The Devil You Know

The Devil You Know

 

Los Angeles, California

 

The Hangout

 

Jasper Espinoza: “You’re fucking kidding me, right?”

 

Jasper speaks as Hollywood barges right in to the one place that he definitely shouldn’t be right now.  Hollywood heads to the back room not caring if Jasper sees him heading to the secret corridor in the particular room.  Hollywood was obviously in a hurry.  This causes Jasper to speak again.

 

Jasper Espinoza: “Ok, this is impressive and bold…even for YOU!  Why the fuck would you come back to the ONE fucking place where Gerald and his men could find you?!  Are you seriously that fucking stupid?!”

 

Hollywood did not take that well as he turns around and shoves Jasper against the wall with force.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Let’s not fucking forget that you are just as much in this as I am!  I would watch your fucking tone with me!  It’s already hard living a double life AND being on the fucking run, so why don’t you fucking can it and let me do what I do best!”

 

Hollywood goes back and gathers certain supplies as he shoves them in a big black bag.  Jasper regains his senses as he shakes his head, seemingly ignoring Hollywood’s warning.

 

Jasper Espinoza: “What the fuck could you possibly want here?!  I’m sorry if I’m jumping but don’t you think Gerald and his guys know you too well to know that you would come here?”

 

Brian Hollywood: “Actually, you want a free lesson in recon, JASS-per?  Always come back to the place they would FIRST expect you to come back to, but not dumb enough to actually come back to!”

 

Jasper tries to play that back in his head as he tries to make sure that came across his brain correctly.  It did.  He shakes his head as he doesn’t worry about understanding it.  Hollywood knew what he was doing.  It was perfect.  He was taking the risk, but he was also doing it in plain sight which he knew Gerald would think about, but not actually be stupid enough in doing.  Again, he actually did.

 

Jasper Espinoza: “You’re fucking crazy man!  The Chair is waiting for us, so you better hope he doesn’t find out you pulled this stupid fucking stunt!”

 

Brian Hollywood: “Do you really think I give a flying fuck, Jasper?  The Chair and I are aligned now, so as far as I’m concerned, he can learn to take what I call are actual calculated risks!”

 

Jasper slightly smiles as he shakes his head.

 

Jasper Espinoza: “Admit it…that’s how you were able to stay a pain in his side for so long, wasn’t it?”

 

Brian Hollywood: “Your sentiments are amusing, Jasper, but really right now is not the time.”

 

Hollywood throws some more random shit in the blag plastic bag he has in hurried fashion.  He wasn’t at liberty to have the kind of conversation Jasper was wanting.  Rightfully so, because there was a reason Hollywood was hurrying.

 

Jasper Espinoza: “Why are you rushing around?  I imagine we’ve got plenty of time…I mean…if you really think that Gerald and company doesn’t think that you’d be stupid enough to come back here.”

 

Hollywood doesn’t answer.  In fact, his silence is all of an answer Jasper really needed as he lets out a sigh before speaking one word out of his mouth delayed.

 

Jasper Espinoza: “Fuck…”

 

Just as Jasper is able to arrive at the thought process he was, he looks over to Hollywood who just stops in his tracks as he stares up at the wall.  Before long, Hollywood annoyingly points to the wall as Jasper turns to look at what Hollywood is pointing to.  It was a camera that was flashing a red, beeping light.

 

Brian Hollywood: “You can bet there’s someone receiving on the other end of that camera!”

 

Jasper Espinoza: “Hollywood you crazy SON OF A BITCH!!  Hurry the fuck up!!”

 

Hollywood ignores Jasper as he just looks at the camera before winking and waving at it.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Alright, time to go!”

 

Jasper gasps and he’s not amused by the dangerous game that Hollywood is playing.

 

Jasper Espinoza: “GOD DAMN IT!”

 

As Hollywood is trying to gather the last of the things he’s trying to retrieve, he is all of a sudden stopped by a voice that comes over them in the room.  Hollywood looks around as he hears the voice but can’t find the source.  Obviously, Gerald planted a speaker device in the room as his voice resonates over the room.

