thecapitol | two, two, two logs in one! ETA: make that three! [closed]

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two, two, two logs in one! ETA: make that three! [closed]

WHO| Carlos and Steve Rogers | Carlos and Charles Xavier | New prompt for Sabriel in the comments!
WHAT| Passing on rebellion info to ALL of the Marvel movie characters! ...and Sabriel.
WHEN| During the days after Penny's announcement.
WHERE| The Speakeasy
WARNINGS/NOTES| The Capitol is going to spin these meetings as dates. According to the Capitol, Carlos was just using Cecil the whole time for Arena sponsorship, and now that Cecil isn't useful, Carlos is dating again. Who will he ensnare with his terrible charisma and heartbreakingly perfect hair next??

Except Sabriel. Who even knows what that's about. Maybe he's trying to learn her witchcraft or something.

FOR STEVE AND CHARLES:

Dimly lit and comfortably loud, the Speakeasy was a perfect place to have a sensitive conversation. Carlos didn't know the codes to get into the back, but the bar itself was private enough, with its secluded tables and constant background noise. Carlos had arranged this meeting over the network on a filtered channel, pitching it like a chance to get drinks and talk. He didn't mention anything about District 3, and didn't bring up anything about the Arena.

Carlos was getting better at this sneaking-around-and-lying thing, and he hated it.

But personal ethical scruples aside, Carlos was easily spotted thanks to the glowing drink in front of him. He wasn't actually drinking it. He was just staring at it morosely. At one point, he takes a small device out of his pocket and scans the glowing green glass, but his heart clearly isn't in it. Carlos pockets the device again, and sighs.

FOR SABRIEL:

Second verse, same as the first. Carlos had been in and out of this place several times over the past few days, and when he'd heard Sabriel had died in the Arena, he figured that here was as good a place as any to discuss magic.

Also, Carlos didn't know Sabriel very well, and had wanted to ask about that debt he owed, somewhere without cameras. He had taken more care with his communications with Sabriel, since inviting a minor to a bar was strange enough to cause suspicion -- he'd slipped her a note under her door, asking her to meet him here at a certain time, to talk about her magic, and that debt.

Carlos had already been here for half an hour. Arriving at different times would minimize their chances of attracting attention. He was flipping through network posts on his communicator, but it didn't look like he was paying much attention. He looked a little listless, actually.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A firm nod.

"I'm not actually planning to kill President Snow," Carlos goes on, as if he had needed to clarify, "but I do know of some people who will -- if they get the chance. Has anyone told you about District 13?"

Best to start there. Carlos can segue into the Tribute-based rebellion once he's established the movement that existed in Panem already.

"I heard it was gone, destroyed," Steve watches him for a second after saying it. He can think of a number of reasons to have it brought up just now, but one reason sticks out more than the rest, especially with the bits of information he's gotten from Lonestar. "Guessing it's not as gone as it's believed to be?"

Steve will see approval flash across Carlos's face. Very smart, Steve.

"That's right," he says, breaking a small, brief smile. "Very good. You see, what happened was that District 13 was the center of nuclear weapons production back when it was still under the Capitol's control. They used those weapons and the threat of nuclear war to negotiate their independence. The Capitol agreed on the condition that it could bomb the surface of 13 and pretend that it was completely destroyed." A pause for breath. "Now District 13 is the center of Panem's rebel elements. The Hacker -- you know, the person who puts up those anonymous network posts from time to time who isn't Lonestar -- he's from District 13, and I have it on good authority that at least one Tribute has made it there alive." He talks low and fast, maintaining eye contact. Carlos knows he's dropping information fast, but he's confident Steve will keep up.

Carlos is right, Steve keeps up with ease.

"Destroy it and keep the others from realizing it's possible to gain independence, instead make it seem an example of what the Capitol's retribution for rebellion, smart," he obviously doesn't agree or approve of it, but Steve can see the tactical brilliance of it. But also the brilliance of District 13 using their independence to then help the other districts and the Capitol being unaware.

