heavenward | n.scatorccio

Julianna's head throbbed with a dull, relentless ache as she slowly came to. The first thing she noticed was the cold, an icy chill that seeped into her skin, cutting through her clothes and making her entire body feel heavy. Her wrists burned slightly, and when she tried to shift, she realized they were bound above her head, her arms stretched taut around some kind of metal pole.

"Julianna," came a whisper—low, raspy, and urgent. The sound was muffled at first, like it was coming from underwater, but it grew sharper as her senses began to clear.

"Julianna, wake up. Come on." A nudge at her side, firm but careful.

Julianna groaned softly, her body stiff and aching as she stirred. She blinked, her vision blurry at first but slowly sharpening as her surroundings came into focus. Her blindfold was gone—well, not gone entirely; she could feel the fabric resting loosely around her neck like some grim souvenir. Her gaze darted around the room, taking in the stark, oppressive space.

The walls were bare concrete, gray and cold. A single fluorescent light buzzed weakly above them, casting harsh shadows across the floor. The air smelled faintly metallic, mixed with something damp and stale.

"Julianna," the voice came again, clearer now. Natalie. She was beside her, her own wrists bound to the same pole, her face tense but determined. Her hair was disheveled, her lip slightly swollen, probably from the scuffle during their capture, but her eyes were clear and focused, locked on Julianna.

"Natalie?" Julianna croaked, her voice hoarse. Her throat felt raw, probably from the gas. She blinked a few more times, trying to push past the fog in her mind. "Where...?"

"Shh," Natalie said quickly, cutting her off. "Not so loud. We're in some kind of holding room, I think. No one's here yet."

Julianna's heart sank as the reality of the situation hit her. She looked down and saw Javi, slumped slightly against the pole, his wrists bound just as tightly as theirs. He looked so young, even more so now with his face pale and his head lolling forward.

"Is he...?" Julianna started, her chest tightening with panic.

"He's breathing," Natalie reassured her quickly. "I think he's just out of it. Wake him up, carefully."

Julianna nodded, her arms straining slightly as she twisted toward the boy. "Javi," she whispered, her voice soft but urgent. "Javi, wake up."

He didn't stir at first, his head still hanging limp. She leaned as close as her restraints would allow, lowering her voice even more. "Come on, Javi. You have to wake up now." Her tone was firm, but it carried a thread of tenderness, the kind that only came from deep guilt and concern.

This time, his head moved slightly, a small groan escaping his lips. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, dazed and unfocused. "Julianna?" he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

"I'm here," she said quickly, relief washing over her. "We're here. Natalie and I."

Javi blinked a few times, his eyes darting around the room before landing on the pole and the restraints around his wrists. His breathing quickened, and Julianna could feel the panic rising in him.

"It's okay," she said softly, trying to keep her own voice steady for his sake. "We're going to figure this out. But you have to stay calm, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Javi swallowed hard, his hands clenching and unclenching against the pole. "Okay," he whispered, though his voice wavered.

Natalie leaned in slightly, her gaze flicking between Julianna and Javi. "We don't know how long we have before they come back," she said quietly. "We need to stay quiet, listen for anything we can use."

Julianna nodded, her mind already racing despite the dull ache in her head. She glanced around the room again, searching for any clues, any weapons, any exits, any weakness in their captors' setup. But the space was maddeningly empty, stripped of anything that might help them.

"Do you remember what they were saying in the tank?" she asked Natalie, her voice barely above a whisper.

Natalie frowned, her brow furrowing in thought. "Bits and pieces," she admitted. "Something about their orders... bringing us to a base? I couldn't tell how far it is."

Julianna bit her lip, her stomach twisting. The soldiers hadn't seemed like the type to take prisoners lightly. If they had been brought here instead of killed outright, it meant they were considered valuable somehow, and that terrified her.

The sound of heavy boots echoed down the hallway long before the door opened. Julianna, Natalie, and Javi tensed, their bodies rigid against the pole as the footsteps grew louder. Javi flinched at the metallic screech of the lock turning, and Julianna instinctively leaned toward him, though the restraints bit into her wrists as she moved.

