The scene opens up on a side view of Tommaso Ciampa. He is sat on a wooden bench wearing a long white towel around his waist and white slippers. He is staring at the ground and absentmindedly drink from a plastic cup. In the background a silhouette in a suit approaches Ciampa . As the man gets close and the camera pans out a little it is clear the man is Corey Graves.

Graves: Ciampa!

Tommaso is zoned out. Graves calls Ciampa another few times but Ciampa is oblivious. Graves reaches out a hand to shake Ciampa but at that moment Ciampa snaps out of whatever zone he was in. Graves recoils a second then laughs to himself and shakes his head.

Graves: Tommaso Ciampa! Where on earth have you been? We have production deadlines to...

Graves looks at his watch.

Graves: We had production deadlines to...

Tommaso Ciampa has zoned out again.Graves grabs him by the shoulder and shakes him

Ciampa: Oh, steam room. Needed to unwind, wash off the stank of defeat. The usual.

Graves: You've been gone 4 hours.

Ciampa: Is that so? Well, gimme a few minutes to get dressed. I'll meet Rene or Charlie or whoever backstage & let everyone know what's on my mind.

Graves: No time for that. You need to get dressed. now.

Tommaso grabs a bag from a nearby locker room and disappears behind a curtain to get dressed. Graves sends a text on his phone. Ciampa shouts.

Ciampa: I appreciate you fetching me. You're a good egg deep down bud.

Graves walks a little closer to the curtain to allow them to talk at a normal level.

Graves: This wasn't a favor Tommaso. I'm not here by choice. Someone needed to look for you and... clearly I'm a top employee.

Ciampa: What is the run down for tonight? Who am I up against?

Graves: Mike Kanellis

Ciampa: Mike... Kanellis... oh yeah, I remember now. The guy gets married and takes his wife's name. How very 21st century.

Graves: The power of love Tommasso. A force from above. Love conquers all. At least that is what Mike will be hoping, Maria too.

Ciampa laughs cynically

Ciampa: Love conquers all? That's the rumor. You know though, there's a damn good way to counteract it's mystical powers. That's the plan for beating Bennett... I mean... Kanellis. Damn bud, how can someone be so pussy whipped to agree to doing that? Bennett is a more sensible name but, whatever. Is that how the power of love affects a raw talent like Mike? Softens them up? If that is what it's going to do then I'll stick in my zone. The polar opposite of love Graves, know what I'm talking about?

Graves: Hate?

Ciampa: Not quite.

Graves: Hate is definitely the opposite of love.

Ciampa: I'm talking something a little more base than hate. I will break Mike down with fear.

Graves: Well, fear lead to anger...

Ciampa: What?

Graves: .anger leads to hate, hate leads to the dark side

Ciampa: Dark side? What are you talking bud? They call me psycho? That makes no sense to me bud. But you know what Graves?I've been there. That is how I know of the destructive power of fear, hate and anger. Mike and Maria think they can heal the world? I am more interested in destruction. I will tear their world apart and that will be the start of my new path of destruction. Mike, Maria, if you seriously want to preach love then go and join the peace corps or hug a tree or hug each other in the privacy of your own home. Want a history lesson? Good. When I was a young psycho killer I came across people like you in the playground. Public displays of affection. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable that makes people? Any idea what it does to everyone around you. When I was younger it made me jealous, the girls in my class called me ugly and weird. Good for you Mike, good for all the Mike's out there - you got the girl. Guess what though? Now I'm older and wiser, just as ugly, arguably even weirder. Wisdom and time have taught me a couple of thing, and, if love takes a talent like Mike Bennett and turns them into a pussy whipped, sickly, gooey son of a bitch like that? I'll stay on my path - the dark path, the psycho killer path, the path of fear. Fear me Mike. I'm a scary dude.

The curtain burst open and Ciampa reappears dressed in a grey suit, dark dress shoes and an extremely creepy grin, his beard is unusually perfectly groomed.

Graves: What the hell are you wearing?

Ciampa: Come on Corey, we're going to a very important event.

Graves: Warfare?

Ciampa: Not just that, Corey my much tattooed buddy. We're headed to the righteous death of love.

Ciampa walks away with Graves following a few steps behind as the scene fades