"Brothers," Erik Killmonger said to the criminals around him, "it's time for us to make some money."
Ever since Erik Killmonger had led this group of hardened convicts to Wakanda's border aboard a cargo ship, his forces had clashed with local smugglers more than once in their struggle for survival. He had deliberately drawn the convicts into those conflicts, using war to weed out the weak within his ranks while constantly seeking chances to absorb nearby independent military organizations and mercenary groups. Over several months, Erik Killmonger's forces had grown by more than double, their members a mixed bag—they raided foreign-owned businesses along the East African coast, operating no differently from the African warlords of old. What was more, they had received secret invitations from the governments of several Central African nations, who hired them to cause trouble for businesses and border regions in neighboring countries.
Erik Killmonger accepted those invitations, but wisely avoided certain places that appeared highly orderly. He knew that the City of Immortals had industries in both East and West Africa, controlling the lives of local people and even local governments through corporations. Although the armed forces of those African nations were inferior even to ragtag warlords, Erik Killmonger did not want to fall out with his employer just yet—without the City of Immortals supplying high-quality weapons, this motley organization would have to spend most of its money on arms and equipment, leaving little to divide among themselves. That would only drive the group into infighting and rapid collapse. Erik Killmonger knew all too well that the trash he had recruited were cowards who bullied the weak and feared the strong, but they were also an indispensable part of his plan. For the time being, he had to retain control over these idiots and stir them