who looks back at her with that all too familiar look we’ve come to know from Hollywood over the years just as security enters view. Two security officers walk up on both sides of Hollywood as Hollywood casually looks both to his right and left before he sighs and, in his own way, calmly takes a step back putting his hands up submitting his behavior…although forcefully so in his rightful mind.
Security Guard 1: “Is there a problem here sir?”
Security Guard 2: “We’re going to have to ask you to kindly leave sir and that will be the end of this.”
Hollywood shakes his head defiantly before scoffing at everyone involved before letting his tongue loose once more.
Brian Hollywood: “Problem you ask? Heh…where do I start?! Oh you guys have got a huge problem here that I can CLEARLY see! Trust the system? Yea…alright! Fucking unbelievable!”
Hollywood shakes his head firmly before he doesn’t say another word as he exits the hospital without causing another scene. He makes his way down the way as he looks out towards the open waters in Chicago looking at the view before letting out a huge sigh. Hollywood’s mind starts to turn again as he starts to think of old memories. Hollywood began to wonder just what state Alan Ventura was in as he wasn’t getting any answers from hospitals. There was a part of him that was definitely worried for him just how far Alan has gotten Hollywood on this new journey of his. However, there was a part of him that without Alan there had allowed him to dwell on past memories and this caused Hollywood to take out his cell phone. He started scrolling before opening up one specific contact as the camera sees this contact. Hollywood stares at it for a few moments as the camera zooms in to see the name of the contact.
NILES OMEGA
You could tell Hollywood wanted to hit the call button. You could see the pain written all over Hollywood’s face as the decision to make the actionable call or not was tearing Hollywood apart. He had made a promise to himself, but that promise didn’t hinge on situations that were hindering his ability to move forward with himself. For a moment, however, Hollywood loses himself as his finger hits the call button and before long, Hollywood realizes what he does as a voice is heard on the other end.
Niles Omega: “Hello?! Holy shit Hollywood is that you?!”
Hollywood doesn’t answer, though, as the pain continues to worsen on his face. Hollywood was hearing a familiar voice to him and he couldn’t nor didn’t want to ignore one of his best friends on the other side of the phone. It was that simple to answer his friend. So simple as the sound of his voice made Hollywood feel that Niles was actually there.
Niles Omega: “HELLO?! Hollywood please say SOMETHING!! Nobody has heard from you in MONTHS…please just say SOMETHING!! Everyone here at Hollywood Enter–“
CLICK….
And that was that as Hollywood ends the call. A tear falls from Hollywood’s face as his eyes were closed, but the pain was written all over his face. There wasn’t anything more to be said as Hollywood hasn’t felt more compromised in his entire life. Hollywood slowly opens up his eyes as you can see the conflict, the personal struggle rage within him. There wasn’t anything left to be said as Hollywood looks out at the view of the water with the city skyline in the background before the scene slowly fades to black…
===========================
“I don’t know what’s more troubling to me right now…the fact that my failed actions have done to comprehend the well being of my manager, Alan Ventura, at the hands of Hughie Freeman or the fact that I miss that taste of the man I once was. The fact that I could forget what happened to him and then lose my match against Freeman, or the fact that Darin Matthews is under my god damn skin. He sure knows which buttons to press. I mean…that much is apparent. I mean for fuck sakes the guy was my best friend. Oh I’m sorry did I say Matthews? I meant Darin Zion. You’re just like me, Zion…you’re running from who you are and maybe that’s what’s starting to open my eyes up to the truth. Perhaps I didn’t need to tweak my entire life around and didn’t need to lose sight to who I once was to continue to what I’m doing right now. I mean, I’ve always been able to adapt my career to the times. But you? You’ve redefined yourself so many fucking times, that it’s starting to turn into a failed experiment. Maybe it’s just time to give it up and accept that you’ll never be able to change!”
“Hit a nerve? God I fucking hope so! You’re a man out of time and it’s time that you wake your ass up from this latest delusion you have and actually get with the times. All you’re doing is cooking up trouble if you choose to remain on this path to target me, Zion. You’d best stay off this path with me if you know what’s fucking best for you because you know what happens every time you try and tangle your path up with mine. History has always shown it here in HOW and I promise you it will only be the same if you remain on course and I fucking promise you that I will make it my business to end your career once and for all if you attempt to go any further with this. You best be careful what you wish for Zion…because I can assure you that you DON’T fucking want it!”
“Now then…this week I find myself in an opportunity to fight Lindsay Troy in an effort to get myself qualified to be drafted to a war games team. I guess I’ve been chomping at the bit in order to get myself in the draft pool. But at what cost? I sure as fuck know Mike Best doesn’t have any plans to draft me for his little GOD group sexcapade. So why try? I don’t know…maybe there’s still some decent ounce left in me that believes I’m still valuable on a Lee Best team of some capacity. I don’t know. There’s a lot of question marks about my immediate future in HOW. Like which path Hollywood will ultimately go down. Can Hollywood turn the ill fated clock backwards and still be great in the land of High Octane? Or has my number truly run its course in the great land? I’ve been asking myself that question over and over each and every fucking night…but yet I keep on fucking pressing on believing that there are brighter days ahead for me. Perhaps there are…perhaps not…”
“Lindsay, you and I are no stranger to each other. We both hold wins over the other and while I may feel that the spread is even for us, I can’t help but to feel like you’ve gotten better. You’ve come a long way since you first stepped foot into a HOW ring and you’ve done just fine for yourself. You’ve managed to become a favorite of both daddy and son Best and that is something that is RARE to obtain in HOW. Even if you’re now against the GOD of HOW, you at least have gotten one of the Best’s in your back pocket…even if the SON fails to acknowledge that. Rare accomplishment and I applaud you for that.”
“However, I fail to sit here and accept that my fate is all but etched in stone. For some reason, there is still a part of me that feels that I can push on and be just fine. There is a part of me that believes that I can qualify for War Games. Imagine my surprise if I do get drafted by one of the Best’s. However…it really does depend on who that last War Games captain is, doesn’t it? And because I’m Brian Fucking Hollywood, I already believe that I DO KNOW who that last War Games Captain will be. At any rate…if it’s the man I really believe it to be, than no…I don’t stand any fucking chance at getting drafted. However, that doesn’t mean that I won’t stop in my tracks in trying to get qualified!”
“No Lindsay…I plan on showing up at Refueled…despite myself being tormented by both sides within myself…and I plan on showing out the best that I fucking can because I believe that I still have something to prove…and I really believe that I can get myself onto that War Games team….one way or another…I will meet you in that ring Lindsay…group of death or not and I will find it in myself to find that win…by ANY means necessary…just one basic instinct at a time…”