"You're a piece of work, aren't you, Captain Icicle?" a voice drawled lazily from the door. Steve looked up from where he was staring blankly on the wall, eyes landing on a man in the forties with flamboyant, gaudy clothes, eyes highlighted and lined in color, and a single, heavy looking gem dangling from his ear. There was less color in the rainbow (in the old world, back before he went under when everything was depressingly gray and white, and occasionally, morbidly, red) than on the clothes and accessory that he had seen these people wear for everyday life.
Steve almost wrinkled his nose in disgust at the sheer wastefulness of the outfit, but restrained himself. Seventy years had passed; the world was no longer in chaos, it was organized now, a utopia by every definition, President Thanos had reassured him. Just because he had just awaken from being frozen didn't mean that he should insult the accepted fashion sense of the present day.
He should be glad, Steve thought to himself, because didn't it mean that the world's condition have improved to the point that it could afford to be wasteful? In fact, he should be embracing the fashion of today. How many people seventy years ago would give an arm to even be able to touch such fine materials, and Steve would have the opportunity to wear it like everyone else now.
Yet the thought of even having those ostentatious clothes or color touch his skin was enough to make him almost shudder. There was being able to afford to do something and then there was being wasteful and going over top, and most of what he had seen in the city (Welcome, Captain, President Thanos had said with a sincere smile that didn't reach his eyes at all, to the Capitol ) belonged to the latter category. Maybe Steve could request some plain clothes and claim that he was still trying to adjust to the century, which was true. He didn't know how long he could do that for, however, before absently wondering why he seemed to think he would need permission to make such an insignificant decision like choosing his own clothes.
(Cold eyes everywhere, like the gray and white of his old world, despite all the showy colors of the Capitol.)
Steve looked the other man in the eye, as he was taught back in the days when speaking to someone, and almost gasped at the warm amber he saw there. His mind flashed to all the other people he came across in the Capitol since he had wakened the past two days, and all he could recall was blank, blank, blank and blank. Everyone he had come across met his eyes, but they didn't look beyond the surface (shallow, Steve thought, despite having consciously tried very hard for the past two days to not think badly of the brand new world he had awaken to), they looked and didn't see.
This man was the first to look straight at him instead of staring ahead with glazed eyes. Despite all that his outwear was shouting for attention (even Steve noticed that first before anything else, even though he should have known better), it was the man's pair of amber eyes (alive) that ultimately captured his attention.
That, and whatever the man was intent on blabbering in his ears.
"I'm almost impressed with how you got people to fawn over you already , if you weren't stealing everyone's attention away from me. It's been only two days, damn it. My handsome face is a regular in the Capitol's newspaper, but it looks like they're going to yammer on about you for maybe a whole week before they get tired of you. Tomorrow's news cover is going to be of me though, ha, good thing I had a breakthrough with the new tech this morning."
The other man looked at him like Steve should have something to say and suddenly, Steve didn't know what he saw in the other's eyes before. His words, somehow more narcissistic than all that he had heard during the past two days, had the same superficial quality as everyone else in the Capitol.
"Wow, don't tell me I stunned the great Captain into silence," the other man continued when Steve didn't say anything.
At the other's words, a flush crawled up Steve's face. He was so into his thoughts that he didn't realized he was quiet for the entirety of the time the flamboyant man was there. Steve covered his embarrassment by glaring at the other man, his annoyance not entirely faked. "Who are you? Are you even allowed to be here?"
Ever since Steve woke up, he had wanted to go outside the building and see the present world, but President Thanos had insisted that he stayed inside the room until he was cleared.
There's some paperwork we have to sort out first, nothing major, President Thanos had assured him and Steve would have made a tentative, dry joke about how yeah, the paperwork for coming back from presumed dead after seventy years must be mammoth, if only President Thanos didn't look as sincere as back when he welcomed Steve to the Capitol when he had just been unfrozen, which was to say not sincere at all.
Call it paranoid, but Steve didn't exactly like the vibe he was sensing from President Thanos, especially when he had a feeling that he hadn't met anyone or seen anything President Thanos hadn't deliberately let him to see. It made Steve wonder what the President had to hide and what he didn't want Steve to know about.
Some part of Steve wanted to dismiss his suspicion, because the world was great now, wasn't it? It was a utopia, everyone was living fine (wastefully), and there was no reason for him to read too much into anything.