He hadn't met the hacker yet, but he's heard of him. "It's possible to move people there with some level of safety then?"

"According to my information," Carlos says, lowering his voice even further, "some of the scientists responsible for resurrecting us after the Arena are sympathetic. With their help, it is possible to get out. I can't speak for how safe or reliable it is, though, or its success rate. I'm sorry -- I wish I had more details."

"It's fine, more than I had before now," he means it, there's no need to say sorry. Passing information can tricky like that. He wants to know where rebelling would be most effective, here or there, but he decides not to ask just yet. More information might answer that for him. "One person has made it, that's something."

"I believe they'll try to get more of us out soon," Carlos says. "We're valuable resources. They can use us in the war against the Capitol.". A warning is implied: use us. District 13 isn't helping out of the goodness of its heart: their goals just happened to coincide.

Use. Not a word he's unfamiliar with. But then, aren't they also using the natives to secure their own freedom? People should be more invested in each other, the level of selfishness he keeps seeing- No, Steve wants to make sure Carlos understands why he's fighting, willing to stand up.

"For me, this isn't about us and them, this isn't us being cannon fodder for their war or them being a resource for our fight. All of us are being oppressed by the Capitol, I'm fighting for everyone suffering at their hands, for the freedom of all of us, because it's the right thing, because this government is corrupt beyond measure and needs to be taken out, returned to their people and us home," Steve keeps his voice down, eyes never leaving Carlos'.

Carlos's eyes widen behind their glasses as he listens. As someone who gave up over a year ago on justice and a fair government, this idealism is like a bucket of cold water: frightening and exhilarating at the same time. This is something Steve cares passionately about, with a light in his eyes and resolve in his voice, and Carlos becomes suddenly, terribly aware of the frequency of his own heartbeat and its push of blood around his body.

He swallows with a pang of guilt.

"I -- I understand that," he says, and there is no judgment in his voice: he doesn't think Steve is wrong. "But where District 13 is concerned, we have to be careful. They're an unknown element, and our interests aren't going to be their top priority. We don't know for sure that they care about us any more than the Capitol does. However, our goals coincide with theirs, and if anyone has a chance of taking down President Snow, it's them. They're the best allies we've got."

Steve completely understands all that Carlos is saying, in fact he's not at all in disagreement with him. While he might be fighting for everyone, he doesn't expect that of anyone else, so long as they all strive for the same goal, that's enough to achieve taking down the Capitol.

"I agree, we need to be careful, I don't doubt that to them we are just cannon-fodder, expendable, all I'm saying is I can't see them as the same, but I also don't expect anyone else to share my view," Steve knows that he'll likely be the only one, but he just doesn't have it in him to not fight for everyone. In the war, countries banded together against the Axis powers, so maybe he's stuck in that thinking.

"Caution when dealing with them is smart, they might be our best allies and people I'll fight for, but doesn't mean I trust them," well he doesn't trust half the tributes either, but that's another matter.

"The good news is, they're not our only allies. Do you know who the Initiate is?"

Right back to business. Carlos would be letting the Initiate know that Steve Rogers was willing to fight for them, but Steve also had to know that he could go to the Initiate.

Getting back to business suits him just fine. The name has him tilt his head a little, as if he's thinking, though he doesn't have to think all that hard to know he doesn't know this person.

"Name's familiar-" as is any of the Tributes really, "-but no, don't know who that is."

"He's the troll with the really long horns and the face paint." Carlos gestures twice, first for the horns, then for the paint. "The Initiate is the one who told me about District 13. I don't know what it is he's planning -- right now, I think he's just trying to figure out who's on our side and who isn't -- but if you want to find out how to help, he's the guy you should talk to. He's the closest thing to a leader we have."

Troll. Well, that's a new one. He's stretched his imagine for less believable things, so just another to add to the Just Accept It pile.

Steve would listen to a leader who knows what he's doing, but he needs to meet this person to figure that out. No need to like the guy, he just needs to respect him enough as a leader to actually listen to him.

"I'll keep that in mind," he'll find The Initiate later and meet him. "And what about this Lonestar fella? He - she, it - trust worthy? They a part of this?"

