Chapter 10 - 10: The Duel on SetChapter 10: The Duel on Set

    "Charles, Charles, take control of the other camera. You know the angle I need."

    "Got it, I''m on my way."

    This Charles was Nancy''s husband, Martin''s uncle—Charles Sher, who was also a director and screenwriter.

    In the original timeline, it was Nancy and Charles together who completed the script for The Parent Trap.

    "Hey, Uncle Charles!"

    "Hey, little Martin. Play this scene well. Your aunt''s been a bit on edge lately, so try not to get on her nerves."

    "Don''t worry, I won''t give her the chance to yell at me."

    But before Martin could even finish his sentence, Nancy''s voice echoed from the other side. "Charles, Martin, what are you two dawdling about?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Both Martin and Charles instinctively shrank their necks a bit, then exchanged a smile.

    "Martin, do you need a stunt double?" Nancy asked, eyeing him as he changed into his fencing gear.

    "Fencing? I''ve got this!" Martin replied confidently.

    After changing, Martin didn''t put on a helmet.

    In the original film, this scene had been shot using two stunt doubles, with both actors wearing helmets. Only in a few close-up shots had the lead actress, Lindsay Lohan, shown her face. But Martin didn''t need a helmet; his face was supposed to be visible in this scene, and having the young actor perform his own fencing moves added a little extra flair to the production.

    Soon, a group of kids had gathered around Martin—the boys and girls cast to play campers in the film.

    Originally, the summer camp setting was written as a girls'' camp, but Martin had modified it to a co-ed environment, so now both boys and girls were watching the scene.

    The young actors watched Martin standing in the center with a mixture of envy, admiration, and perhaps even a little jealousy.

    Among them was a 13-year-old girl named Jessica Alba. She looked at Martin with awe; this boy was practically living the life she dreamed of—starring as the lead in a movie, adored by everyone on set, and even managing to get a smile from the typically stern director.

    But Jessica didn''t resent Martin; in fact, she thought he looked incredible.

    By now, Martin was face-to-face with his opponent.

    His opponent was a young athlete, a fencer since childhood, from a family of athletes. He was two years older than Martin, though they were of similar height, both sporting brown hair.

    This boy, named Kiefer Lee, was cast to play Martin''s twin brother in the movie.

    However, right now, he was busy plotting how to make life difficult for the refined-looking boy in front of him.

    Positioned in front of the main camera, Martin faced Kiefer Lee, with a side angle capturing them both. Kiefer Lee, though, was entirely back to the camera.

    "Action!"

    At Nancy''s signal, Martin strode toward his opponent, twirling his fencing sword with a flourish before flicking the helmet from the ground to Kiefer with the sword''s tip—a smooth, stylish, and perfectly executed move.

    "Nice!" Nancy silently praised him.

    "Put on your helmet, Mike. I wouldn''t want to damage that face of yours—it looks just like mine," Martin said proudly, delivering his line.

    Clearly, Kiefer Lee''s role was to keep his face hidden in this scene, sparing the production any post-editing.

    This was one of the things Kiefer resented about Martin: why was Martin the lead, while he was merely a faceless double? Why was everyone focused on Martin, leaving him overlooked?

    Back at school, as a sports star, Kiefer was used to being in the spotlight. Being on set, however, was an abrupt shift, one he wasn''t taking well.

    And why, he wondered, did Jessica Alba always have praise for Martin while completely ignoring him?

    A few days earlier, Kiefer had decided to put Martin in his place and embarrass him on set. "This kid has it coming."

    As a succubus, Martin was incredibly perceptive of others'' emotions and had long picked up on Kiefer''s barely-hidden malice. But he was unfazed.

    He had a good idea of what Kiefer intended to do.

    Smiling to himself, Martin delivered his next line, "Ready, Mike?"

    "Bring it on, Beck!" Kiefer responded, speaking his only line.

    Nancy''s original plan was for the two boys to trade a few simple fencing moves, strike a few poses, and finish the shot.

    But Kiefer''s jealousy changed everything, turning this scene into a moment that would be remembered.

    Swish!

    Martin lunged with his sword.

    According to the choreography, Kiefer was supposed to block, then stumble back.

    But Kiefer didn''t follow the script. He blocked the strike and then immediately countered, thrusting his blade toward Martin''s forehead.

    It was a dangerous move, too close to Martin''s eyes, a clear sign that Kiefer lacked restraint and control when his emotions flared.

    Nancy and Charles''s expressions changed in unison.

    Nancy''s face darkened, and she was about to call for a cut, but stopped herself.

    Martin''s performance was keeping her anger in check, and she gestured to the cameraman, "Keep rolling."

    With an elegant spin, Martin dodged Kiefer''s attempted ambush effortlessly.

    His face still held a relaxed smile, with not a hint of anger, as though he was merely playing with a friend at summer camp. The performance made Nancy mentally cheer for his professionalism.

    Taken aback by his miss, Kiefer hesitated; he had prided himself on his speed, but Martin had evaded him with ease.

    Yet he didn''t stop. His strikes grew more forceful as he threw himself into the duel, using all his skill.

    By now, everyone had noticed something was off. The children in the crowd wore various expressions, mostly entertained by the spectacle. These young actors had spent enough time in show business to recognize backstage rivalries.

    But some, like Jessica, were genuinely appalled by Kiefer''s behavior.

    "That''s just wrong," she muttered, a frown on her face. "Why isn''t the director stopping him?"

    Her attention soon shifted back to Martin, though.

    Despite Kiefer''s aggression, Martin maintained his composure, trading blows skillfully, even while holding back.

    Martin had begun formulating a plan in his mind, subtly guiding Kiefer''s movements and positioning until, without his opponent realizing it, they had maneuvered close to a nearby haystack.

    "Oh no!" Jessica gasped.

    Martin, retreating from one of Kiefer''s aggressive strikes, found his foot caught by the haystack behind him, blocking his escape!

    Nancy leapt to her feet, silently chastising herself for not calling a halt sooner. If Martin got hurt, how would she ever explain it to Grant?

    At that very moment, Martin made a move that no one could have anticipated.

    [??———?———?———?]

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