They call me Leon Caprice

The adorn theatre is full for tonight’s showing. The long awaited debut of ‘Monster’ has finally hit Halifax, Canada. The first actor comes onstage, dressed in an awful & cheap vampire costume, and as soon as the first hints of a horrible Transylvanian accent escape his lips, the audience know they have made a mistake.

Halfway through the production, there are no more than three people left.

The last scene begins with only one member of the audience left, yet the show goes on. The only actor to not have made his stage debut yet walks on for the first time with a pitchfork in hand, although he quivers with fear. The vampire floats onstage with the help of obvious wiring, and a narrator’s voice overshadows the tableaux.

Narrator: The last line of defense for the village was its youngest member. Pitchfork in hand, he-

But the narrator stops as the actor playing the defender panics. The stage fright has gotten to him and he collapses. The vampire breaks character and swears violently before walking offstage, and the curtain closes.

The last remaining audience member walks out.


What a sad, pathetic sight.

??: One, two, three…

July 2009 - November 2009. The Transition of time...

In the middle of the CGS ring, long after his last show had finished, is the form of a curled up man. One can barely hear anything in the silence of the arena, deserted by fans and crew alike until they come to pack everything up tomorrow. Only one sound penetrates the arena, and it is barely audible.

??: One, two, three…

The form in the ring is that of Leon Caprice. He has been doing this ever since the arena emptied hours ago – the clock reads that it is three in the morning. One can see no motion except for his hand briefly tapping the mat as he counts it again and again.

Leon: One, two, three…

A defeat at Storme’s hands was all you needed, Leon. Not so high and mighty now, are you? You beat the mid card stars. Congratulations. You beat Carnage’s best. Whoop de fuckin’ do.

Leon: One, two, three…

But when it came to being in not a mid card situation but a main event for the CGS Title, you’re nothing more than any other superstar in the back – you’re just someone who talks big but can’t back it up. Go back and fight those you know are beneath you. Be a big fish in a little pond.

Leon: One, two, three…

The silence of the darkened arena is broken when a voice rings through, echoing off the walls and into the ears of the Fallen Knight.

Omega: It’s always tough when you first realise you’re not invincible, ain’t it?

Eric Jacobi and Seth Omega stand at the stage entrance. Leon pays no attention, but his pathetic three counts stop in front of the two men. Jacobi smiles onstage and motions to Leon.

Jacobi: I believe someone said this once before, but get up and walk.

Omega: We’ve got a few words for you.

Leon hesitates, but stands up reluctantly and walks up the ramp to where Jacobi and Omega stand. Eric stands before Leon and puts his hands on Leon’s shoulders, which finally gets Leon to raise his eyes off the ground.

Jacobi: Before I say anything, let me remind you that one loss is not the end of the world. If we get knocked down, we get back up. We keep fighting. Got it?

Leon looks away in shame.

Caprice: I let myself down! I let the whole thing fall apart! I was the only one standing at the end of Wrestling Heaven – but I couldn’t do anything when it came down to it, nothing. What happens if I have to face Storme again? Then what do I do?

Jacobi hesitates and looks to Omega, who nods. Leon astutely notices this and immediately the worst possibilities raise to the forefront of his mind. Who could he possibly be facing at the next show? Evers? Storme? Deathlocke? Or-

Jacobi: You’re facing Jakob Azazel.

Leon bows his head as his contemplates the match.

Caprice: Well, thanks for being a friend while I was here, Jacobi, Seth. It was good to know you. Maybe I can give a few of you a week’s break from Azazel.

Omega: Is the great Leon Caprice showing fear?

Leon looks at Seth, as does Eric. Omega looks completely serious, and he hushes the beginning of a protest from Jacobi. Leon looks Seth in the eyes, his ever-present temper flaring.

Caprice: Of course I'm showing fear, you idiot! Look what I’ve been through! Look what Storme has become, and even his brothers have gone even further than that, what do you imagine he’ll do behind the scenes, huh? What do you think, O Seth the Impervious?

Omega: Oh, come on, Caprice! Stop with the lazy attitude! You’re the Resilient One! Surely you’re better than this!

Caprice: What is wrong with you?!

Seth takes a step towards the angered Caprice. Eric looks anxious.

Omega: Nothing, O mighty one! You’ve just mentioned time and time again that you were the CGS World Champion, bruh! We all know that must mean you’re the solution to our problems!

PUNCH.

Seth Omega falls to the steel grating of the entrance ramp, a trickle of blood running out of the corner of his mouth. Eric looks shocked, but Caprice stands there, fist still outstretched, panting heavily. Seth, however, wipes the blood off his face and looks directly into the eyes of Caprice.

