Steve Rogers knew full well the labels he carried: brave soldier, great hero, standard-bearer of the American Spirit, perhaps even adolescent mentor, Jesus Incarnate in the eyes of Protestant believers, and all sorts of other nonsense. But he knew those labels were merely a fabricated illusion meant to deceive the world. In the eyes of the Middle Eastern and Eastern European civilians rescued by the City of Immortals, the name Captain America had never represented peace and justice, but war and oppression. So when Salomon asked him to betray the United States, even though another matter—Bucky Barnes—still troubled him, Steve Rogers nodded and accepted Salomon's request.
He would take up a shield that belonged to him alone, shed that blue uniform, and join the great cause of the City of Immortals.
Salomon seemed to have foreseen this day long ago. He extended a hand and instructed Hammurabi to take out the gift he had prepared from the weapons crate. Steve Rogers watched as the dark black velvet was lifted away, revealing the gift—a deep crimson round shield. At its center was a Golden Eagle with spread wings, surrounded by a laurel wreath and lightning bolts, fully embodying the style of the City of Immortals. Compared with the shield Steve Rogers currently used, this one employed the same technology as the Praetorian Guard's storm shields, with a miniature energy-field generator installed inside. And to accommodate Steve Rogers's habit of throwing shields at people, the user also had to wear a signal transmitter around the wrist, guiding the thrown shield to return like a boomerang with the help of a gyroscope.
"This is yours now, Steve." Salomon's form of address sounded more intimate than it had in years. He reached out and shook Steve Rogers's hand. "Let us fight for justice. I