Coming Home- Scarlett Johansson

Part 7

Archer's POV

"AJ, great you're here. Did Kevin explain what we are going to film right now?" Joe asked the second I walked onto the set, making me frown slightly. Kevin told me nothing, but at the same time, I don't want to seem incompetent if I am supposed to know something but don't. I was about to answer when someone else beat me to it, making my eyes roll at the sound of her voice. "Mr Feige didn't mention anything. Just that you wanted to film something super quick for a post-credit scene for something," Xanthi said. "I thought her job was to watch me, not speak for me. I mean, my job is quite literally to speak. I think I can manage," I mumble, although apparently not quiet enough because Scarlett nudged me, giving me a warning look which screamed be nice, which had me huffing even more. She wouldn't be telling me to be nice if she knew who Xanthi was.

"Oh, well, that is fine. There is no real script for this; we only need between twenty seconds and a minute's worth of visuals. So the idea is we are watching as you get experimented on. So we are going to film the end first, where they ask if you are ready to comply, and you answer in Russian, kind of like a Winter Soldier sort of style. Then we are going to get Axel and Sandy in here, and they are going to rough you up a bit, and we are going to film the experiments. The only audio we want for that is some screaming in pain. Is that alright?" Joe talked me through everything, and I just nodded.

Seems simple enough. "Perfect, I just have to make sure we are all set up and then we can go," Joe continued before walking off. "Can you keep my phone on you, please? If Daddy calls, can you answer and call for me? He probably won't since we talked last night, but still," I asked Scarlett, my eyes wide as I pleaded for her to say yes because if Xanthi answers the phone to Daddy, all hell is going to break loose. "Sure, honey, I'll be right over there with Xanthi, okay?" She agrees, pointing to a section of the set which had chairs, making me nod.

The first part was easy to film and only took a few takes so that Joe had all the angles he wanted. All I had to do was stare dead ahead and keep my face blank before responding to the question, which was asked from behind the camera. Once that was over, Axle had me change my top, subbing out the nice clean one for one with some tares and stains on before he dusted some dirt across the new top and the trousers. Next, Sandy, who is my makeup artist, came over, adding a few cuts to my face and ones to places visible on my body through the tares. Finally, she sprayed me with this weird blend, which looked like sweat, before ruffling my hair so it didn't look perfect anymore. "Perfect, or should I say not perfect. You look thoroughly beaten," Sandy says, a smile on her face as she steps aside and motions for me to get back at it.

We had been in a little room off to the side of the main set. Joe wanted this done as quickly as possible, so they didn't want me wandering around getting ready. When I look around, I notice that they now have a chair, kind of like a dentist's set-up. "Ah, AJ, you look perfect. Now we are going to strap you to this chair, and then some of the extras are going to pretend to inject you with stuff. They are going to have their backs to the camera, so you are the only one we can really see. I want you to panic before they inject you and try to get free but don't beg. Then, after they inject you, I want you to go limp for a second before withering in pain and screaming. Do you think you can do that?" Joe asked as he talked me through the next scene, making me nod as I thought about what I was going to do, or more accurately, did everything in my power to not think about a specific memory, wanting to re-emerge at how similar this all sounded.

We had been at this for about half an hour at this point, and while Joe said I was doing great, it was clear he thought something was missing. He wants to believe it more. Apparently, he thinks I am holding back. This is true, but can I afford to let it all go and give him what he wants? I know what I need to do. I just don't want to do it. I don't want to risk people witnessing what may come afterwards. "AJ, I need you to imagine you are getting tortured. I know that you don't know what that feels like, but I need to feel your pain and fear. Just try and imagine what someone in your place would feel like," he requested from behind the camera. He doesn't know the truth because he wouldn't have said that if he did. "Alright, I'm ready to go again," I replied, desperate to get this right, to show I am worth the problems I know they have faced to get me here. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes. I can't believe I am about to actively think of this. Daddy is going to lose it when he finds out.