Building Superheroes at Marvel

"Repaying his kindness? This aligns with his character."

Kyle was momentarily stunned by Tony Stark's unexpected gesture, but soon shook his head with a smile. It wasn't surprising, given Tony's nature, but it still caught him off guard.

He could hardly refuse, especially after everyone had already spoken so warmly. With a resigned smile, Kyle accepted the gesture.

"Gasco, make sure some of the team members handle the transportation of the slate," Kyle instructed. He turned to Heatwell, who had been quiet during the bidding. It was likely that Hydra's operatives would take charge of escorting the slate once it was secured. For added security, Kyle was assigning a few enhanced soldiers to the task.

The rest of the auction items didn't pique Kyle's interest. They were mostly valuable jewels and trinkets, things Kyle had little use for. He made a few more bids for some attractive pieces of jewelry, but that was the extent of his involvement. Once the auction ended, he confirmed the purchase of the slate and then, along with Gasco, left for the manor. The rest of the details didn't require his attention.

---

Time passed quickly, and before Kyle knew it, morning arrived.

Gasco wasted no time, dragging Kyle out of bed to begin their usual morning exercises.

In the past two months, Kyle had undergone a significant transformation. After the assassination attempt during a recent trip, he had opted to enhance his physical abilities by injecting a booster serum. The enhancement was necessary to ensure his safety, as ordinary strength just wouldn't suffice anymore.

"Master, today is the weekend. Miss Wanda will be home from school soon. You should prepare," Gasco said, glancing at the watch on his wrist.

Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, was a critical part of Kyle's plans. After their intelligence team located Wanda and her brother Pietro wandering in Sokovia two months ago, Kyle had immediately arranged for them to be brought to him. Given Wanda's potential as one of the top combatants in the future, Kyle had placed her under his protection, ensuring she had the necessary training and resources.

As for Pietro, Kyle had a straightforward approach: the boy needed to learn self-reliance, and so Gasco had taken him under his wing for combat training. Despite his rebellious nature, Pietro had a strong sense of justice, likely fueled by the pain of losing his parents to Stark's weapons. Gasco was impressed by his tenacity and skill, believing he could become a formidable force in time.

Though the Maximoff twins were still only 12 years old, their potential was undeniable. Kyle had grown somewhat concerned about their unresolved anger toward Tony Stark. After all, Stark's weapons had been responsible for the death of their parents, and revenge was a natural inclination. Kyle knew that he couldn't stop them from seeking retribution, but he hoped that one day, the three would be able to reconcile. However, Tony Stark still hadn't come to terms with his past actions, making reconciliation difficult.

"Time flies. I'll have to deal with her again," Kyle muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. It was frustrating, but unavoidable.

"Master, I'll pick up Miss Wanda now," Gasco said, taking his leave to head to the garage.

Kyle watched him go and then decided to take a break from his morning training.

"Ugh, enough exercise for today," Kyle muttered, stretching his arms. "I'm heading back to the study."

Inside the study, hidden secrets awaited.

"Red, open the underground passage," Kyle commanded as he approached a large bookshelf.

The bookshelf emitted a mechanical hum before slowly sliding apart, revealing a heavy metal door. The gleaming silver surface of the door was cold and unyielding.

With a faint hiss, the door slowly opened, revealing a sleek elevator that could hold up to five people at once. Kyle stepped in, pressing the button to descend. The elevator doors closed, and the bookshelf slid back into place, returning the room to its original state.

The descent took only 40 seconds. As the elevator doors opened, Kyle was faced with yet another massive metal gate, its weight seemingly impossible to budge.

"Please verify the pupil," a robotic voice droned.

Kyle lowered his head and directed his eyes at the lock. A brief moment later, a soft beep indicated that the verification was successful.

"Verification complete. Entry allowed."

The metal gate creaked open just enough to allow Kyle to pass through.

"Damn, this place still needs work," Kyle muttered to himself as he stepped into the next chamber. This area was designed to be a super-secure hideout and research facility, but due to some unforeseen complications, it was far from complete. The exterior was finished, but the interior was a work in progress.

The room stretched 150 meters long and 40 meters wide, with a central aisle flanked by booths for storing various items. The facility was protected by reinforced tempered glass, ensuring that whatever was stored here remained secure. There were 100 such booths in total, with two large isolation rooms at the far end for particularly valuable or dangerous items.

"I wonder what treasures await today," Kyle mused, walking down the aisle.

He approached an empty booth and activated the system, eager to see what had been produced.

[Name: Ring of Evil Food]

[Type: Prop]

[Ability: A demon representing hunger resides inside. It devours surrounding substances, converting them into power for the user.]

[Note: Use caution, as the demon within may tempt the user.]

Kyle's eyes lit up as he read the description. "Another SSR-level item," he said, excitement bubbling up. This was exactly what he had been hoping for. His luck had been phenomenal lately.

This particular item, the Ring of Evil Food, had been one of the treasures Kyle had obtained from the Void Dragon King's chest, an artifact he had won in a lottery three months ago. The chest granted him treasures every seven days, ranging from useful equipment to strange materials—and sometimes, just junk.

So far, the chest had yielded four useful items, and this ring was the fifth. Though there had been several less-than-desirable acquisitions—like the venom of a green dragon that had almost made Kyle toss it out—the treasure had proven valuable.

Since then, Kyle had converted the underground facility into a treasure storage vault, with the two large rooms now filled with all sorts of curious and powerful items.

"Let's see what else I get next week," Kyle thought, pleased with his recent luck.