Guilty by Association

This ride has been a roller coaster of a trip.  You need to have flair, drive, remorselessness, passion and determination to make a name for yourself in the land of High Octane Wresting.  I’ve got all five of them already, but there is one that is noticeably absent.  It’s one that isn’t commonly associated because of the controversial nature of what plays out in its wake.  That quality?  Hate.  It’s almost frowned upon to have hatred define your whole persona.  Why?  Hatred is only good at one thing.  Destruction.  There’s no emotion into it.  You can’t be passionate if your advertising hatred.  I beg to differ.  I’ve literally put my entire resurgence into the word.  I’m tired.  Tired of being ignored.  Tired of being looked at as some sad, wasted and washed up man who has used up all his usefulness in this company.  Every last motherfucker says the same bullshit.  That’s all it is.  BULLSHIT!  They say the same things about you because they don’t know anything ELSE about you.  Well I’m here to change the collective undertone and reek havoc among the masses.  Since I’ve been back I have gathered three wins under my belt.  From Josh Conway, to David Noble to the Board themselves, Stronk and America, I’ve found a way to get the job done.  Keep saying the same things about me, because in the end, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing…literally destroying the person or persons in my way of getting back on top.”

 

GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION

 

Tombstone, Arizona

 

Brian Hollywood: “Just look at this place.  This is where it all went down.  The gunfight at the OK Corral.  When I was a kid, I was big into the wild west.  I’d beg my dad just to take a vacation to this place.  Watch the enactment of the fight go down.  I know the enactment was nothing compared to the old wild west standards…but being able to watch it go down is live history story telling at its finest.”

 

Hollywood was on cloud nine…which was shocking coming from a man who showed very little emotion to this day.  Perhaps it was an escape..an innocent escape for a man who literally took the life of another just a couple months ago.  Anything is always but, you know what they say..you can’t outrun your demons no matter how much you try.  Just then The Chair comes into center frame, nodding his head but actually seemingly slightly interested in Hollywood’s child acting moment.

 

The Chair: “How cute.  No, really, you should continue.  I can’t believe how much it makes you act like a fucking child.  I didn’t come here for reenactments…I came here to get another lead on Serenity’s murder.”

 

And there it was.  If there was anything to learn about The Chair, was that he didn’t only not mince words, but he wasn’t for any fun and games.  Just strictly business.  This had Hollywood all of a sudden remembering what happened at his hands.  Hollywood stares at his hands and while they appear to be clean, he still sees blood on his hands.

 

Brian Hollywood: “You really do have no care in the world, do you?  I have a question for you and since we seem to be best buds at this point…I want to know what happened to you as a child.  What made taking a life so easy for you?”

 

For a minute, The Chair just stands in silence.  He actually ponders answering Hollywood’s question.  Indeed, they had been spending a lot of time together…and lately, The Chair had been seeing things in Hollywood that he saw in himself.  However, The Chair has spent so much time making sure he keeps himself a distance away from people, socially, and kept himself at arms reach when it came to divulging emotional situations….even still…The Chair actually responds to him.

 

The Chair: “When will you actually see that you and I are not that much different?  You really want to know?  Fine…I’ll tell you..you see, it didn’t used to be easy in the beginning.  Then again, I had a really tough life growing up.  It wasn’t about fame and fortune like you have always touted about.  I really was brought up different than you were.  But you wanna know what I find interesting?  You and I aren’t that different from one another.  I have had justifiable reasons to take a life.  Everything I did was to not only better myself, but to really succeed and not let those around me take what I have built.  You really think your life has been tough?  How about you look into the fucking mirror…I guarantee you that you will see a man looking back at you who similarly looked exactly like me.  Don’t pretend to be coy with me…I know what you found when you went and saw your father months back.  You can’t hide anything from me!”

 

This is what made The Chair so dangerous.  He knew his opponents and he knew his own people so well, he stayed up on knowing everything about them.  That is why he is so lethal, so able to stay one step ahead of everyone who’s ever opposed him.  However, this was one of those moments he knew he would have a hard time talking himself out of.  Still, he was feeling Hollywood out just how much he knew…and what still remained in the shadows where The Chair wanted things to stay.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Oh no, I know your own deflection game by now!  Yes, I was at my fathers house a few months back.  However, you put yourself in a situation where you can talk yourself out of one situation, but have to explain the other!  I guess you can say I’ve learned from the best!”

