The Chitauri were a strange and formidable species from the depths of the universe.
This fierce alien army was rumored to have evolved from an ocean-dwelling race on some distant planet.
Their ability to function on land came from the biomechanical exoskeletons crafted for them by their master.
Of course, this was just a rumor Kagura Hitomi had overheard somewhere—there was no concrete proof.
And honestly? It didn't really matter.
What mattered was that the Chitauri commanded a massive interstellar fleet, sworn to serve Thanos unconditionally.
They had fought countless battles in his name, carving a bloody path across the stars.
Equipped with energy weapons far beyond human technology, they also deployed massive, whale-like war beasts capable of flight—devastating siege weapons that could level entire cities.
To Kagura, the Chitauri always felt… off.
They were a civilization that had mastered faster-than-light travel, yet still insisted on fighting with spears.
Their ability to traverse space was nearly limitless, allowing them to roam the cosmos with ease, adapting to almost any planetary environment.
Their energy weapons were far ahead of humanity's, to the point that even several years of technological advancements wouldn't close the gap.
And yet…
Their invasion strategy boiled down to randomly shooting at buildings and blowing up cars.
Uh… excuse me?
And that wasn't even the weirdest part.
For all their advanced technology, their vehicle designs were downright laughable.
Open-top hovercrafts seating three?
Were they here for space jet-skiing?
Poor turning capabilities, zero defensive features, and only a weak pulse cannon comparable to infantry rifles?
On a combat vehicle?!
And the worst part? The pilots were literally chained to their seats.
What kind of intergalactic budget army was this?!
As if that wasn't bad enough, their defense technology was practically non-existent.
Neither their soldiers nor their vehicles had any real armor.
They could be taken down with a regular handgun.
Like, seriously.
'You guys have mastered energy technology—would it kill you to develop some shields?'
Would it be so hard to give your infantry actual power armor instead of letting them run around naked like they were trying to prove their bravery?
The only decent unit in their entire army was their heavily armored war beasts—the massive flying whales.
Sure, those things were tough—even Iron Man had trouble breaking through their armor.
But that still doesn't excuse the rest of your army running around unprotected!
Unfortunately, no amount of complaining would change the fact that these alien invaders were now here, in front of her.
If they weren't stopped, New York would suffer massive casualties and destruction.
It was time to fight.
———————————————————————
New York City - Ground Zero
The three closest heroes to the incoming invasion were none other than Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor.
Putting aside their earlier disagreements, the core Avengers trio immediately got to work, dividing their roles and launching a counterattack against the Chitauri.
Iron Man—Tony Stark—took the lead, his Mark VI armor allowing him to dive straight into the swarm of Chitauri hovercrafts.
"JARVIS, give me an enemy count."
"Difficult to calculate, sir"
"…So, a lot. Got it."
Adjusting his holographic HUD into combat mode, Tony smirked.
"Let's show them they picked the wrong planet."
His targeting system beeped rapidly as it locked onto multiple enemies.
A compartment on his shoulder plates slid open, revealing swarm missiles—which launched in a furious barrage.
The sky above New York erupted in flames and explosions.
Chitauri ships burst apart, their flaming wreckage plummeting into the streets below, marking the beginning of open war in the city.
At the same time, atop the Empire State Building, a storm gathered.
Dark clouds churned. The heavens roared with thunder.
And then—
'CRACK—!'
With a single gesture, the God of Thunder raised Mjolnir to the sky—and a colossal lightning bolt tore through the battlefield.
It incinerated an entire formation of Chitauri hovercrafts—along with two of their armored war beasts.
Wasting no time, Thor leaped into action.
Summoning a trail of sparks and lightning, he tore through an entire squadron before landing on the back of a war beast headed straight for the city.
Raising his hammer, he slammed it down—sending a shockwave of electricity cascading across the creature's armored hide.
The colossal alien beast screeched, convulsing as arcs of blue lightning coursed through its body.
Thor struck again and again, until it lost control and plummeted—crashing into the city outskirts.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, high above the battlefield—
"I think we've got their attention."
Tony swerved, dodging a barrage of energy blasts as he lured a whole fleet of Chitauri ships across the skyline.
"Cap, please tell me reinforcements are on the way, because I don't think we can hold out forever."
"You're not wrong."
Steve Rogers had just arrived in the city center, now a battleground of burning wreckage and collapsing buildings.
"I'll start evacuating civilians."
"If possible, we need the police to get in contact with the military."
"I already called them," Tony replied.
"Also, someone triggered an emergency evacuation alert across the entire city. Most civilians are already in subways and shelters."
"Who could've pulled that off so fast?"
Steve asked as he squared off against a wave of incoming Chitauri soldiers.
"No clue."
Tony smirked.
"But if I had to guess? Probably some cute genius girl."
"…Kagura Hitomi?" Steve tightened his grip on his shield. "She's capable of something like that?"
"Oh, absolutely. She always finds ways to surprise us."
.................................…
S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier - 120 km Offshore
The bridge was in chaos.
News of an alien invasion in New York had shocked everyone, including Director Nick Fury.
"This is like watching the sun rise from the west," someone muttered in disbelief.
"Director, the Quinjet squadron has been deployed," Agent Maria Hill reported. "But are you sure we can hold them off?"
"It's not about whether we can."
Nick Fury narrowed his eye as he watched the distant squadron take off.
"It's about what we must do."
He exhaled.
"In a way, this entire crisis is our fault. That means we have to give it everything we've got—no matter the cost."
Maria hesitated.
"Should we… try convincing him to join the fight?"
Fury blinked.
"Him?"
"You know—the big guy."
Fury sighed.
"No. Whether Dr. Banner fights or not is his decision."
"Besides…"
He glanced toward the deck, where a certain group of individuals had yet to make their move.
"The Avengers left on this ship? One of them is bound to convince him."
Maria raised an eyebrow.
"…Was that part of your plan?"
"No."
Nick Fury smirked.
"But it might be part of hers."