The door swung open, and two soldiers stepped inside. Both were tall, clad in gray-and-black uniforms that were unmistakably military. Their gear was scuffed and worn, but the insignia on their sleeves, a stark white triangle intersected by a vertical line, was pristine. The taller of the two men had a shaved head and a jagged scar running down his cheek, while the other had a wiry frame, his hair slicked back in a way that made him look perpetually greasy.

Scarface was the first to speak, his voice gravelly and sharp. "Rise and shine," he drawled, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips. "You three look cozy."

Julianna clenched her jaw, keeping her eyes on the floor. Beside her, Natalie's expression hardened, her glare fixed on the two men. Javi didn't say anything either, but she could feel him trembling slightly from where his shoulder brushed against hers.

"Well, aren't you a lively bunch," Slick Hair sneered, stepping closer. He tapped the pole with the barrel of his rifle, the metal clinking ominously. "Let's cut to the chase, yeah? What the hell are you doing in our city?"

"Your city?" Natalie spoke back, her tone biting. "Last I checked, no one owns it anymore."

Scarface didn't like that. His smirk vanished, replaced by a scowl as he stepped forward and backhanded Natalie across the face. The crack of the impact echoed through the room, and Julianna flinched as Natalie's head whipped to the side.

"Watch your mouth," Scarface growled, looming over her.

Natalie didn't flinch, even as blood dripped from the corner of her lip. Her eyes burned with defiance, but she stayed silent this time.

Scarface turned his attention to Julianna, his gaze cruel and assessing. "What about you, sweetheart?" he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "You gonna answer the question, or do we have to loosen your tongue?"

Julianna felt her stomach fill with dread. Her mouth was dry, her mind scrambling for something to say that wouldn't make things worse. "We didn't know this was... your territory," she said carefully, her voice soft but steady. "We were just passing through."

Slick Hair chuckled darkly, stepping closer. "Passing through, huh? That's convenient. You're not with the zealots, are you?" His tone was mocking, and he glanced at Scarface with a laugh. "Oh, sorry—I mean the Ascended." The way he spat the name made it sound like a joke.

Julianna's brow furrowed. "The what?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Scarface's eyes narrowed. "Don't play dumb. We know their type—sneaky, fanatical, and desperate. You reek of it."

"We don't even know what that is." Natalie spoke, her voice defiant despite the blood on her lip. "We're not with anyone. We're just trying to survive, like everyone else."

Scarface didn't look convinced. He leaned in closer to Julianna, his scarred face only inches from hers. "You sure about that, sweetheart? You've got the look of someone who knows more than they're saying."

Julianna's breath hitched as she tried to lean back, but the pole kept her in place. His hand came up, brushing against her jaw, and she froze. His touch was rough, his fingers lingering in a way that made her skin crawl.

"Don't touch them, they didn't do anything—" Natalie spoke, her voice low but angered, a barely contained heat in every word. Even tied up, she leaned forward as much as she could, eyes locked on him with a mix of anger and desperation. "You've got no reason to hurt them, so leave them the fuck alone."

Scarface didn't even glance at her. He tilted his head, studying Julianna like she was some kind of puzzle. "You look smart," he said, his voice softening but not in a comforting way. "Smart people survive longer. So how about you tell me the truth, and we make this easier for everyone?"

"I am telling the truth," Julianna said quietly, her voice wavering despite her best efforts to sound calm. She could feel the weight of his gaze, the pressure of his fingers tightening slightly under her chin.

Slick Hair laughed, pacing behind them with his rifle slung lazily over his shoulder. "Sure you are. And I'm the president."

Scarface's grip shifted, his hand trailing down to her shoulder. Julianna felt a wave of nausea crawl up her throat, but she clenched her jaw and forced herself to stay still, to swallow it down. She couldn't afford to let him see even the smallest flicker of fear—not now, not when everything depended on her holding it together.

"Boss said to bring them in alive," Slick Hair reminded him, his tone almost sing-song. "Not unharmed."

Scarface smirked, his hand finally pulling away as he stepped back. "Lucky you," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "For now." He turned to Javi, who was shaking like a leaf. "What about you, kid? Got anything to say?"

Javi shook his head quickly, his wide eyes darting between the two men. He was pale, visibly trembling.

