Building Superheroes at Marvel

Three days later, at the Walter Company.

"It's not bad. Finally, I have money!" Kyle remarked, leaning back in his chair with his legs casually perched on the desk, a satisfied smile across his face. His eyes glanced over the rising sales figures on the screen and the growing nine-digit balance in the company account.

Under Alice's leadership, a highly capable young woman, most of the herbal medicine dealers in New York had signed contracts with the Walter Company. The raw materials issue was resolved, and production had surged—now, nearly 400,000 units of specialized gastric medicine and 100,000 units of beauty serum were produced every day.

However, this scale was still small on the global stage, mainly serving New York and surrounding cities for now.

"Boss, Mr. Gasco has returned and is now under the protective umbrella," the Red Queen's voice rang out, pulling Kyle from his thoughts. She had just detected Gasco's return.

Kyle's AI assistant, the Red Queen, had recently been upgrading her subroutines, and this alert was part of her new capabilities. Kyle had been distracted, as Ontology—his trusted research assistant—had been deep into research on Crystal No. 7 in the lab, and he had not yet had the chance to scan the area for any new entries.

"Finally back. I'll go down and check it out," Kyle said, standing up and adjusting his collar. He picked up his newly developed smartwatch—a piece of technology designed by the company's R&D team. This watch not only monitored the wearer's vitals but also had a built-in GPS, ensuring constant surveillance over his well-being. It was a small device but packed with powerful features; even minor injuries, such as a cut on Kyle's hand, would trigger an immediate health alert and a potential solution.

Five minutes later…

The framework of the protective umbrella had been completed, and now, the most delicate phase of the project—final construction—was underway. Kyle donned a helmet, prepared for the potential dangers of falling debris and dust.

"Hey, look at our team that's made such great contributions!" Kyle called out as he approached Gasco, who was busy overseeing the operations. He gave Gasco a big, welcoming hug before shaking hands with the other nine members of the team.

Aside from the rare element they had acquired, their haul consisted of precious antiques and various mysterious items, which had been casually picked up during their last mission. Despite the risks involved, the team had quickly gathered everything they could carry, unaware of the full significance of their collection. The Red Queen had already performed an analysis, ensuring that the hidden trackers on the objects were disabled.

"Master, this time we brought you two special items. Please, come take a look," Gasco said after a brief exchange, leading Kyle to a secure isolation room where two individuals were being held.

Through the reinforced glass, Kyle could see the prisoners—Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) and Clint Barton (Hawkeye)—both of whom were sitting bored in a small, five-by-five room, gazing aimlessly at the ceiling.

The moment they noticed the glass, Kyle realized they had likely detected the one-way mirror, understanding they were being watched.

"Who are these two?" Kyle asked, looking through the observation window. His curiosity piqued.

Gasco didn't hesitate to explain. "When we entered the black market for our mission, we encountered No. 125 and ran into these two. They were subdued without much resistance."

Kyle raised an eyebrow. It seemed like a coincidence that they had been captured, especially since they had been so close to completing their mission.

"If they'd been just a day later..." Kyle mused, his voice trailing off. "They wouldn't have been caught."

Gasco, in a rare moment of consideration, paused for a second and gave a brief nod, as if acknowledging the unusual twist of fate.

"Alright. Let's keep them locked up. The enhanced warriors will handle their daily food. Ordinary people couldn't tolerate the nutrition these two require," Kyle said, allowing himself a smirk as he imagined how unlucky the two had been. Despite their roles as heroes, Kyle couldn't help but appreciate the irony.

Still, he knew Natasha and Barton were ultimately on the side of justice. Natasha, in particular, had sacrificed much for the greater good. Despite their capture, Kyle had no intention of harming them further. They would remain locked up, out of Nick Fury's reach, and potentially serve as valuable leverage later.

"Master, I believe these two are ideal candidates for Crystal No. 7 implantation. I recommend recruiting them into your service," Gasco suggested, his tone matter-of-fact. His suggestion was filled with an odd, almost imperceptible excitement.

Despite Gasco's enthusiasm, he also knew how difficult it would be to recruit such individuals. Given their backgrounds, Natasha and Barton wouldn't be easy to manipulate.

"Alright, I'll make time to speak with them soon," Kyle decided. His focus turned to Natasha, noting her situation was more manageable than Barton's. Natasha's struggles were less complicated; she hadn't yet found a permanent home, and her ties to S.H.I.E.L.D. were still fluid. The timing was more favorable.

Kyle felt confident in his ability to manipulate people—coercion, seduction, and promises of power had always been his tools of choice. But with someone like Natasha, he knew simple methods wouldn't suffice. He'd need to dig deeper into her past, exploit her pain and regrets, perhaps start with her childhood or the Red Room, the infamous training ground that shaped her.

---

After leaving the protective umbrella, Kyle and Gasco parted ways.

Kyle intended to gather more intelligence. With his current information and the possibility of helping Natasha overcome her physical limitations, he felt there was a good chance he could turn the situation to his favor.

Gasco, on the other hand, went to find Ryan. He needed to get the necessary identification cards for the team members; without them, they wouldn't even be allowed to enter the company's premises.

Currently, Ryan was overseeing this process—handling multiple roles and staying constantly busy. The backlog was inevitable. The company's hiring rate was slow, primarily due to the rigorous vetting process. After all, the products they were dealing with—biologically enhanced serums and the powerful Crystal No. 7—couldn't afford to be exposed to the wrong hands.

Back in his office, Kyle spoke into his communicator. "Red Queen, I need you to collect all the information on Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. Use whatever means necessary. I need results by the end of the day."

Kyle had come to realize that his earlier strategies were limited. After Gasco's reminder, he acknowledged that his thinking had been too narrow. The real key to breaking Natasha's resolve lay in understanding her—something he hadn't considered before.

In this world, only a few individuals had the mental toughness to stand against pressure. Steve Rogers, Captain America, was undoubtedly the most steadfast. Even individuals like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, who had fought their inner demons daily, shared an unbreakable willpower. And let's not forget Thor, the Asgardian prince, whose mental fortitude was beyond what most could comprehend.

Kyle would have to be more creative if he wanted to break them.