To occupy his time, Steve was given videos of the outside world (To accustom yourself, President Thanos said, so when the paperwork is done, you would know what to expect) and it was great, it was just like what the President said, hunger was completely eliminated from the world, there was no more suffering.
So why – ?
"I'm Tony fucking Stark, Playboy Extraordinary, the best engineer the world has to offer despite what stupid Hammer might claim, and a self-made billionaire," the man – Stark – had introduced himself with a wide grin. His earring twinkled against the light for a moment. "Man, it's been forever since I had to introduce myself. Way to make a guy nostalgic." He didn't wait for Steve to speak before continuing, "How's life treating you? Going to be the Capitol's lab dog? Woof woof."
Steve startled, not from Stark's words – although they were strange as well – as much as from the lack of something.
"That accent," Steve gasped once he realized what was different. All the people he met from the Capitol had a strange accent. Their voices were high pitched and they had the tendency to hiss the letter 's.' Stark had it before, so Steve assumed everyone spoke that way now, but by the second half of Stark's speech, the accent abruptly dropped.
"Seriously?" Stark said, almost like a whine, and Steve wasn't hallucinating, the accent was really gone. "I said so much amazing stuff and the accent was all you heard? Tell me you heard my name, at least. My ego can't take this if you didn't listen to my self-introduction."
The rest of Stark's words from before came back to him. "What do you mean become the Capitol's lab dog, Stark?" he asked, a thread of anger making into his voice from the unflattering comparison Stark made. "Aren't you one as well?" which was only a blind guess, but Steve was sure only people with high clearance could have come see him. He was almost certain that President Thanos, for whatever reason, didn't want him out of his sight or have him in anyone who didn't have permission's sight.
The strangest thing happened after Steve's words. Stark, who had the bigger-than-life atmosphere ever since he had entered the room, seemed to have visibly deflated and the light in his amber eyes dimmed. A smile curled on his face, insincere in everything but the evident self-depreciation, and it was so at odds on his face that Steve almost wished Stark would be back to his annoying, narcissistic self from before. "Well, aren't you a sharp one?" Stark said, his voice brittle and sharp, and Steve almost apologized for his words because he wasn't a bully, he didn't like purposely hurting others, when Stark added, "I guess this is what people call it takes one to one."
Steve took back his previous intention of apologizing at once and let his voice freeze over, although he still tried hard to hold onto the threads of civility. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Stark," Steve said, tone hard, "but I don't appreciate being accused of something that I'm not, regardless of whatever reason you think you have. I've only been here for two days, surely I haven't done something to offend you."
"Your very existence offends me, Captain," Stark said, his voice light but it packed the strongest punch. It was almost ridiculous, Stark was but a stranger, but it hurt to hear Stark disliked him, that his very existence offended him. As though Steve wasn't feeling lonely and paranoid enough by making conspiracy theory where there wasn't any, Stark had essentially dashed all his hopes of ever being able to integrate within the present-day society. Was Stark speaking for everyone? Did, for whatever reason, everyone in the Capitol dislike him? Was that why President Thanos didn't let him out into the world yet?
"I grew up hearing stories about what a great hero you are, everyone did, about how you tried to help everyone in the post-apocalyptic world when the governments were all too busy trying to save their own asses. The only thing the Capitol and Panem ever had in common was probably the consensus that you had to be found after you went under."
Warmth bloomed in Steve's chest at those words despite not knowing what Panem was. They wanted to find him, Steve thought. Seventy years later today, he was remembered as a hero.
"Even I –"
Steve glanced over at Stark when he seemed to choke on his words, but he blanked his face before Steve could attempt to decipher the emotions on Stark's face. "Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is, Captain, we pegged you wrong. You aren't a hero, because if you are, you would be out there fighting the moment you were unfrozen, the moment you heard of the situation, instead of sitting here like a fucking dog that preens under whoever that can afford to feed you."
Stark took a deep breath and looked like he wanted to continue, whatever glamour he was wearing suddenly unable to make him sparkle and instead, made him look down-right tired and wretched. Steve ached to ask what was going on, why did Stark speak as though there were great injustice in this utopian world (except it wasn't really a utopia, was it?), but he had to first understand the situation first.