Scarface snorted, his expression a mix of disgust and amusement. "Useless," he muttered, before glancing back at Slick Hair. "Let's bag 'em up. They're not gonna talk here."

Julianna exchanged a quick, worried glance with Natalie, her mind racing. Whatever was coming next, it wasn't going to be good. She just hoped they'd survive long enough to figure a way out.

Scarface's smirk widened as he turned to Javi, his hand casually reaching for the holstered pistol on his hip. The metallic click of the gun being cocked sent a jolt of terror through the room. Javi's breathing hitched, his wide eyes locking onto the weapon now aimed directly at him. He looked so fragile, his knees trembling where he knelt.

"No—" Julianna's voice cracked as she strained against her restraints, the ropes biting into her wrists. "Please, don't hurt him! He's just a kid!" Her voice was frantic, a raw desperation spilling out that she couldn't hide. "He doesn't know anything! None of us do!"

Scarface turned his head slowly to look at her, amusement flickering across his scarred features. "Oh, you care about the kid, huh? That's sweet." He tilted the gun slightly, letting the barrel hover menacingly closer to Javi's chest. "Maybe I'll start with him. See if that loosens your tongues."

"Stop!" Julianna's voice was almost a scream now, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of her chest. "Please! I'll—I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt him!"

Natalie, next to her, was glaring daggers, her whole body tense like she wanted to leap at the soldiers. But she didn't speak, her gaze flicking between the gun and Scarface, calculating something, anything. Javi, meanwhile, looked frozen, tears welling in his eyes but refusing to fall. He was trying to be brave.

Scarface chuckled darkly, lowering the gun just enough to make it clear he was toying with them. "Relax," he said, though his voice carried no warmth. "I wasn't gonna kill him. Yet."

"You're sick," Natalie hissed, her voice low and venomous.

Slick Hair shrugged, his rifle resting casually across his chest. "Welcome to the apocalypse, sweetheart. There's no room for morals anymore."

Before Scarface could reply, static crackled from the radio clipped to Slick Hair's belt. Both men stiffened as a sharp, commanding voice cut through the room.

"Delta squad, report. Status?" The voice was cold, efficient, and unyielding, laced with an authority that immediately made Julianna's heart drop. Whoever was speaking was used to being obeyed.

Slick Hair grabbed the radio, pressing the button to respond. "Delta squad here. We've got three survivors. Could be zealots." He glanced back at Julianna, Natalie, and Javi, his expression darkening. "No signs of reinforcements. City perimeter still secure."

The voice on the other end crackled again. "Understood. The Major wants them processed. Bring them in once the secondary sweep is complete."

Slick Hair released the button, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Copy that. Processing it is."

Scarface holstered his pistol, giving Javi one last unsettling glance before stepping back. "Lucky day, kid," he muttered, his tone dripping with mockery.

Julianna's breath came in shaky gasps, her hands still trembling as she tried to process what she'd just heard. Processed? What does that mean? Her mind spun with questions, but the answers felt just out of reach.

"Who's the Major?" Natalie asked, her voice echoing through the room despite the obvious risk. "What the fuck are you people?"

Scarface didn't answer, though his smirk deepened as if he found her defiance amusing. Slick Hair, however, paused by the door, his hand resting on the frame as he glanced back at them.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said cryptically, before stepping out and slamming the door behind him.

The lock clicked into place, leaving the room in silence except for the echo of the soldiers' boots fading down the hallway.

Julianna exhaled shakily, her head resting against the pole as her body slumped in exhaustion. Her wrists ached, her throat burned from shouting, and her heart still pounded against her ribcage. Beside her, Natalie muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse, while Javi shifted closer, his small body trembling.

"It's okay," Julianna whispered to him, her voice soft but unsteady. "You're okay."

But were they okay? Julianna didn't really think so.

Javi didn't say anything, just leaned his head against her shoulder, his breaths shallow but calming.

Natalie glanced at them both, her jaw tight as her eyes flicked toward the door. "We need to figure out who these assholes are," she said quietly, her voice edged with certainty. "And what the hell they want with us."

Julianna nodded, though her gaze stayed fixed on the floor. Her mind replayed the words from the radio over and over, dissecting every tone, every syllable. The Major. Processing. Delta squad. Nothing about this felt good.