 

The Chair lets out a small laugh, impressed by Hollywood’s surprising corner he set The Chair up into.  Still, it didn’t mean he couldn’t fib his way out of it.

 

The Chair: “Bravo, Mr. Hollywood, bravo!  You got me!  But this isn’t about me.  This is about you and me finding the truth to Serenity’s killer.  That’s why we are here.  We’re here getting answers and yes, we’re here so you can have your little HOW Tag Team Championship match.  Just so we’re clear….I support your HOW career.  I find it captivating…especially how you’ve shown little resolve and emotion towards your opponent.  But I also know that your so called best friends, Gerald Reeves and Buck Wringley didn’t support your wrestling career like I do.”

 

There it was.  The deflection.  Hollywood thought he was getting better at knowing The Chair personally, but all that happened was enough to send Hollywood into a hated mode.  It was The Chair who was responsible for Hollywood’s rage filled quest in why he’s been so hard to beat since returning HOW.  You could say that The Chair was personally Hollywood’s manager without actually being a manager.  Even still, The Chair’s words got to Hollywood and he was actually personally responsible for Hollywood acting the way he has lately. Hollywood hangs his head as he doesn’t know what support he has.

 

Brian Hollywood: “You know…as fucked up as you’ve been…you’re still the only person who hasn’t abandoned me or cast me aside.  You’ve done some bad things…but you have been the only one who has supported what I do in HOW and that does mean a lot…the fucked up thing is we’re not even friends, but you accept me as I am and are respectable where others should have been.”

 

Hollywood shakes his head as he realizes in his own words that The Chair, the man he’s been after for so many years…and the man he’s been trying to take down for ages, is the one man who has supported his wrestling.  Hollywood tries to contemplate the meaning behind it, but he can’t arrive at one.  This is, of course, another reason why Hollywood has tapped into the hatred he’s felt on his opponents since coming back to HOW in full force.  He was truly alone…but he wasn’t at the same time as he had an interesting ally on his side..whether Hollywood knew it was for good or for evil, Hollywood still found solace in knowing The Chair was on his side.

 

The Chair: “Look…we’re getting closer to finding the man responsible for Serenity’s murder…we have to be on the same page.  Just like I believe in your wrestling career, I also took precautions to assign you a three man protection unit designed to stay one step ahead of everyone else…including the law.  I don’t come cheap and you know I also take every precaution known to man to make sure you stay protected.”

 

Brian Hollywood: “Then what’s the harm in learning who you are?  I know you think my actions are threatening and that all I care about is exposing who you truly are…but the truth is I just want to know who I’m in business with…I feel like you owe me that much..”

 

The Chair takes a moment before answering Hollywood’s inquiry.  He still had to be careful because there was a reason he didn’t want people to know his true identity.  The Chair clears his throat before answering Hollywood.

 

The Chair: “Perhaps in time….you’ll understand why it’s been important to keep my identity a secret.  I’m going to tell you something…but you have to understand there’s a reason behind why I keep my identity a secret.”

 

This was the opening Hollywood had been waiting for a long time.  He was finally going to perhaps get a clue as to who The Chair was…or even why he was keeping everything close to the chest.

 

The Chair: “The truth is…you and I are not so different.  But there are men that are bigger in social status that I am that want to take me down.  They want to hurt me because of the things that I know.  They want to make sure I fail in everything I set my mind to.  They have every right to…but the truth is….it’s all tied together.  Your and I’s feud for years…Serenity’s murder…your love for wrestling…the truth is…it’s all connected…but for obvious reasons…I can’t divulge that information…otherwise I compromise who I am and everything I’ve built.  Perhaps one day…when this is all over…you’ll understand the truth and understand the reasons why I did what I did.”

 

For once…Hollywood was left speechless…he didn’t know how to respond to The Chair and the worst part about it was that he was torn by how he felt and really uncovering who this man was and why he brought so much pain and torment that he did.

 

Brian Hollywood: “I know that you and I haven’t seen eye to eye…but I do want to get to the bottom of this and I want to end this current exposition and find the man responsible for Serenity’s murder.”

 

The Chair: “I respect that, Mr. Hollywood…I really do.  That is why we have to continue to press on and that’s why this next part I’m going to ask is going to be even more difficult.”

 

Hollywood all of a sudden looks at him curiously as he wonders just what The Chair meant.

 

Brian Hollywood: “What do you mean the next part?”