So despite the fact that Steve really wanted to somehow comfort Stark, Steve interjected forcefully with ease he had learned in order to bring order in a post-apocalyptic world. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he started in his best Captain voice, expecting Stark to listen to him like all the others, except of course Stark was the exception.
Steve thought uncharitably that Stark must really enjoy hearing his own voice.
"Oh, so now you're deaf. Talk about false advertisement, I want my money back. This is worse than finding out Santa Claus is not real," Stark said, his tone frivolous and forced. Steve steeled himself to not step back at his words, so confused and befuddled by this change of event. Rarely had he gained control over a situation only to have the control snatch out of his hand a mere moment later. "Well, I hope you can see then. Your eyes better not be from the olden days too."
Stark waved his hand and before Steve can even ask what did he mean or even take offense at his comment, a beam of light suddenly shot out from Stark's earring, forming some kind of screen in front of Steve. Steve's eyes widened, amazed at the reminder that this is the future, of course they have holographic technology. He was about to turn to Stark to ask something, but then the image of the blank blue screen changed, replaced by a video that made Steve completely forget about his wonder at the holograph and even Stark's presence.
His first thought was that he was seeing a video during the post-apocalyptic period, when everything was dreary, gray and white. Although Steve was supposed to be humankind's hope and desperately hoped that his initial impression that the video was of the post-apocalyptic world and not the present-day one was right, he somehow knew it in his guts that it wasn't.
Impoverished, he thought as he watched a skinny young girl, barely fourteen, tried to lug a basket of heavy material, her thin arms straining and her gaunt face dripping with sweat.
Hunger was completely eliminated from the world, he recalled thinking. There was no more suffering.
Oppressed, he thought at the sight of the Peacekeepers holding guns marching in lines, not a citizen daring to be even close proximity with these so-called protectors. Distances away, the citizen harvesting the grains worked faster with barely concealed panic as the Peacekeepers head towards them.
They're there to keep the people safe, President Thanos answered when Steve asked about the people armored in white.
Unsafe, he thought as an urban place stinking of industrial fumes with no greenery came into sight, with people scurrying into run-down tenements.
It was organized now, the people he had talked to in the Capitol assured him. A utopia by every definition.
Steve could barely breathe as he watched scenes of injustice flashed before his eyes, each not worse than the other but better, and that was somehow worse as he recalled the Capitol in all its ostentatious wastefulness. How could the world he wake to be so injustice, so unequal?
Steve forced his clenched fist to release and breathed heavily through his nose. "Was this what you meant by injustice, Stark?" Steve asked, his voice solemn as he looked at the other for an answer. Steve didn't know what Stark's purpose was, but if President Thanos was keeping all this from him, outright lying to him, while Stark showed him these images, then Steve could at least count on Stark to tell him the whole truth.
"Not at all, dear," Stark said with levity, yet his eyes were dark, oh-so dark. "Those were but snippets. You want to see everything?" Stark looked at him, all attempt at humor draining from his face. "You won't finish even if I give you those seventy years back, Cap. Capitol is many things, but playing nice is never one of them."
Steve let out a long breath and tried to organize his thought. Vaguely, he was aware of the holograph disappearing and then Stark's earring ceased to glow, reverting it back to ordinary looking. "What do you want from me? You must want something, or you wouldn't have been showing this to me while President Thanos kept everything hidden."
"Whoah, what I want?" Stark said, looking affronted and startled he dramatically brought both hands to his chest. "Since when do people ask what I want?" and while Stark continued to make everything sound like a joke, Steve couldn't think that his words contained a grain of truth as well. Stark straightened out, and Steve thought he could hear something like static, before he looked straight into Steve's eyes and said, "The real question is, what do you want? Do you want to help the Capitol?" Steve subconsciously wrinkled his nose in distaste at the mere thought and an amused half-smile flit across Stark's space for a split-second before it disappeared.
"Or," Stark paused dramatically and Steve couldn't help but roll his eyes even as his insides churned uneasily. Or what, he almost wanted to ask, and that was exactly what Stark was going for as he suddenly leaned closer, eyes fixed on Steve's the whole time until he abruptly veered off to press his lips to Steve's ears. Steve did not jump, but it was a close thing; his heart, on the other hand, pounded.
