The pocket dimension of the Chitauri Legion was little more then a dead asteroid field and a fleet of starships. There was a blue-star sun in the distance and a few dead planets beyond the asteroid field.

We claim to be one of the superpowers of the galaxy and yet our "home" is dead. Chthon shook his head as he kicked the limp figure lying on an asteroid. The teenager lying on the ground groaned and moved, pushing herself up. Nira saw his boots in front of her and looked up further. "Hello Kárr," she greeted.

He kicked her again, bruising her cheek. Kárr was just one of Chthon's many aliases. Nira was one of the only Marauders who knew that "Kárr" was no Vanir. Thanos may not like Chthon's pet projects, such as creating and expanding the Marauders, but if it destabilized the Realms he wouldn't interfere. "You failed in your mission."

Nira pushed herself into a sitting position, touching her sore cheek with her tongue.

"You were supposed to bring me the Tesseract." Chthon growled. "You bring me the Infinity Stone and I make you queen and ensure that the Asgardians are wiped out with your family."

Nira said nothing. In a case like this, silence was her best defense.

"You should never have taken a hostage." He spat.

"How was I to know that the Æsir would be able to tame the Tesseract," she demanded, temper flaring. "Only Elder Gods like you can handle them but he did."

Chthon struck her again, knocking her to the ground.

Nira knew better than to get up. Her daggers would do no good against an enemy that could make himself as hard to hit as a ghost. Add to that the fact that he also happened to be the Elder God of death and you got a very unfair fight.

"Be pleased I pulled you from the collapsing portal," Chthon hissed. "I shall not do so again."

Nira waited until he stepped away before standing, trying to hide her fear. Not even she would dare try him. Maybe she should have just tried doing things solo instead of turning to him, too late now.

Chthon waved a hand and teleported her back to Vanaheim. He turned back to look at the dead space of the Chitauri dimension.

"Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard," He hummed the boy's false name. "Very bold move Odin, raising Laufey's son as your own." And a very bold Jötunn at that, he reflected remembering Loki ordering him to let the Tesseract go. Now no one had it.

He had been scanning the Void of space around Asgard but the Tesseract had yet to sow itself. It was the Infinity Stone of Space and its powers had been active when it went over the Edge. Likely it had teleported itself to who knows where. Well, it had been in the star cluster known as the Nine Realms when it activated so it was probably still there, but what world was it on? Had it even landed on one of the nine planets full of life or some of the dozens of empty ones?

"Chthon," a deep voice, sharp with superiority, made itself heard.

"Thanos," Chthon greeted without turning. "I thought you would be in Sanctuary."

"You left the dimension," Thanos explained simply. He would take power and iron strength over mind games any day and was being as direct as ever.

"A young mage activated the Tesseract," Chthon gauged Thanos's reactions, deciding not to mention Nira's failure. Only those native to the Nine Realms Star Cluster had steady access to magic and only they ever earned the title mage.

"What realm?" Thanos demanded.

You do not speak to an Elder God like that mortal boy, Chthon thought to himself. Oh well, he'd teach Thanos his manners sooner or later.

"Asgard," he growled, guessing correctly.

"Odin is raising the son of Laufey as his own."

"The son of Laufey…" Thanos frowned. "Then his mother is?"

Chthon dipped his head marginally in a nod.

Thanos cursed.

"I think you should take him," Chthon said quietly, not bothering to shout over Thanos.

Thanos shut up. "Claim him!? Claim that K'tor's son as a general of the Chitauri! No, one Jotunn on my flagship was bad enough i will not have her son tearing my fleet apart to."

"He is a young boy, a novice mage, who taught himself how to use the Tesseract – an Infinity Stone – mid battle with no training." Chthon reasoned simply. The boy was amazing, a little rebellious, but that could be broken from him after a few months in the Chitauri's care.

"He is on Asgard," Thanos shook his head, "out of reach thanks to those Barriers. And thanks to Loki's mother strengthening them, no Chitauri can set foot there."

Chthon didn't bother saying that he had gotten there. He had been using the raw power of the Tesseract to bypass the Barriers and even that hadn't worked so well. The only way to take them out was from the inside and you couldn't get inside to break them. An infinite loop. "Normally he would be out of my reach, but he handled the Tesseract, and let it contaminate his magic deeply. Physically, I cannot reach him, but mentally…"

Thanos glanced at him but kept quiet for once, allowing Chthon to speak.

"While he is awake, even his basic consciousness will thwart me." Chthon though out loud now. "A mind in sleep however is vulnerable to certain, persuasion. He does not know that he is Jötunn. Odin is doing a wonderful job of destabilizing him already. When he learns, he will break. That may be quite some time but he will get stronger, until then," Chthon shrugged. "I can alter the way he thinks as he sleeps."

Thanos glanced at Chthon. His "ally" had many pet projects. One more would not hurt. "Do what you wish."


Okay, i know i didn't do Thanos or Chthon like Marvel says but i like the give and take between the two of them.

Nira is alive to. She won't show up for a while yet but she's not gone for good.

Odin is not the only Asgardian to have had contact with the Chitauri. Both of Loki's parents did but as you think, his mother is not on the best terms with the Chitauri. That doesn't mean that the Chitauri aren't interested in him.