Building Superheroes at Marvel

About two hours later, the three of them slowly began to wake up and looked around, still in a daze.

He clenched his fist, feeling the surge of power within, a satisfied smile creeping onto his face.

"How do you all feel?" he asked, his voice steady.

Gasco used his fingerprint to unlock the doors of all three rooms, guiding the newly enhanced individuals outside.

After all, these isolation rooms were not meant for long-term habitation, but Kyle had already planned for such scenarios. Once the Water Company had adequate funds, a residential park would be constructed behind the facility for staff housing.

"Excellent, Mr. Gasco!" the three responded, standing at attention and saluting. They had witnessed Gasco's power firsthand. Even with the serum enhancements, they understood that making any mistakes would be foolish.

If the superpower from the No. 7 crystal was the pinnacle of the food chain, then the enhanced soldiers created by the serum were solidly in the middle tier. Their strength, speed, and resistance to attacks paled in comparison to Gasco's. And that was before considering Gasco's special ability—superpower bullet time.

"Go and change into your uniforms, then I'll take you to the cafeteria to refuel," Gasco instructed, tossing them the gear for the Enhanced Warrior Squad.

Turning away, Gasco gave them privacy to change.

After a quick exchange of glances, the three immediately stripped out of their old clothes and donned the uniforms. Once they were ready, they called for Gasco.

"Yes, from now on, you're officially part of the company's special operations team," Gasco said with a proud smile as he observed the energized, flushed faces of the trio. This small squad of three was only a beginning, but it was already a promising start.

---

Inside the Umbrella Corporation headquarters, Kyle sought out Gray, the construction foreman. The serum lab, currently situated underground, needed to be relocated. The sheer scale of the building was unsuitable for its current location.

"If it were just a small research space like the No. 7 Crystal lab, we could manage with minimal effort," Kyle noted, "but the serum laboratory takes up three full labs in the plan. It's a bit too much for the current setup."

Gray glanced over the construction plans and nodded. "Mr. Kyle, we should be able to finish building your requested structure in two days."

Kyle scanned the plan; the facility was large, but manageable. The thirty rooms, each 5 meters by 5 meters, were the most time-consuming aspect. While the excavation work had already consumed much of the available area, the construction team couldn't proceed any further without risking a collapse. As a result, they would need to focus on constructing a solid load-bearing framework first.

"Thank you, Gray. I appreciate it," Kyle said, already anticipating the results of this progress.

Since the construction team had joined the Water Company, the pace of behind-the-scenes operations had greatly accelerated, from the modernization of the manor to the expansion of research labs and infrastructure.

Even though some workers were known for cutting corners, the excellent pay had kept them motivated. The fear of losing their lucrative positions kept them focused, and any notion of deserting had vanished.

"By the way, it's nearly the end of the month. Tomorrow, you can go to Alice to collect your pay and distribute it to the workers," Kyle added, ensuring the workers received their due compensation after the intense labor.

After leaving the construction area, Kyle returned to his office. Rubbing his temples in thought, he pulled out a piece of white paper.

There was an urgent issue: the californium element used in No. 7 Crystal production was running low. It was hard to obtain, and its rarity made it expensive. Kyle tasked the Red Queen with locating a black market dealing in this element.

In an official setting, Kyle would never involve himself with illegal markets, but the scarcity of californium forced his hand. The leak of this element to the black market presented an opportunity for a strategic acquisition.

With a slight smile, Kyle drafted a plan. If successful, it could save the company over a billion dollars. Californium was critical in nuclear research, and due to its military and scientific importance, governments kept tight control over it.

Kyle's goal was simple: seize the californium batch on the black market and take any additional valuable items available.

A few minutes later, Gasco entered the room, accompanied by the three enhanced warriors.

"This is your first mission as enhanced soldiers," Kyle said, his tone serious. "I expect no mishaps, understand?"

After explaining the mission, Kyle handed Gasco a copy of the details.

The mission would test the warriors' abilities under real conditions. Gasco, as their leader, would guide them, and it was a perfect opportunity to evaluate their combat potential.

"Don't worry, boss," the three responded in unison, their voices filled with determination. They quickly received permission to retrieve their weapons from the storage room.

Although Kyle had no dedicated weapons R&D department yet, he had to rely on commercially available weapons for the time being. However, he was already planning for the future and intended to create a weapons research and development division once he acquired the necessary technology.

"Gasco, you'll also bring the Red Queen with you on this mission. With her, no surveillance technology will be able to track you."

Kyle had learned from past experiences. On previous missions, an overlooked license plate had led to their discovery by Nick Fury, but this time, the Red Queen's presence would ensure total anonymity. No technology would be able to follow them.

"Understood, young master," Gasco responded.

Gasco quickly retrieved his phone, turning it into a carrier for the Red Queen's subroutine. Once installed, a red and white umbrella logo appeared on the device's screen.

"The subroutine is successfully implanted. The Red Queen will handle the tech side of things," Gasco confirmed.

Kyle nodded, satisfied. The Red Queen's subroutine would allow them to operate without interference, while the main body of the AI would remain secure at the Water Company's facilities. Without her, many of the Water Company's systems would become inoperable, so her role was indispensable.