 

The Chair: “We’re so close to finding the man who murdered Serenity that my resources can only stretch so much.  I need you to get into a certain database in finding out everything you can about Roberto Dominic Ramirez.  I need you to get close to your friends again and get access to all of his files.”

 

Brian Hollywood: “Are you fucking kidding me?!  I could be locked away for going back there or even surrendering myself to Gerald and Buck!”

 

The Chair: “That’s why it’s so important that you try!  Look, you can tell them any lie you like!  But we need that database to give us an edge on finding Roberto!  Even if you do get locked up…I can always send my men in to break you out!”

 

Brian Hollywood: “God damn it…you know that’s asking me to trust you, right?!  You realize how difficult that is for me to?!  How do I know you’ll come through if I get locked up?!”

 

The Chair: “What choice do you have?!  Besides…you’ll get the inside information and that’s information I need.  Call it collateral but you and I are in this together…whether either of like it or not..”

 

The Chair had an interesting point..one that Hollywood couldn’t just ignore.  Hollywood was now put in a situation where he really had to think about the options.  Can he trust The Chair?  A man he had no reason to trust half a year ago.  Now the two were engaged in a situation where both of them wanted the same thing.  Hollywood sighed..seemingly making a decision that was painful either way.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Fine…I’ll do it.  But you better be ready when I inevitably get captured.  Serenity’s justice rests upon it.  I never thought in a million years that I would trust you…but what’s the worst that could possibly go wrong at this point?!”

 

Indeed…what was the worst that could go wrong as The Chair smiles slightly but nodding in agreement with Hollywood as Hollywood literally puts his life in his biggest enemy’s hands as the scene slowly fades to black..

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Guilty by Association, Indeed

 

A lot of people have had a lot to say about me.  You know what I say?  Fuck em.  Fuck em all.  Ever since I came back to HOW, I have been on a tear.  A tear of destruction that I have no problem or emotional attachment to.  I really do see things in a different light now that I’m back.  You know, I never thought I would side with my biggest enemy on the face of this planet, but here I am.

 

All I’ve really used since returning is my hatred.  Not hatred for HOW itself…but the individuals involved when it comes to High Octane Wrestling.  I’ve been on a winning streak since returning.  I dispatched Josh Conway, I ended David Noble’s HOW career, and I put the Board in its place.  I don’t care if Christopher America was captured and tortured by Steve Solex.  Not my problem…nor do I give a flying fuck about his well being.  He didn’t show up when Stronk needed him the most and it fucking showed.  He cost the Board a match and if Christopher America was smart enough, he wouldn’t have found himself in that situation.  But things still played out the way that they did and Xander Azula and I were able to dispatch Stronk and earn ourselves a tag team title shot.

 

Now, I have made very clear my stance on being involved in tag teams and why it serves me no purpose because I can’t rely on others to help get the job done.  I’ve been capable of getting the job done on my own.  But here we are…Xander and I paired together for a chance to win the HOTv Tag Team Championships.  I won’t admit that I’m super excited about it…but at the same time…we have an opportunity to win the tag team titles and if it means keeping the titles out of the Boards hands, then so be it.

 

Stronk and Jace Parker Davidson will represent the Board in this match.  America has his hands full..but Xander and I have already exposed Stronk and to say his loss last week got him would be a massive understatement.  Stronk is a loose cannon, but you see…there is a clear representation present that there was when the Best Alliance was around.  The Board may not be Best Alliance, but the signature is there.  Not to let the GOD of HOW down.  There’s been plenty of that going around but one thing I’ve always been good at is taking down anyone who is associated with Lee motherfucking Best himself.

 

I was in the Best Alliance.  I know all too well how that feeling is.  But time after time, I have taken down people associated with him.  Why do you think I became a member of the Best Alliance in the first place?  I took out any and all competition in front of me.  I got the job done which is why I was so valuable.

 

Now you have the BFF’s and the Highwaymen involved in this match.  Conor Fuse is in no mental ability to be able to fight in this match.  The chemistry between him and Carey is on the wall.

 

The Highwaymen may be the tag team champions, but they have their backs to the wall in this match.

 

Xander and I may not be friends, but there is always a way to win a match.  But I’m beyond the point of remorse when it comes to fighting in a match…hopefully Xander sees the same thing.  But I’m only looking to better myself in my position in getting back to the top in HOW.  One way or another it will happen….

 

The question will be…just how far I’m willing to go to do it..