- Leap -
For the past few years, you've been standing at the edge.
That's your current career in a nutshell, really. One man standing at the precipice of something great. And off in the distance, you can see exactly where you want your career to end up. All you need to do is clear the distance, jump the gap, and you'll be there.
If only the gap wasn't so big.
In your head, you've always imagined a giant canyon. You fight your way to the very top of one cliff, then turn and stare at the other. For over on the other cliff lies the main event: the home of the future legends of the business, the very best superstars of the current generation. That's the home of the world champions. It's your ultimate destination - it's the destination of every other wrestler in the back, really. Part of you feels privileged to have even made it to the top of the first cliff.
But another part of you believes it's downright torture to be so close and yet so far.
How many times have you jumped? How many times have you tried to break that glass ceiling?
Because that's how many times you've failed.
Every time you fall just short, it feels like you're falling down that canyon. And when you realize just how close you came, when you hit rock bottom, it hurts. It hurts more than any pain you've ever felt in the ring.
Still you pick yourself back up and start climbing again. You concentrate on building yourself up for the next attempt - go for the Tag Team or United States Championship in the meantime, just to keep up prestige and motivation. And when you finally reach the top and they give you another shot at the big time, what does it lead to?
Another failure.
Another group of wrestling fans and critics alike asking the same question: when will Kofi Kingston finally get over that hump?
You're content with being another promising young gun on the verge of the main event for now. You can put on that smile, do the thunderclap, and be happy with where you are. But for how much longer?
As patient as you've been, time flies fast. Hell, with your wrestling style, it probably flies faster than your Air Boom partner does, and in pro wrestling, time is your biggest rival of all. You high fliers and risk takers can be explosive and exciting and breathtaking and hard to stop, but every match and missed opportunity eventually wear down your best weapons.
And no opportunity can break your body down more than the elimination chamber.
Every time you take to the sky, it's a chance to take a fellow competitor out and get one step closer to your dream. But one mistake near that unforgiving metal floor or a bad jump from the top of the pods, and it'll end your night - maybe even your career.
Honestly, there's a moment of doubt. This kind of environment can make you second guess every single leap.
Then again, that kind of thinking can cost you a match just as badly, and you've never applied that mindset either.
Inside the squared circle, you've always relied on feeling the flow and letting instinct take over. You set a fast pace, shock an opponent with a surprise move, and dare to take risks nobody else will. Everything's based on making your opponent second guess and make mistakes, so why should you do the same?
You can't pass this up, in the end.
The source of all your biggest hopes and dreams rests around CM Punk's waist. Even though you know from experience that you'll never be the same after this match, you'll take any chance you can get for that belt.
All you can really do now is perform your best, hope every risk pays off, and pray that gap gets a little bit smaller with every second you spend in the chamber. And if the time comes where you're this close to the other side, where all it takes is one last desperation leap to make it, your gut and your heart - your instinct - will tell you exactly what to do.
You'll jump.
- Kofi Kingston -
A/N: I'll be changing the listed main characters with every update, so don't be surprised if the story doesn't show up under a searched character in the end (unless you're looking up one of the final two ficlet subjects).
Thanks for reading. Reviews are much appreciated. Next chapter: Stop.
