By now, the crew had developed a new rule.
An unwritten one.
An unspoken one.
A rule born of trauma.
If Aria Lane is about to do something impressive,
please warn us in advance.
Unfortunately, Aria Lane had no idea what counted as impressive.
The Safety Briefing (That Changes Nothing)
Mason stood in front of the crew with a megaphone.
Not because the set was loud.
But because his soul needed amplification.
"LISTEN UP!
FROM NOW ON—
ANYONE DOING ANYTHING UNSCRIPTED—
ANYTHING PHYSICALLY DEMANDING—
ANYTHING COOL—"
He jabbed the megaphone directly toward Aria.
"—MUST ANNOUNCE IT FIRST!"
Aria blinked.
"…Announce?"
"Yes! VERBALLY! LOUDLY!
LIKE A WARNING SIREN!"
Daniel added helpfully:
"Preferably in triplicate."
Julian folded his arms, amused.
"And what counts as 'cool'?"
Mason snapped:
"ASK HER! SHE'S THE PROBLEM!"
Aria considered this seriously.
"…I do not know what you consider cool."
The crew screamed internally.
The Scene: Controlled, Safe, Boring
The next scene was intentionally dull.
No explosions.
No stunts.
No running.
Just Aria crossing a metal platform and stopping at a marked position.
Mason emphasized:
"WALK.
NORMAL SPEED.
NO JUMPING.
NO SLIDING.
NO—"
He paused.
"…NO PARKOUR."
Aria nodded solemnly.
"I will walk."
Daniel whispered:
"She means it. Which is suspicious."
Action
Aria stepped onto the platform.
Walked.
Normal pace.
No problems.
The crew relaxed.
Rick even smiled.
"See? She's behaving."
Aria reached the mark.
Stopped.
Then—
The platform collapsed.
Not violently.
Not explosively.
Just… failed.
A bolt snapped.
The metal gave way.
And Aria dropped straight down.
The Reflex Nobody Asked For
Before anyone could scream—
Aria twisted midair.
Caught the edge of the platform with one hand.
Swung.
Used momentum to flip onto a nearby beam.
Landed softly.
Balanced.
Still holding her script.
The entire move took less than two seconds.
Rick screamed anyway.
Daniel screamed louder.
Mason screamed something that sounded like a curse in three languages.
Silence
Then—
Applause.
Someone clapped.
Someone else joined.
The stunt team stood up like they were watching a live match.
Marcus shouted:
"CLEAN RECOVERY!"
Mason turned feral.
"WHO IS CLAPPING?!
STOP REWARDING HER REFLEXES!!"
Aria looked around.
"…Was that cool?"
Daniel screamed:
"YES! TOO COOL! THAT WAS ILLEGALLY COOL!"
Mason's Official Complaint
Mason stormed over.
"ARIA!
YOU DID NOT WARN ANYONE!"
Aria tilted her head.
"I fell."
"That's NOT the point!"
"I did not plan to."
"That's WORSE!"
Julian approached, calm.
"She handled it perfectly."
Mason whirled on him.
"STOP SAYING THAT!
EVERY TIME YOU SAY THAT, THE INTERNET GETS STRONGER!"
Julian smiled.
"I think they already are."
The Crew's Trauma List Grows
Lighting tech:
"I thought she died."
Sound guy:
"I caught nothing. She moved too fast."
Camera operator:
"I panned. She was already somewhere else."
Makeup artist:
"Her hair didn't move."
Mason whispered:
"…Her hair didn't move…"
Daniel put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't think about it."
Aria Tries to Comply
She raised her hand slightly.
"Next time… I will say something."
Mason grabbed onto that sentence like a lifeline.
"Yes! GOOD! THAT'S ALL WE WANT!"
Aria nodded.
"If I anticipate danger, I will announce it."
Daniel froze.
"…Anticipate?"
Julian raised an eyebrow.
"That's a wide category."
Mason paled.
"What do you mean by anticipate?"
Aria thought.
"…Before something breaks.
Or explodes.
Or attacks."
Mason dropped to the floor.
"That's… EVERYTHING."
The Final Straw
Later that afternoon, during reset—
A light rig started to sway.
Just slightly.
Almost imperceptible.
Before anyone noticed—
Aria spoke calmly:
"Warning."
The crew froze.
Mason's head snapped up.
"What—"
The rig snapped.
Aria stepped forward.
Caught it.
Set it down gently.
Then looked at Mason.
"I warned you."
Silence.
Then cheering.
Mason screamed:
"STOP CHEERING!! THIS IS NOT A SPORTS EVENT!!"
Daniel collapsed laughing.
Julian clapped once, slow and deliberate.
"Well announced."
Closing Line
Mason sat on the floor, exhausted.
"I just want…
five minutes…
without heart palpitations…"
Aria blinked.
"…I can try."
Daniel patted Mason's back.
"She means it."
Julian smiled.
"She always does."
The crew prepared for whatever came next.