Director Mason insisted he was fine.
He wasn't.
He drank two bottles of water, sat in a chair, stared at the middle distance for several minutes, and whispered things like:
"I used to love filmmaking…"
"I had dreams once…"
"Why does she run like a military experiment…"
But filming had to continue.
Today's next scene was simple—
in theory.
Aria and Julian were supposed to stand under a catwalk while a stuntman above pretended to drop a duffel bag.
Aria would react with mild surprise.
Julian would pull her aside.
Drama.
Tension.
Easy.
It was the mild part they worried about.
The First Attempt
"Places!" Mason shouted, refusing to make eye contact with Aria.
Julian stepped next to her.
Aria stood calmly—too calmly.
The stuntman got into position.
"Dropping in three… two… one—"
The duffel bag slipped.
Fell.
Swung slightly off mark.
Aria moved.
Not gently.
Not a step.
She grabbed Julian by the front of his shirt, yanked him toward her, and pivoted them both out of the bag's fall zone in a single, fluid motion.
Julian blinked, pressed against her shoulder, breath caught.
The bag hit the ground behind them with a dramatic thud.
Mason screamed.
"CUT!! MISS LANE—THAT IS NOT 'MILD SURPRISE!' THAT IS A HOSTAGE EXTRACTION!"
Aria loosened her grip on Julian.
"Oh."
Julian, dazed, murmured,
"That was… impressive."
Daniel threw his script into the air.
"STOP SAYING SHE'S IMPRESSIVE! YOU'RE FEEDING THE BEAST!"
The Second Attempt
Mason tried again.
"Aria, please. Please. Do not protect Julian. Just act startled. That's it."
Aria nodded.
"I understand."
Julian whispered,
"She doesn't."
The bag dropped.
Aria reacted.
But instead of pulling Julian, she kicked the bag mid-air—
a clean, precise upward strike—
redirecting it back onto the catwalk.
Everyone screamed.
The stuntman above shrieked,
"THE BAG IS COMING BACK UP??"
The bag flew past him and landed on the platform with a heavy THUMP.
Complete silence.
Then Marcus, the stunt coordinator, whispered in awe:
"…That was a perfect anti-gravity kick."
Mason threw his headset.
"WE ARE NOT FILMING A SUPERHERO MOVIE!"
Aria blinked.
"I thought it was dangerous."
"It WASN'T until you roundhouse-kicked the plot!"
The Third Attempt
The medic recommended Mason take a breather.
He refused.
"This woman is not ending my career. Roll again!"
Daniel gently tugged his sleeve.
"She might, though."
"ROLL. AGAIN."
They did.
This time, the bag dropped perfectly on cue.
Aria did nothing.
The bag fell normally.
Julian reacted.
Mason's shoulders relaxed.
Then—
The bag burst open on impact.
Money flew everywhere.
Loose bills scattered across the floor like confetti.
Aria leaned down, picked up a stack of cash, examined it…
…and frowned.
"This is fake."
Mason burst into tears.
"YES IT'S FAKE! IT'S FOR THE SCENE!"
Aria looked up.
"You should use real money. For authenticity."
Daniel grabbed her shoulders like a desperate parent.
"Aria… we do NOT give filmmakers ideas like that!"
Julian laughed quietly.
Mason sobbed louder.
Accidental Genius
While the crew scrambled to gather the scattered bills, Aria walked toward the duffel bag thoughtfully.
She crouched.
Adjusted the broken zipper.
Twisted the loose hinge.
Re-threaded the latch.
The props team froze as she worked.
Within thirty seconds, Aria stood and said:
"It's fixed."
The props master rushed over.
"Impossible. That hinge is custom—"
He checked.
He froze.
"It's… better than before."
Aria nodded.
"It was misaligned."
Marcus whispered,
"She disarmed the bag."
Daniel shouted,
"IT'S A DUFFEL BAG, NOT A BOMB!"
Aria tilted her head.
"…Same concept?"
The entire crew collectively screamed.
Mason Finally Notices Something
He stared at the perfectly repaired duffel bag.
Then at Aria.
Then at Julian.
Then back at Aria.
He whispered:
"…Are you secretly trained in something?"
Aria blinked.
"I learned things."
"What THINGS?"
"…Useful things."
Mason clutched his heart.
"No more useful things. NO MORE!"
Julian quietly smiled, amused.
Aria said nothing.
The Miracle Take
Eventually, miraculously, unbelievably—
They got a good take.
Aria stood still.
Julian pulled her aside.
No kicks.
No rescues.
No disassembly or reassembly of props.
When Mason yelled "CUT," his voice cracked with relief.
"We got it," he whispered.
"We finally—
FINALLY—
got it."
Julian glanced at Aria.
"You did great."
Aria looked genuinely surprised.
"…I just stood there."
Julian smiled.
"Exactly."
Daniel sat on the floor whispering,
"She stood still. She actually stood still. Someone write this down. This is historic."