Stunt doubles were fearless.
They jumped off roofs, crashed cars, ran through explosions, and occasionally set themselves on fire for the sake of cinema.
But none of them—
not a single one—
had ever met someone like Aria Lane.
And today, one of them would retire early.
Introducing: Tessa "Iron Knees" McAlroy
Tessa had been in the business for fifteen years.
She'd doubled for A-list action queens.
She'd fractured bones and shrugged it off.
She'd once fought three German Shepherds on film and still finished the scene smiling.
She was tough.
She was respected.
She was unbreakable.
Until she met Aria.
The Scene That Doomed Her
Tessa was hired to be Aria's stunt double for dangerous shots—
the falls, the high jumps, the rolling stunts.
Easy.
Routine.
Today's stunt involved a simple move:
Tessa would demonstrate a basic controlled roll, and Aria would watch.
No action.
No danger.
No running at the speed of sound.
Just… watching.
Marcus, the stunt coordinator, clapped his hands.
"Alright, Tessa will show you the roll. Just observe."
Tessa smiled warmly at Aria.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll handle the hard stuff."
Aria nodded politely.
"I can learn."
Daniel winced.
"Oh no…"
Take One
Tessa demonstrated the roll.
Smooth.
Technical.
Perfect.
The crew applauded.
Marcus nodded proudly.
"Tessa is the best. Aria, do NOT attempt this. Just watch."
Tessa stood up, stretching.
"See? Easy. This is why they pay me the big bucks."
Aria quietly lowered herself to the floor.
Daniel choked.
"No.
NO.
ARIA—PLEASE—DON'T—"
Too late.
Aria rolled.
Not a standard stunt roll.
Not a technical roll.
A combat roll—
low, fast, sharp, ending in a perfect crouch with zero wasted motion.
She stood silently.
Everyone else stood silently.
Tessa stared.
Marcus stared.
Julian whispered,
"…What did I just witness?"
Mason dropped his coffee.
Tessa Approaches Her Slowly
"…Where'd you learn that?" Tessa asked, horrified.
Aria blinked.
"Somewhere."
"Somewhere WHERE?"
"…Outside."
"OUTSIDE WHERE?!"
Aria tilted her head.
"…Ground."
Tessa made a faint choking noise.
Attempt to Reassert Dominance
Tessa tried a second roll.
More complicated.
More advanced.
Marcus whispered,
"She's proving a point…"
Tessa flipped, twisted, landed beautifully.
The crew applauded.
Tessa smirked at Aria.
"Beat that, sweetheart."
Aria bent down—
"No," Mason whispered, "no, please no, please don't—"
ROLL.
Aria executed a silent, flawless, almost inhuman tumble with a mid-air shift that wasn't even part of the stunt repertoire.
She landed on her feet without using her hands.
The room went dead silent.
Marcus whispered:
"…She rolled… vertically."
Julian murmured:
"I didn't know humans could do that."
Daniel crouched in a corner.
"We're losing her to the stunt team. I can feel it."
Tessa's Final Straw
Tessa stepped back, breathing heavily.
"Okay. Fine. You're flexible. But let's see you do THIS—"
She leaped into a full-body tumble—
—but Aria moved faster.
She caught Tessa mid-roll.
Gently.
Perfectly.
Protectively.
As if Tessa weighed nothing.
Tessa landed softly in Aria's arms.
The crew screamed.
Julian froze.
Daniel fainted.
Mason had an out-of-body experience.
Tessa stared up at Aria.
"…I'm retiring."
Aria blinked.
"Why?"
Tessa got to her feet, eyes hollow with newfound humility.
"I've seen the top of the mountain.
And it's you."
Aria shook her head.
"No. You're better."
Tessa slapped a hand over Aria's mouth.
"Don't patronize me. I know what I saw."
She turned to Marcus.
"I quit."
Marcus: "…What? Why—"
Tessa pointed at Aria like she'd seen God.
"Because she doesn't need a stunt double.
I need a stunt double."
The crew erupted in chaotic agreement.
Julian quietly murmured:
"She really is incredible."
Mason yelled at the heavens:
"STOP PRAISING HER! YOU ARE MAKING HER STRONGER!"
The Official Report
Later that day, Tessa marched to the production office, filled out a resignation form, and wrote in the "Reason for Leaving" field:
"Aria Lane exists."
The HR manager had no follow-up questions.
Daniel's Final Breakdown
Back on set, Daniel stared at Aria like a shell-shocked parent.
"Do you know what you did?"
Aria blinked.
"No."
"You retired a professional."
Aria nodded seriously.
"I'm sorry."
Julian patted her shoulder gently.
"You didn't mean to."
Aria looked at him thoughtfully.
"…Should I roll less?"
Julian smiled.
"Yes."
Mason screamed.
"NO! DON'T TELL HER THAT! SHE'LL ROLL MORE!"
Aria considered the conflicting advice.
"…I'll try."
Daniel sobbed into his hands.