Battle Uniform

It was night, and Alice had already left. She returned to the small apartment she rented in the New York City area and began organizing materials for the next day.

After Kyle handed the complete design to Gray, he returned to the manor and rested in a chair.

"Master, there is something I need to report to you," Gasco said as he pushed open the door to the courtyard, finding Kyle staring at the stars.

Their intelligence network was lacking. This had been a problem Gasco just discovered that day, and the security department also had its own issues.

"Someone's made contact with you—let me guess... a bald guy wearing a trench coat and a blindfold, right?"

Kyle was momentarily stunned, but quickly realized the connection to the morning's events. His thoughts shifted, recalling that mysterious figure he had encountered earlier.

"Though, I must admit, that agent had a killer figure. If given the chance, I'd recruit her as a secretary," Kyle thought to himself. But he knew he needed more power before he could entertain such ideas.

He reminded himself to stay focused—noble-minded, immune to distractions. People of such caliber were rare, like one in several hundred.

"How did you know!? Could it be… did they contact you privately, Master?" Gasco asked, shocked.

Kyle smirked. "Almost. But what's going on with you?"

Gasco explained, "That person tried to recruit me, but I refused. As for why we were exposed…" He hesitated. "I think it's because of the Lexus. The license plate wasn't covered when we got out. Anyone could trace it."

Kyle reflected for a moment. Neither he nor Gasco had taken precautions with the license plate. However, altering it could have attracted unwanted attention from the police. And with Kyle's luck, he could end up with a fine or worse.

"It's fine. Just be more careful next time. With the Red Queen monitoring, as long as we don't screw up, no one will find us."

Kyle waved it off reassuringly. The encounter with S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't entirely bad. At least he hadn't lost anything, and it might provide useful leverage later. With Nick Fury's methods, Gasco's recruitment wouldn't have been simple—he was likely a pawn in a bigger game.

---

The next day, exactly 7 AM, Water Company was in the final stages of preparation for its product release. Every department was working at full speed for the big day. Even Kyle, as the boss, was actively involved, and Gasco had brought him to the office early to oversee everything.

"Boss, as per your request, our department has developed three combat uniform designs. Please choose," said Faulkner Green, the head of the technical department, as he entered Kyle's office with sketches in hand.

Staff from each department were permitted access to the 56th floor after clearance from the Red Queen.

"Let's see them," Kyle said, his mood lifting. The battle uniforms for his super-powered organization were finally ready.

He reviewed the designs, his decision coming quickly.

"Keep the second one, and discard the other two. Seriously, I'm starting to worry about your taste."

The first uniform wasn't terrible, but the design was impractical, especially the tights. The blue and silver color scheme featured a large purple-gold hexagram logo on the chest—emblematic of the Water Company. Red lines extended along the arms and legs. While the design wasn't awful, tights were not the ideal choice for a superhero.

The third design, however, was abysmal. Kyle found himself wondering what was going through the designer's head. The blouse and trousers were green with red patterns, and a yellow six-pointed star logo adorned the back. Red, green, and yellow? Whoever thought this combination was a good idea had clearly lost their touch.

The second design, however, was exactly what Kyle had envisioned. It was sleek, imposing, and a perfect fit for the Water Company's new super-powered team. The upper body featured a black cloak with red and blue lines outlining the hexagram logo. The lower body resembled tights but featured diamond-shaped patterns, with cobweb-like purple accessories giving the ensemble a deadly aura.

"Boss, if you choose the second design, there's one thing to keep in mind," Faulkner added. "The material is made from a polymer blend, which provides both comfort and protection, but it's slightly more expensive."

Kyle shrugged it off. "That's fine. Just have Alice handle the expenses, and the finance department will fully cooperate."

Kyle wasn't worried about the costs. In his eyes, the battle uniforms were worth every penny. With a price tag of about a hundred thousand dollars, the company could easily afford it.

---

After choosing the battle uniform, Kyle rushed to the newly established Enhanced Serum Research Laboratory. The Red Queen's operational efficiency was remarkable; tasks set into motion the previous night were already underway by the morning.

Although the personnel deployment hadn't been completed yet, the space had been cleared, and renovations were already in progress.

As for the enhanced serum, Kyle had spent considerable time contemplating the matter. He didn't want to make it available to just anyone. Instead, he planned to select elite candidates from the defenders, scavengers, and intelligence teams. These individuals would form a new special operations team. Kyle hadn't decided on a name yet, but he would soon. The team would be his ultimate weapon.