6CW Proving Grounds Tuesday 11th Feb 2020 (Genesis Build-Up Week 3)

The scene opens in a run-down street on a dark evening. The rain is falling heavily on the pavement and traffic can be heard in the distance. A limo appears with his headlights flashing through the rain and parks alongside one of the houses. The driver gets out, walks round and opens the passenger door. A small man appears with a familiar cane, and the driver hands him an umbrella. The man looks around him with disgust on his face before walking up to one of the doors. He checks the names on the buzzer to the side of the entrance, before pressing the button. He stands there for what seems an age, tutting and swearing as the rain pelts down. At last, a noise sounds and the door unlocks. The man hurries inside and lowers his umbrella.

We can now see that the man in question is Charles Kramer – The Consultant.

Looking around him, Charles can see numerous rooms as well as a staircase leading upwards. He peers at the door numbers, before making his way up the stairs. Once there, he walks towards the first door and knocks on it loudly – perhaps anticipating that the owner would make him wait otherwise.

After a few moments the door opens. Charles peers in and sees Karl Kramer already walking away from the door and down his hall. He reaches chair at the end and sits himself down. We can see a TV playing in the distance in a darkened room. Charles walks down the hall and into the room. He looks around at the messy surroundings and the drawn curtains. Shaking his head, he looks at Kramer who is aimlessly watching the TV while eating from a large plate.

CK: You are a hard man to track down.

Karl scoffs without looking up.

KK: Are you admitting defeat?

CK: No, I am admitting that I may have underestimated your ability to disappear. Where have you been? 6CW doesn’t deal with absentees very well.

Karl looks annoyed.

KK: Yeah, well I don’t deal with authority very well. I did the interviews and played the game. I went out and wrestled how they wanted me to wrestle. But beyond that I do what I like.

Charles walks around and directly in front of the TV.

CK: I wouldn’t test 6CW if I was you. They gave you that contract with a lot of misgivings. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

Suddenly Karl throws his plate at wall beside Charles. The Consultant barely flinches as it smashes. Karl stretches back into his chair and stares at the ceiling. The Consultant smiles and brushes his jacket down.

CK: Cute. Somebody hasn’t been taking their meds?

Karl gets off his seat and paces the room.

KK: Somebody hasn’t made enough money to buy any. I main evented last night and got the smallest percentage out of the lot. Wasn’t even worth the time!

Charles smirks and walks into Karl’s kitchen.

CK: Do I sense a tinge of desperation in that voice?

Karl turns around.

KK: It’s not desperation. It’s realisation. As much as I want to change the future, other factors always mean I can’t change the past. I could go out onto that street and within 5 minutes find someone that sells me stuff. Goods that are ten times less than the meds I can’t afford to keep me off it. So, to keep motivated and sane, I turn to other things.

Kramer opens one of the kitchen cupboards and his eyes widen as he sees it is full of cans.

CK: Spaghetti hoops. Lots of spaghetti hoops. Anyone else walking in here would think you are pregnant.

He laughs and walks back into the room.

CK: So, what do we intend to do about it.

Karl bows his head and sighs.

KK: You tell me. From the moment I have arrived you have been trailing me. I don’t know why you are doing it and I don’t think you have a guilty conscious. The only thing I can think of is that, somehow, I am profitable to you.

The Consultant leans on his cane.

CK: You are a big risk. The rewards could be huge, but they are so far away I don’t think it would be worth my time.

Karl shakes his head angrily

KK: Are you kidding me?!

Charles laughs.

CK: Well, I take that response as a recognition of wanting my help. For which I accept.

He bows and laughs. Karl grits his teeth.

KK: You are going to screw me over aren’t you?

CK: Probably. But it is better being screwed over by me then by anyone else in the company.

KK: How you figure that?

CK: Well…. you are used to it.

Karl walks over to his chair and slumps down into it, the chair creaking under his massive bulk.

KK: What now?

CK: You keep your head down and continue whatever they want you to do. Meanwhile, I will make some enquiries.

Karl looks up.

KK: Nothing changes?

The Consultant smiles.

CK: Oh, everything changes because you are now officially my client. The problem we have is that you need an extensive PR drive. That doesn’t come easy or cheap. But just carry on with what you are doing. Perhaps leave off eating too many tins of that stuff. We need you fit and firing.

Karl hits his fist down upon the chair.

KK: Give me something to get fit and firing for and I will do it. Until then it’s just words.

CK: You don’t trust me?

Kramer gives him a long hard stare which Charles smirks at.

CK: Fair enough. Well you haven’t lost anything and have everything to gain……

Kramer goes back to watching the TV.

KK: Yeah yeah yeah, use that schmooze talk on somebody else. Now if you don’t mind….

Charles takes the hint and walks on down the hall. He stops midway and calls back to Karl.

CK: Don’t give up………

Karl says nothing but just shows Charles the finger. The Consultant laughs before exiting the flat.