"Do you want to join a rebellion?" Stark whispered harshly, his breath hot against Steve's skin. "For the people, by the people, of the people, Caps." Stark trailed his lips from Steve's ears down to along his jaw and Steve wanted to push him away and demand what he was doing, as much as he wanted Stark to stay and finish what he was saying. "If the people need you to, even if they were smashed down one time too many for them to dare to ask now, will you rise for them once more, Captain?"
"Yes," Steve gasped even before Stark finished speaking. His hand shot out and caught Stark's jaw gently, bringing them eye to eye. "If it's to right the injustice I've seen in the video, then yes, I will fight. I'll join your rebellion."
Stark looked at Steve for a moment, before his mouth curled at last. "Spoken like a true man, Steve Rogers" and Steve jolted because it had been Captain this and Captain that since he had awoken. Who did call him by that name anymore and – And then Stark leaned forward, curled a hand at the back of Steve's head and kissed him, languid and slow like a love confession, and pulled away before Steve could react.
Stark skipped back a few steps as though expecting Steve to punch him, his eyes lit with mischievous and lips curled up with delight. "Welcome to S.H.E.I.L.D., Captain Roger. I rarely apologize, but I'll make an exception for you just this once." Stark had to gall to wink at him, before some of his humor faded. "I didn't mean what I said before, with the lab dog, 'your very existence offends me' and whatnot. All a test. Might as well clear that up, or I'll end up scaring you away before we even get started, and then Fury is going to be on my ass and never let me recruit anyone ever again, even though I was the one who convinced Bruce to join us. Honestly."
"What?" Steve said, trying to wrap his head around everything that happened ever since he met Stark.
Stark smirked, looking annoyingly pleased with himself. "Speechless looks good on you, as well as well-kissed and rumpled, which might I add, I did a good job with, but there's a time and place for these things." Steve fought against the rising flush on his face as Stark continued as though he was not the one at fault for initiating everything. "Okay, you are to blame everything on me. Tell them that I seduced you if they asked, not the first time or the last." He sounded wryly amused, but also resigned. "Obviously, don't tell them about S.H.E.I.L.D. I can block cameras and bugs, well, Jarvis can" – Stark's earring seemed to twinkle – "but I can't block people's memory just yet, so don't let it slip."
Steve's eyes widened at the mention of cameras and bugs. He'd completely forgotten about them and by the pleased look on Stark's face, he knew it too. "It's okay. Like I said, took care of it. Jarvis hacked into their cameras and bugs, and replaced what really happened here with some random version of his making that's going to tell a steamy tale about our blooming love."
"How?" Steve blurted out when it looked like Stark wanted to move on to another topic, but Steve had to make sure. There was no point of joining a rebellion if they were going to be found out so soon. "And when did Jarvis start 'hacking' into their cameras?"
Stark sighed, as though annoyed that Steve doubted him. "The moment I introduced myself. 'Tony fucking Stark' was the signal for Jarvis to start hacking, which is to say he took clips of us and what we said, and rearranged it to tell another story other than us plotting a rebellion. Before you ask how he managed with the bugs, he has enough samples of my voice and could take enough samples of your voice from the Capitol's database and make something up, and it's not to say that all this interrogation isn't pleasant, but as amazing Jarvis is, he really can't keep hacking the footage for too long, or he'll be find out. Capitol's people are watching this live, you don't want them to look too closely at us."
"Okay, fine," Steve said, slipping all the questions he was bursting to ask – like who is Jarvis, someone from SHIELD? – to the back of his mind. "What do we do now?"
"Now, because we are striving towards something foreign called Democracy here, we'll give you a choice." Stark looked at Steve seriously and said, "Think carefully. One, we all know from stories that you like fighting on the front line, busting enemy's heads and all, so you have the choice to do that. If you choose that, we'll bust you out of here. Risky, but doable." For you, was left unspoken, because you're Captain.
"Two, you can stay here with me and fight on the inside, but you're fighting my way, so that means playing nice with Capitol to get their trust, making public appearances and everything." Steve's stomach rolled at the thought of that, and Stark quirked his lips humorously at that. "It's no front line, I know, but I'll be honest right now, the front line is quiet for a while now. It's all plotting and planning before we go with the whole overthrow, so…" So you're more useful here.
"Sir, you have thirty second before the cameras and bugs catch you on real time," a voice with a British accent said out of nowhere, making Steve jump. Stark outright laughed at Steve's reaction, even as he pressed a hand to his earring and, looking at Steve, said, "Roger that."