"I trust Lonestar completely." The response is immediate and full of conviction. Carlos couldn't let Steve know Lonestar's identity, nor that Lonestar was a Tribute and not a Capitol citizen, so he hoped Steve would be willing to take his word for it. "I'm pretty sure he's aware of the Initiate, but Initiate doesn't know his identity. I've met him, though, and I can promise you, he's doing everything he can to help us."

Steve hadn't been planning to ask his identity, mostly because he wasn't interested so long as the - well, he knows it's gender now - man can be trusted. He's had some recent bad experiences with people through computers - well, more being one - so he wasn't sure how much he could trust him.

But Carlos does and Steve trusts Carlos, so, good enough for him.

"He's testing me, seeing if I'm someone he can trust, but I'm glad to hear I can trust him," he gives a considered nod. "I kind of put my neck on the line with him. Been waiting for the ax to fall."

"It won't happen," Carlos promised. He was certain of that. "If you like, I could vouch for you. I know we've only known each other for a short time, but I think you're trustworthy." After all, Steve had helped him in a situation where he stood to gain nothing from it, and he had also been willing to declare his intent to take the Capitol down before he knew there were no cameras. It was a pretty safe bet that Steve meant what he said.

Steve gives him a smile at the offer. It's a grand gesture, he knows it means a lot, he's not about to underestimate the magnitude of it, but even if Steve would appreciate it, he can't ask Carlos to do that. They have only known each other a short time and while Steve knows he, himself, is trustworthy, this is something Carlos will have to decide if he wants to do or not.

"I would be very grateful for that, but whether you're going to or not is up to you, I won't be offended if you decide against it."

"No, I -- I trust you," Carlos admits, taking off his glasses to fiddle with them, looking away. "You put yourself in a lot of danger to help me in the arena, when you didn't have to. You had no way of knowing I was involved in the rebellion -- for all you knew, I could have tried to kill you the second I was out of the lake. And you told me you wanted to work against the Capitol before you knew the Speakeasy was safe." He glances back up at Steve. "Scientifically speaking, the odds of you taking those kinds of risks and planning to betray us to the Capitol are infinitesimally small."

"Honestly, you were speaking openly, I figured if you were chancing it, I could too," his tone is wry in a almost self deprecating way, something he does when he feels he's given undue credit. "And you needed help, I was there, I can't step away for my own safety, not when I can do something, it's not who I am," he says it like it's no big deal, just facts and honest truths. This is just who he is, he can't stand by, even at the risk of his life.

"But then you put it that way, suppose the odds are in my favor on something at least," he gives a small smirk at the joke.

It makes Carlos break a smile, too: small, brief, but there.

"Is there anything else you want to know?" he asks. "I think I've covered everything, but if you have any other questions, I'll do my best to answer them."

He's sure there are plenty of things he wants to know, things to ask about, but right now his mind is churning over the information in his head, enough so that he can't seem to come up with any questions. Perhaps later he'll come up with a list, but right now, it's not happening.

"Nothing off the top of my head, but if anything important springs to mind, I'll take you out for a drink."

He shoots Steve a smile before he can help it --

--no, Carlos, no, don't flirt, this is the WORST time to be flirting, what's wrong with you--

-- and pulls his face back into something serious. He nods.

"We can probably leave at the same time," says Carlos. "I asked you here, after all, and staggered exits would look more suspicious than not. Are you ready to go?"

There's something about that there and gone again smile that's amusing, like when Bucky would try to keep from charming away a girl Steve liked, but couldn't help it at the same time. It gets a fleeting amused look, but it falls into something more pleasantly neutral.

"Yeah, let's head out. Don't have much reason to stick around without company anyway," he slips from his seat and moves to lead the way, pausing enough for Carlos to fall in beside him.

Carlos falls in beside him easily. They leave together, making conversation about unimportant things, and split up as naturally as they can. Carlos considers it a productive afternoon.

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two, two, two logs in one! ETA: make that three! [closed]

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