The Chitauri central mind was managing its tasks dutifully in spite of the ensuing chaos. Many of its spawn were perishing to the strange, fiery and small creatures that ripped through them like bullets. It wondered if its sibling had perished thus, above the skies of Earth. It was not a concern. What was a concern was the ongoing attack on Nidavellir.

The Chitauri that had surrounded the great leader were killed and a shock of troops were being sent from the midsts to replace them. The wizards of the invaders had slipped the ambush into action beneath the Chitauri's million eyes – A frustration. The Chitauri central mind was managing its members and had started to direct its forces when the Lightning Ax-Bearer had started in on them and soon enoguh, the other rogue powers were at work. A vibrational attacker, the thousands of metal men, even a few less talented warriors who wore hardened armor.

The Chitauri shifted its attention back to the main boarding area. Besides the twenty or so floating fires, there were four bipeds there, two tall and broad, the smaller green and the larger blue, and two of metal, floating in the air through the use of repulsers. One of red and gold, one of blue and white. and sent a new wave through the gate to aid its other puppets. The Chitauri central mind did not know how they worked.

Should it risk attacking? It shifted its thoughts back to the primary horde. The eyes of them were perishing, being cut down in droves by the small warriors and the mighty powers. The Chitauri central mind resolved that it had to act against them. It opened its doors and sent out waves upon waves towards the four guardians.

Focusing its mind, it comprehended the Gold-and-Red's speech. The speech of other creatures was so primitive. Carried so little data. "I take back everything I said about this being babysitting."

Babysitting. An amusing description. Nursery work. The Chitauri sent the first wave after the Blue-And-White-Metal One as a reward for the amusement. Lasers spouts appeared from the Blue and White's shoulders to carve them up, but the tall-flesh-blue one simply carved the wave away with his blast. But it was imprecise, the aim was poor. Not a true warrior's behavior. The walls of Nidavellir were not puny and did not break instantly – But if it were overpressed… Ah, the vision had gone out of that wave's eyes.

"Woh there big guy," the Blue and White Metal One said. "Carefully, if we put a hole in this thing we're all going to choke to death."

"It's not like I spent my time in the most advanced civilization in the universe engaging in target practice," the big blue one said.

They were talking too much and the wave was emerging from the cave. The Chitauri Central mind tried to direct them past them. If it was being babysat, better to lose some in reinforcements than to waste time attacking.

"Alright, alright, just no more blasts!" the Red and Gold said as another wave continued to emerge. He released a small bevy of orbs from his shoulder, each of them was shielded, narrowing the passage for the Chitauri. Now when they passed through, he would shrew them with lasers, carving them up like meat for the horde. Frustrating.

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The hordes of tiny fires were proving just as inconvenient – Whenever a force could close to one of them and overpower them individually, the fire-points would rip them to shreds. Whenever they tried to bypass, the twenty would draw attention and slow the attack. It was not working. It was immensely frustrating. The Big Blue and Big Green one were powerful as solar flares, tearing through the crowd and slowing them down in spite of everything.

But even so, some of the Chitauri managed to slip by and… immediately get killed by the Lightning Ax or who knows how many others. The ranks were thinning within Nidavellir and the central mind had no way of tearing through it.

Wave after wave were being carved up, but if the central mind did not manage them, then it would have to abandon management of its own entry ducts or cut off supply. And while the Big Blue might have some concern for the walls of Nidavellir, the central mind had no confidence that it would exhibit the same concern.

How were only twenty four costing it thousands of Chitauri? It ached at the fact of its impotence. Its eyes were perishing in the hall, surrounding the dwarves, its eyes were perishing in the battle with the lightning ax. Even the children of the great leader were perishing now, the wizard and the brute alike had perished. The two swift ones were alive for the moment, but it was no favorable occasion. The great leader was speaking with the traitor daughter, the beloved one and not the despised one who was upon the master's ship.

The central mind's flitted back to its horde at the gates, trying to push through and offload. The central mind would stay loyal to the great leader. It would not fail to serve it. The leader had saved it from darkness.

But retreat looked sweet, regardless, especially as its eyes in the hall continued to go dark.

It was important in such a moment to focus on the first duty. The first duty was to reach the great leader, so that it could aid him. The Chitauri shifted its focus back to the four, who were still doing admirably. A frustrating thing.

"Do these things have no sense of self preservation at all?" the Blue-and-White Metal One shouted.

"Doesn't look that way, Rhodey" the Red and Gold one replied.

It sent out a set of suicide bombers. It was confident that they would not be recognized by the opponents, who did not seem to have a deep knowledge of Chitauri physiology or psychology, given what they were screaming. It was a successful bet, because they were not able to distinguish, three of the eight bombers made it through the shield wall – The Red and Gold one was under-equipped for battle in Nidavellir and its high ceilings.

The bombs crossed over and the first one went off, sending the red and gold one spinning. At last, the shield wall seemed to shake -

"Jarvis, don't go soft on me now," the Red and Gold one said.

The big green and big blue one had jumped atop the other two bombs and it seemed to work. They had scorched stomachs but nothing.

Then the Chitauri central mind heard a furious cry.