A dark and eerie setting is prevalent as the promo begins. A lacklustre old car sits behind the shadowy figure of Karnage who is bent over the hood of the car, looking far into the distance. Tapping his fingers nervously on the silvery metal that lies beneath him, his face shows an emotion that is not common for him. A wave of anticipation and unwanted nervousness arrives. Karnage stands up and looks over to his offset right.
Karnage: Time to go, get in the damn car!
From the right side of the screen, the forlorn figure of Leon Kensworth begins to trundle into view. He looks frightened and desolate. He stands at the back of the car as Karnage throws his cigarette out of view. Karnage moves towards the passenger’s side door and grabs the handle. Looking at Leon, who is still standing with his chin rested on his chest.
Karnage: I said get in the God-damned car you sorry sack of shit!
Leon jerks his head up as the anger that comes from Karnage’s mouth meets his ears. He looks shocked but after looking at Karnage and seeing the rage in his eyes, Leon drops his gaze and begins to walk slowly towards the car. Karnage ducks his head under the roof of the car and waits inside for his driver. After a few seconds, Leon does the same and closes the door behind him.
Leon (Quietly): Where do you want to go?
Karnage: What?
Leon: Where do you want to go?
Karnage: Where indeed, Leon. Where indeed…
After a few seconds of contemplation, Karnage looks at Leon.
Karnage: You know what; let’s go to where he ought to be tonight. Let’s go to where the filth of this world converges. Yes, Leon, Let’s go to a rock show.
Leon: Which ro-
Karnage: Do I care!? Just hit the God-damned pedal.
The car begins to move, slowly at first and then rapidly faster. Karnage settles himself into his seat once more as his emotions begin to cool down once more. A deafening silence fills the atmosphere of the car until Karnage breaks it.
Karnage: What the Hell is wrong with you? Look at you, you are pathetic. All you do is trail that loser Steel around all day. You are so in need of his affection that you are blind to what is actually going on around you. Trevor Steel doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t care about any of the people that he professes to wrestle for. Hell, I would be surprised if he even cared for his own son. You see whilst the WZCW roster fear me, walking around the halls, making sure not to cross my path, Steel is completely different. He has made it his business to get in my way. He has made it his business to aggravate me and if the truth be told, I know that he has got talent.
Leon glances at Karnage who is now staring out the window in deep thought. The silence arrives again and takes full effect.
Karnage: So, what is wrong with you?
Leon looks like he is about to tear up but remains calm before squeezing out a few words.
Leon: It’s Trevor. He has become a different person since his first loss and I don’t think that he wants to be around people like me any more.
Karnage lets out a slight chuckle as he turns to see Leon quickly wiping a lone tear from his eye.
Karnage: It doesn’t surprise me. I mean look at you! Your little suit and your little tie make you look like a fool and whilst Trevor Steel may not be most fashionable men I have seen, at least he has some things going for him. He has an identity and most of all, he has people who give him the strength to continue. However, I too, have an identity. A new found identity but an awesome all the same. Ricky came to me weeks ago and gave me a proposition. He told me to make an impact and after attacking Titus and walking my way to atop the Elite X league, the time was right for my identity to change. Now I am part of the most fearsome and dominating stable that has ever been created and the rWo is my new iden-
Leon (Quietly): You’re a sell-out.
Karnage looks shocked as he makes out what Leon is saying.
Karnage: WHAT!?
Leon: You heard me, you’re a sell-out!
Karnage eyes open wide as he struggles to comprehend what he has just heard.
Karnage: A sell out!? You think that is what I am? No, Leon. You see, this just typifies what you ignorant people see in Trevor Steel. You see a man who has nothing to lose and everything to gain. You see a man who has an army of fans behind him that would defend him at the drop of a hat. However, I see through it. I see through the façade that he tries to put in front of his battered character. I see a man who is desperate to prove people wrong and build a life on something that he loves to do. I saw when he brushed you off, Leon. I saw when you tried to reach out to him and I definitely saw when he sheltered his fragile state once again. That Leon, that, is what I crave. That is what I look for and that is what I take advantage of.
Karnage lets out a sigh as he finishes his rant. Leon flushes down the lump in his throat that has been prevalent since the journey began and as he brings the car to a halt, Karnage looks at his surroundings. Without saying anything, Karnage gets out of the car and confidently smiles the door behind him. Leon, with a sigh, begins to follow him. A long line of people is evident outside the rock club. Karnage walks past the people confidently and with a scowl on his face, he eventually reaches the front. He comes face to face with the security guard at the front of the line and looks at him questioningly.
Guard: You got a ticket?
Karnage: Ha!
Guard: Something funny to you?
Karnage: Yes, I believe there is a couple of things that amuse me, if I am perfectly frank.
Guard: Oh yeah, what might that be?
Karnage: Firstly, your poor grasp of language is nothing more than I expected from you. If you had ever gotten out of Community College, I may have taken you more seriously but alas, this is not to be. Secondly, I find it laughable that you think I would ever pay money to enter this congregation of filth, remorse and broken spirits. You know what? I don’t want to go in. No, I think I will just talk to these people.
Karnage turns and looks at the people who are standing behind him. A glare in his eyes shows his disdain for those who befall his path and the expression on his face tells a story of vicious anger.
Karnage: For too long, this abomination has been allowed to continue. It is a habit that never seems to die. You people who have grown up around the filth of existence and have done nothing to get away from that. No, you have embraced it and have come to be proud of it. You talk of your “moshing” and “head banging” as if it is something to be lauded. You see, you people are exactly like Trevor Steel.
A muted cheer goes around the crowd that stands in front of Karnage.
Karnage: Yes! You are proud of what you have become and although you are viewed of the putrid grime of this Earth, you continue to fight your “noble” fight. You are trying to prove something that you know that you cannot. That fight is to prove that you belong. However, no matter how hard you fight, no matter how hard you try to escape it, there will always be winners and there will always be losers. Trevor Steel can run away from me for as long as he sees fit to do but he is only running away from himself. When we meet at Ascension, there will be no running and there will be no excuses. Trevor Steel will learn that he and his band of refuse, that he calls fans are not welcomed in WZCW and are not welcomed in the rWo’s perfect existence.
Karnage sneers as the crowd begin to boo loudly. Karnage does not seem to care and simply laps up the reception from the people. He gets back into the car from which he came only moments ago and as Leon gets in, the car drives away from the scene. We cut to the interior once more as Karnage has a huge grin spread across his face.
Leon: What are you smiling about? You could have gotten us killed!
Karnage: I am smiling, Leon because I just accomplished everything I set out to do. Tonight, I had one major goal and that was to examine where he came from and the habits that he finds himself in regularly. I had to go into the heart of his culture and make sure that I was right. You see, what people fail to realise is that Trevor Steel cannot be both men.
Leon: Both men?
Karnage: Yes, Leon, both men. He is a parent first and foremost. This is a role which requires a strong mind and an unrelenting caring nature for those you love. However, this sub-culture that he is privy to is quite the opposite. It is a culture that prides itself on not caring. It is a culture that loathes responsibility and tries hard to escape it. Trevor Steel cannot be both of these men. They are constantly in conflict and now I know why he is such a confused and petty man. A war wages inside him and weakens him constantly. He may have stepped over the weak and fearful of WZCW but when he meets me inside the ring, he will realise that I am a different monster. I am no longer nervous about everything I have worked for being brushed away by him. I know I have what it takes to beat him and at Ascension I will prove it.