Caprice: Yeah, well if that’s what you were hoping, you’re wrong, okay?! I'm no solution, I'm no warrior, no fighter like you! I'm not a champion anymore, not a soldier, not a God! I'm fucking terrified out of my mind! I pray every night that whatever happens, I can do some help, but obviously He’s not listening! I'm just me, just Leon Caprice, just fucking HUMAN!!!

There is a brief silence, but hints of a smile begin to appear on Omega’s face.

Caprice: Get it? I'm afraid, alright? I’m no Legendary Seth Omega, nor a man who stays on the outside of the ring. Me? I'm afraid.

And Seth smiles.

Eric pulls Omega to his feet, still with a nervous look on his face. Seth grins, closing his eyes and shaking his head before taking a big breath and surveying the panting form of Leon Caprice.

Omega: Sorry, didn’t catch that last bit, bruh.

Caprice: I said I'm afraid.

Seth turns to Jacobi and nods.

Caprice: I'm afraid, I'm weak. I'm too reckless. I'm new. I'm arrogant. I fail to understand things easily. My love for my wife blinds me. My desire to protect my friends does the same. Alright, are you happy? No? I can go further, Seth! I don’t think before I act, I worry about my losses from weeks ago! I always think about what I could have done instead of what I did! I'm too exciteable, too silly, too emotionally connected, TOO AFRAID!! What makes you think I can defeat Azazel in any way, shape or form? Huh? WHAT?![/color]

Seth smiles once more.

Omega: That you can understand and admit all that – everything you just said – that is all the proof I need.

There’s a brief silence while Leon contemplates this. Eric remains standing in silence. Seth watches the young Caprice carefully.

Caprice: Just – just let me go. I need some time to think.

Without raising his head or saying a word of goodbye, Leon leaves both Eric and Seth standing on the ramp. Once he is gone, Jacobi turns to Omega.

Jacobi: Do you really think he can obtain a victory?

Omega: I do. But he needs to remember that his humanity is what will be the deciding factor. No-one wins going into a match thinking they’re invincible.

Jacobi: I did.

Omega: You don’t count, smartass.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Playhouse theatre! Please remember to switch off your mobile phones and do not forget that flash photography is not allowed. Enjoy the production!


The second showing isn’t quite as full as the first. The actors glance out from behind the curtain to see a half-full audience. Which is strange, considering the show goes on in five minutes and that it was sold out. Nevertheless, the show must go on.

The accents are just as appalling as the previous night.

When the last scene comes on, there is once again only one person left. The village defender, cured of his stage fright, walks onstage with pitchfork by his side. The narrator once again provides a voice-over as the vampire floats onstage.

Narrator: The last line of defense for the village was its youngest member. Pitchfork in hand, he fought valiantly, but could not defeat the mighty vampire, and he died protecting those he loved.

The actor performs a horribly fake onstage death before the curtain draws.

The last audience member walks out again.

*****

Music blares throughout the garage of Alistair Wolfe. Wolfe himself sits alone in the corner of the room, sitting atop of a pale white stone block. He is engulfed in the melody of the song, however Alistair stops the music when a car’s headlights blind him and illuminate the entire garage. Leon steps out of the car and begins to slowly walk into the garage without a word and eventually rests himself, angled towards Alistair he sits atop of an old wooden chair.

Wolfe: You’re late.

Caprice: Nope, just human.

Wolfe: Aren’t we all.

Caprice: Sometimes I wish that was the case. Everything would be much easier if we were all human.

Wolfe: Isn’t that the truth.

With both men now seemingly relaxed, Wolfe slowly reaches forward to the source of the music, a small stereo, he presses the play button but not before lowering the volume . Both men enter what appears to be a trance as the slow acoustic intro builds up, it isn’t long before the lyrics hit the air and both men begin to decipher the lyrics into their own lives.

Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones go marching in
Again

The need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are ever ready
Are you ready?


Wolfe and Caprice, give a few small glances between, seemingly observing the reactions of the other, seeing what exactly they were feeling.

I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance, that whole defense

Spinning infinity, boy, the wheel is spinning me
It’s never ending
Never ending,

Same old story…


Wolfe: The ultimate return story… you think you can do it?

Caprice: I don’t know. I guess we’re gonna have to wait and find out.

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You’re the pretender!

What if I say that I'll never surrender?


The music continues, yet it reaches a silent point, Wolfe and Caprice both now staring into each others eyes. To Leon, Alistair always seemed odd, never with the fluent talks nor the enthusiasm, always composed and seeming to judge the people around him.

Wolfe: Boy, you’d better be ready, don’t let us down.