"So," Stark prompted as the remnant of his laughter fade from his expression. "You heard Jarvis. Chop, chop. No time like the present. I'll bring you out with me when I leave if you choose to stay, but if you want to go, I'll have to tell SHIELD to bust your ass out like two days later so you can't implicate me."
"I'll be more helpful if I stay?" Steve asked, even as inwardly he made up his mind. "And you'll stay with me?" Stark, the only person he had ever talked to for any length of time, the one with bright amber eyes among all the grey.
"Yup, yup," Stark said, even as he moved closer like he somehow knew Steve's answer already. "They're used to me acting like a diva already, so as long as you request that I stay with you, we're good."
"Sir, fifteen seconds," Jarvis warned and up close, Steve could tell the sound was really emanating from the earring. It was amazing how much technology had advanced in the time he was down.
"Alright, Stark," Steve agreed and marveled at the tight feeling in his chest, the anticipation as Stark neared him, and wondered if this was the feeling of making a deal with an angel. Up close and with most of his questions out of his head, Tony Stark looked stunning in spite of all the unnecessary accessories he donned. "I'll stay."
"Then let's give them a show then, should we?" Stark said with the curl of his lips, his hand caressing Steve's face. "And it's Tony, Rogers. We're madly in love, you can't even stand a second away from me, remember?"
Steve brought a hand to S – Tony's waist and hate how nothing seemed to ever unsettle him as he took it all to stride. "It's Steve, Tony," Steve rasped and enjoyed how Stark shivered ever slightly. He hesitated for a moment, before taking a leap. "And I thought you were madly in love with me?"
Tony laughed at Steve's reply, and the nervous tension within his chest loosened even as another part tightened. Tony had a nice laugh. "We'll get along just fine, Steve."
"Sir, in three, two, one."
"Well, let's get this show started," Tony murmured, before surging up to press his lips against Steve's. This time, Steve kissed back.
Sorry, the end was a little rushed. If you are wondering about anything, this might help:
Time Period: Set around 30 years after the Dark Age. SHIELD rose from the remnant of District 13. / or, SHIELD, led by Captain Rogers and Tony Stark, could have brought about the first rebellion. (I went with the first one)
Tony Stark: Originally from District 3, he became an orphan after the Districts failed to rebel. Howard Stark was working closely with District 3 for technological development, and when he came across seven year old Tony building an engine that twice the people his age have trouble with, he took Tony to the Capitol as an apprentice. Tony, even at a young age, was a charmer and when Maria met Tony, she demanded to adopt him.
- Not sure about how Capitol works, but taking some things away from Brave New World, let's say that woman of the Capitol do not carry their own children because that was ugly/ungraceful/they won't be able to live the wasteful life then. Instead, woman donate egg and their husband donates sperm, and then the baby was grown from machines. Up until to maybe around fifteen, Avox take care of their kids, until the parents claim the kids to join them (it's not uncommon for kids to never be claimed). Because Avox do the minimum and do not speak to the kids even when they try communicating, the kids grow up like the Capitol's citizens, utterly cold and shallow.
- As a result of the Capitol's kids upbringing, it was entirely too easy for Maria and Howard to claim that Tony was actually their kid. Only people of the higher up ever know the truth and since Howard was prominent in the Capitol as a creator of all new gadgets and technology, no one ever revealed the truth, which is sealed in high clearance records.
- Tony was one of the rare kids that hung around Capitol citizens instead of Avox even from a young age, so he picked up on a lot of Capitol's adult traits (shallowness, narcissism, belief in the Capitol system and that they're better, their corruptness).
- Tony didn't remember anything much from his life in District 3, because he lived through the First Rebellion and was utterly traumatized. He did, however, remember a brother-like figure in District 3 who was older than him by two years. When Tony was 16, he watched the Hunger Games and then recalled everything when he watched 18 year old Rhodey from District 3 get reaped.