 

Gerald Reeves: “Hollywood!  God damn it you son of a bitch!  You’ve gone too far this time!  I know what you’re up to, and this isn’t the right course you need to go down!”

 

Brian Hollywood: “Obviously this is a two way radio and you can hear what I’m saying, so fuck off Gerald!  You obviously don’t know what I’m doing here!  I’m warning you…back the fuck down!  This is out of your hands and you and I both know you are always going to be one step behind me!”

 

Gerald Reeves: “Oh is that so?  You obviously forgot what I do best, Brian!  I know you better than anyone!  Did you really think I wouldn’t find out if you came back to the ONE place you could come back to?  Your mansion is blown to bits, Hollywood Enterprises is currently in renovations and reconstruction…where else could you possibly go but to the hangout?”

 

Hollywood lets out a slight, but sinister smile.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Obviously you would find out that I would come back here…that was inevitable.  Even I know you knew that.  However, you really didn’t think I’d actually be stupid enough to resurface back at the Hangout as quickly as I did.  I pulled the oldest trick in the book on you, Gerald, and that bothers you!”

 

Gerald was definitely not impressed.  In fact, he was getting annoyed towards his friend.

 

Gerald Reeves: “FUCK YOU, Brian!  This isn’t a fucking game!  You know this so called trick you pulled?  Yea…I recognize the trick…it’s nothing more than what The Chair would pull!”

 

At this point, both Hollywood and Gerald were annoyed with each other.  Gerald knew his last comment would get under Hollywood’s skin.  He was right…it did.

 

Brian Hollywood: “FUCK YOU, Gerald!  You and I both know you’re full of shit!  You’re just fucking pissed that I’ve gotten the best of you and it shows!”

 

Gerald Reeves: “Oh you and I both know that’s horseshit, Hollywood!  Stop throwing your defense mechanisms up…you’re too obvious when you do that!”

 

Hollywood cocks his head to the side as he lets out a slight smile..although still agitated.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Well if that were the case…you would have been here to make sure I didn’t stop by now, did you?  You and I both know the game, Gerald…but it’s me playing it better than you….even if I’ve been hanging out with The Chair just a little bit too much!  I’m going to leave you with this last message before I make it too hard for you to find me….stop pursuing me…you and I both know what I’m doing and I don’t need your petty agents playing hide and go seek with me when I’m clearly one step ahead of you all!  Leave it be and let me finish what I fucking started!”

 

There was a brief pause as Hollywood gave Gerald a chance to take his offer seriously.

 

Gerald Reeves: “You and I both know I can’t do that, Brian….I’m going to have to hunt you until I finally catch up to you and you have nowhere else to run.”

 

Brian Hollywood: “Then I wish you the best of luck….because where I plan on going…you’re not going to be able to follow!”

 

Gerald tries to plead with his close friend one more time.

 

Gerald Reeves: “Please Brian…don’t do this…there’s no turning back if you go down this path..”

 

Hollywood pauses once more before seemingly staring Gerald in the eyes from the camera from the view he had…no remorse detected within him.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Then I guess I better not look back then…”

 

Before Gerald gets a chance at replying, Hollywood rushes towards the camera and jumps up and destroys the camera with his fist.  Jasper watches with his eyes raised as the camera….along with the transmission with Gerald is cut off just like that.  Like the transmission, it had seemed Hollywood finally took that last step into the darkness with his mortal enemy that Gerald didn’t want him to take as the pieces of the camera now lay on the ground.  Jasper gasps as he looks towards Hollywood and reacts accordingly.

 

Jasper Espinoza: “Jesus FUCKING Christ!  Can we now get the fuck out of here?!”

 

Hollywood slowly turns towards Jasper and nods accordingly as the two of them pack up the remainder of the stuff Hollywood came for as they hit the road again presumably heading back to where The Chair resides as Hollywood has now passed the point of no return as the camera fades to black….

========================

 

I need the distraction.

 

I really do.