Caprice: That’s what makes me strong, Wolfe.

Wolfe: Since when have you been full of wisdom, Leon?

Leon stares out into the open suburban street outside the garage. It’s just nighttime, quiet and still showing hints of the fading red sunset. Leon doesn’t turn back to face Wolfe, instead his reply is directed into the world in front of him.

Caprice: I… I think I’ve always known. I just wasn’t smart enough to realise it.

*****

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Playhouse theatre! Please remember to switch off your mobile phones and do not forget that flash photography is not allowed. Enjoy the production!


The third and final night goes ahead with simply one member in the audience. None of the actors are thrilled, but the village defender who has passed out and been killed by a vampire in the last two nights sees his opportunity. This is his night. No big audience to condemn him. What’s one reviewer gonna do to a show that’s already been killed?

The vampire floats onstage at the climax, and the village defender walks on with his pitchfork.

Narrator: The last line of defense for the village was its youngest member. Pitchfork in hand, he fought valiant…

Onstage, the action is not reflecting the voice-over. Instead, the village defender has pretended to stab the pitchfork into the vampire’s heart. The vampire glares at the actor but improvises like any good actor does and dies on the spot. The narrator takes a pause before impromptu creating a new script.

Narrator: …valiantly, and slew the mighty vampire. No-one had expected him to, but he saved his village from a moment of terror. He would later die when the vampire’s family came to seek revenge – but that is a different story for another time.

The curtain closes and the director walks up to the rebel actor. The vampire also chooses to stand and get in the villager’s face.

Director: What the hell was that?

Vampire Actor: You’ve got to be kidding, Nathan! That wasn’t in the script at all! I'm supposed to murder you! It’s a tragedy!

Nathan pauses and smiles sarcastically at both his director and fellow actor.

Nathan: Yeah, well, your script sucks. There was one audience member there tonight. I gave him a different version of the story. The one that no-one expected to happen. Everyone wants to see an underdog victory, right?

Director: What if he’s never seen the play before?!

Nathan: But he has. He’s been here until the end of the play for both of the last two nights. He sat through what no-one else would. Maybe I inspired him. Fire me if you want, I don’t care. I told the truth. If I made a mistake that I didn’t mean to, I'm sorry. But I'm only human.

The argument continues on behind the curtain, however it is the opposite side of the curtain which is our focus now. The lone audience member considers what he has seen the past two nights. Similar to his own life, in away.

At first, fear and intimidation of an idea caused him to worry.

Then the natural order of things stopped him from succeeding.

But this… this rebel actor, this unscripted performance… that’s what it all comes down to.

For Leon Caprice, sitting in the back row of the Playhouse Theatre, knows that even the underdog wins sometimes.

*****

The curtain just inches away, Leon sits on a pile of crates in his ring gear, mere minutes before the show begins. No-one is in sight save for a crew member waiting for a signal. However, out of the corner of his eye, Leon catches the movement of Seth Omega.

Caprice: Seth.

Omega: Feeling lucky, Caprice?

Caprice: You know just as well as I do that luck has nothing to do with it.

Omega: You learn fast.

There is an awkward silence. Omega still has a small bruise on his cheek from the blow Caprice delivered him.

Caprice: Can I ask you a question, Seth?

Omega: Shoot, bruh.

Caprice: Why didn’t you stop me? You easily had enough time to block the punch, but you just… you just stood there and took it. Why?

Seth smiles briefly before returning to his grizzled expression.

Omega: Because you had to learn you’re human. No-one goes into a match thinking they’re invincible and wins. Regardless of anything that anyone can tell you about any superstar in this locker room. From you and me to Storme and Jakob Azazel. All of us. We’re just bred differently. But we all need a reality check now and then. We win some and lose some. No weapon is foolproof. And that’s what you need to prove tonight – that even the likes of Storme, Deathlocke and Jakob Azazel lose some.

Caprice: And you suggest I do that how?

Omega: That’s up to you to figure out, not me. But I'm rootin’ for ya, bruh. We all are. The underdog’s gotta win eventually.

This is what it all boils down to, Leon. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. You’ve got heart. You’ve got honor to win back. You’ve got to fight back for your humanity.

Wolfe: Don’t let him see you coming.

Leon looks to his side. Wolfe, Jacobi and Seth stand there. Wolfe has an arrogant grin across his face, while Seth looks fairly serious. Jacobi walks up to Caprice and grabs him by the hand, pulling him off the pile of crates. His eyes blaze with passion… reminiscent of the look when he fought Black not too long ago.

Jacobi: We’re all human, Leon. Don’t forget that. It’s the key.

Caprice: For humanity, then. I won’t let you guys down.