- Rhodey was later proclaimed killed in the Hunger Game, but Tony refused to believe it in his grief, because the Capitol didn't release the footage of Rhodey's death and knowing the Capitol, they normally would have because the citizens like bloody stuff like that. While digging, he found out that Rhodey somehow managed to get through the field shield around the Hunger Game arena and escaped. (Rhodey joined SHIELD)
- Because Tony was only 16 at the time, even though he was a genius and began working for Stark Industry already in producing weapons and technology, he was caught hacking by Obie. In the end, he made a lie about wanting to watch more of Hunger Game, since he was busy in his workshop and missed most of it. (Maybe the Capitol kept a closer eye on him from then on, but didn't do anything because he was such a fine inventor and even at the age of 16, he already had connections with a lot of high profile people, who would just wave the government's suspicion off in favor of standing on their favorite's side)
- No one knows that Tony later hacked into his past when he was finally skilled enough and found out the truth. He also found out about SHIELD, but was unable to contact them until after he secretly managed to create Jarvis. In the meantime, he collected a lot of dirt on the Capitol and then presented it to SHIELD when he was finally able to get contact without any trail to show them that he was on their side.
- After Tony saw all the damage his weapons did to the people, he stopped making such good weapons for the Capitol and focused more on technological advance, although he made sure the stuff he made was never better than the blueprints he gave SHIELD.
- Tony was a symbol of the worst of Capitol, but it was also common knowledge underground that he was fighting for SHIELD. With Captain standing on his side with the claim that they are together, all Districts will know the underlying message was that Captain was on SHIELD's side, thus giving the Districts the moral boost that they all need.
- Although a genius, Tony Stark wasn't viewed highly by the citizens of the Capitol because he engineered and the Capitol saw something like work as beneath them because the lower class Districts work. Ironically enough, the citizens of the Captiol actually admire and like Tony's playboy charm more than they ever appreciate his genius. The government itself, on the other hand, knows the true worth of Tony.
Steve Rogers: I'm not sure what happened with him, but still frozen, still a hero in both the Capitol's and the District's eyes, so he holds a lot of influence. May or may not have met Howard. Capitol wants him on their side as a symbol that the hero, the hope of the past, has submitted to the Capitol.
- The Capitol would allow Tony and Steve to be together because its citizens are shallow enough to buy into their 'love story' and because Tony has quite the notorious reputation for being the symbol of Capitol's wasteful corruption. They hope by being with Tony, Steve's moral would eventually change to be like the Capitol's.
Bruce Banner: Capitol was using orphan kids from poor districts for testing to create mutants and accidentally made the Hulk. Tony, as a scientist, went to see Bruce and convinced him to go on SHIELD's side and later, created an opening in the security, told Bruce to Hulk out and gave him a location for SHIELD to pick him up.
Clint Barton: Evidently on SHIELD's side; may or may not have participated in the Hunger Game; possibly from District 13 or maybe just came across SHIELD when he ran away.
Natasha Romanoff: Possibly used to be part of a secret section of the Peacekeeper; switched sides due to Clint; may or may not still work as Peacekeeper as uncover.
Thor: … I can't imagine him fitting in with the Capitol and if he ever did, I can't imagine him playing undercover with Tony. If he had grown up in the Capitol, I highly doubt he would have changed sides unless something completely major comes up. I can imagine Thor earnestly believing Capitol is right but is still friends with Tony and Tony is genuinely regretful when he has to use Thor to do what he think was right. Thor is either born in the Capitol or is part of a Career District, volunteering to be the tribute, reveling in bloodshed and fighting to death as warriors do in the Hunger Game.
Virginia "Pepper" Pots: Born in the Capitol to rich parents and raised by the Avion, she secretly thought that the whole Capitol system and Districts were wrong, but it wasn't until she met Tony Stark that she was able to do something about it. She joined Stark Industry to work for Tony despite the stigma attached to it in the Capitol and rose in power. She, of course, knows about SHIELD and regularly creates plausible fake schedules for Tony so he could be off the grid without anyone suspecting.
- She's considered to be of higher status than Tony, because there's paperwork (white collar) and there's Tony working with engines and everything (considered blue collar in Capitol's eyes). Also, her parents were legit Capitol citizens that never worked a day, while Howard Stark was also considered a, albeit high-profiled, blue-collared inventor.
Tony & Steve: Obviously by this point, they didn't really develop any relationship between them just yet. They're kinda like Katniss and Peeta in the way that they do just enough of the public affectionate with each other to make their relationship believable and for the people to coo over them. Together, in the eyes of the Capitol, they're the symbol of the Capitol's absolute authority because even the Captain had sided with them, but to the rebels who are in the in with SHIELD, they are the symbol of rebellion and hope.