Arthur had seen this play before—empires that looked untouchable from the outside, hollow from within. America's steel and infrastructure dynasties were built on the sweat of immigrants and government handouts, but over decades they had become corrupt, lazy, and arrogant. They had monopolized construction, bridges, tunnels, and supply chains. To the public, these corporations were "untouchable pillars." To Arthur, they were fattened cattle waiting for slaughter.
The Empresses sat around the long oval table in the penthouse boardroom of the Empire Tower in New York, their domains fueling the war effort like the gears of an unstoppable machine. Bella was managing the food cartels that now stretched across the continent. Foxy reported on the hostile takeover bids she had already pushed through Wall Street—two regional banks had collapsed into their arms within the last week. Jessie's control of the military lobby was tightening; generals were beginning to "advise" in Arthur's favor, whether they wanted to or not.
But tonight, the meeting was about steel—the last line of physical defense in America's industry.
Arthur leaned forward, eyes gleaming with calculated malice."Gentlemen," he said to the holographic projections of rival CEOs and family heads. "You've had your fun. But the world is moving forward, and I am that future. Either you join me… or you're crushed underfoot."
The steel barons laughed. These were men in their seventies, heirs of robber barons, smug in their wealth. "A child like you can't touch us," one sneered. "We built this country. Without our steel, your empire crumbles."
Arthur didn't argue. He only smiled.
The Silent War
Over the following months, the Empire launched a blitzkrieg that would be studied in business schools—if Arthur allowed them to exist. He didn't attack the corporations head-on. Instead, he suffocated them slowly.
Bella arranged food boycotts across entire working towns where steel plants operated. Workers couldn't eat without buying from her networks.
Candy turned sports stadiums and events into propaganda hubs, quietly shifting public opinion against the "steel oligarchs."
Foxy manipulated stock short positions, bleeding the companies of billions on paper until panicked shareholders began demanding leadership changes.
Eva unleashed digital campaigns that destabilized the reputations of executives, exposing hidden scandals with precision.
Arthur's masterstroke was buying ports and shipping lines. Without transport, steel couldn't move. Without steel, construction froze. Without construction, governments panicked.
The First Cracks
It was in Pittsburgh, at a silent protest staged by "angry workers," that Arthur made his move. Thousands gathered, demanding higher wages and accusing their corporate overlords of exploitation. In reality, Arthur had orchestrated every sign, every chant, every news headline.
As cameras rolled, he stepped onto the podium like a savior."My people," he said, his voice carrying with magnetic power. "You've given your blood for these families who have treated you as cattle. No more. Join me, and I will rebuild this industry—not for them, but for you."
The workers roared.
By the end of the week, half the unions had pledged allegiance to Arthur. The other half? Jessie's quiet "visits" to union leaders and their families took care of that.
Boardroom Executions
One by one, Arthur summoned the heads of steel dynasties. Some surrendered immediately, trading their legacies for quiet exile. Others resisted, clinging to their illusions of power.
One CEO—Jonathan Brackman—thought he could still outmaneuver Arthur. He called in political favors, tried bribing senators, even whispered in the ear of an ex-president.
Arthur sent Nora.
Within forty-eight hours, Brackman was found in his mansion, alive but broken. His empire collapsed overnight, absorbed seamlessly into Arthur's web. None dared ask what Nora had done—they only knew resistance was no longer an option.
Forging a New Throne
By winter's end, Arthur controlled eighty percent of North America's steel and construction industries. The skyscrapers that rose now bore his insignia. Bridges, tunnels, ports, highways—all carried the hidden mark of his empire.
At the next meeting, the Empresses raised their glasses. "Another pillar has fallen," Bianca said with a proud smile. "The economy bends to us."
Arthur only nodded, already looking toward the next battlefield. Oil. Energy. The veins of the modern world.
"North America," he whispered, "is learning what Empire means."