Patchwork Road
By Rey

Chapter summary: Tony uncovers something very, very shocking.

22. Cosmetic

Natasha said the Winter Soldier helped train her. All those years ago. Before she joined SHIELD. And then SHIELD used the Winter Soldier to incapacitate Clint?!

It smells fishy to her. It smells fishy to Tony, too.

And now, Tony unearths a very, very fishy titbit deep in SHIELD's files. It refers – in however vague a term – to Zola, HYDRA's leading scientist, being employed by SHIELD after his capture all those decades ago.

The Avengers wonder: What differs SHIELD from HYDRA, then? The world doesn't need a pretty face to mask some rotting core in its protectors!