 

HOW has been that distraction for me.  It has reinvented me.  I feel rejuvenated.  I feel refreshed.  This was a feeling that I hadn’t been all too familiar with before in HOW and it’s…….liberating….

 

Sure…I may have suffered a loss a couple weeks ago…but it wasn’t me who was responsible with that loss…it was my so called partner….Eli Dresden…

 

Why is it that when it comes to trying to get business finished in HOW that it always has to be me to finish it?  I wasn’t the one who lost our match a couple weeks ago….it was Eli!

 

This tag team tournament has been a thorn in my side, honestly!  Lee should know by now I don’t fucking play well with others!  But here we are….having a tag team tournament to determine who will win this invitational for the tag team titles.  I’m no stranger to the tag team championships.  I mean, I’ve won them on THREE separate occasions.  Why did I need Eli’s help in winning anything?  At this point I could win shit on my own!

 

I was doing just fine in the match against Bobbinette Carey and Darkwing..I didn’t need Eli interjecting herself in a match I clearly had won!  Look how that fucking turned out!  I get tagged out and moments later, she ends up losing the match!  This is the kind of bullshit I’m talking about!  I don’t need this fucking bullshit!  I work alone!

 

The Hollywood Highlight doesn’t need any help in his quest for success!  However, the powers that be make it apparent, so!  I really don’t see the necessity in some things!  I really don’t!

 

Eli can remind me all she wants about it….she will never understand me or where I come from!  It’s the one problem EVERYONE in the fucking High Octane Wrestling seems to run into!  Leave Hollywood ALONE!  Why can’t anyone let me do this ALONE?!

 

What right did Eli have to interject in my business?  I don’t understand it.  Clearly she must know something I don’t!

=

=

=

 

The scene opens back up inside the Millennium Hotel as once again Hollywood was using it as a hideout to stay right out in the open.  Hollywood knew his friends well…but apparently there was another that picked up on the habit…

 

Hollywood was sitting in the lobby of the Millennium Hotel once again who obviously wasn’t afraid of hiding out in the open in the same place twice.  Surely his friends, especially Gerald, would find him here.  Hollywood was staring at a chess board ahead of him.  He was seemingly playing against himself.  He was happy…content, with himself.  That quickly vanished as Eli Dresden comes before him again.  Hollywood looks up and sees Eli and rolls his eyes as he can’t believe she’s found him twice.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Go away!”

 

While annoyed, Eli ignores Hollywood’s request and sits right in front of her.  She stares a hole right into Hollywood who has no choice but to acknowledge her.

 

Brian Hollywood: “What the fuck do you want?!”

 

Eli Dresden: “Fuck you, asshole!  If I knew in the future that I was going to be teaming with you, I would have given Lee my resignation!”

 

Brian Hollywood: “What, strike a nerve did I?”

 

Eli Dresden: “You DISGUST me!  How on earth can any fucking living being on the planet earth even deal with you?!”

 

Hollywood actually laughs, apparently not taking Eli’s comment as an insult.

 

Brian Hollywood: “Listen here you snobish bitch…you’re the one who caused us losing a couple weeks ago!  You thought you had to be so smart that you had to tag yourself in to impress yourself, or me, that you got yourself pinned!  Clearly, it wasn’t my fault we lost a couple weeks ago!”

 

Eli Dresden: “You selfish son of a bitch!  No wonder no one wants to work with you!”

 

Brian Hollywood: “You say that like it’s a bad thing!  Don’t you get it?!  I’ve always wanted to be ALONE!  How hard is it for everyone to see that?!”

 

Eli was clearly getting agitated and she couldn’t believe she was stuck with a stuck up asshole in Hollywood.

 

Eli Dresden: “Just so you know…it’s been the bane of my existence that I’ve had to be tagged with you!”

 

Brian Hollywood: “Awe what?  Strike a nerve?  There’s clearly a lot you need to learn you bitch!”

 

Clearly, things weren’t going well as Brian and Eli continued to argue.  Sooner or later, the two would have to find common ground if they wanted to get along with each other and make this tag team work as the scene slowly fades to black…