"Ben, stop staring at that computer. I told you already, we came to Earth for a mission, not for you to chase after celebrities," said a tall, brawny middle-aged man. "Get downstairs, now."
"Uncle, just a little longer. I'm about to get my free Frozen Queen plushie from the concert promo!" The official Frozen website had launched a giveaway. Anyone who bought a concert ticket and uploaded a photo of it to the site would get a code. With the code, you could claim a free plush at the concert venue.
"Ben, hurry up."
Hearing his uncle's urging, the young man frantically refreshed his inbox. Finally, a new email from the Frozen website popped up. "Yes! Got it!" he shouted. "Coming, Uncle!"
"You brat. Have you forgotten we're here on Earth to welcome the royal family?"
'Tch.' Jason didn't feel particularly loyal. They'd been living on Earth for seven years now, after fleeing their homeworld. He was already used to life here and had no interest in some royal family he'd never even met. If it weren't for his uncle's obsessive efforts to stay in touch with royalty—and the supposed contact he finally made half a year ago with a royal they hadn't even seen in person—Ben wouldn't be stuck living like this.
June fourth. That was all Ben could think about. He just wanted to go to the concert. 'If only the royal family turned out to be the Frozen Queen… that'd be perfect.'
In the basement, a clunky quantum radio filled up nearly the entire space. It had taken Jason years to build it. Jason was Ben's uncle.
The primitive quantum radio could only transmit audio. But even just hearing the voice of a royal steward had thrilled Jason. It had been ten years since their planet was destroyed by Thanos. He'd escaped with his nephew to Earth, and he never forgot who he was. Jason had been a scientist at the Royal Academy. Everything he had belonged to the royal family. No matter what, he was determined to find them. He'd been trying to contact their secret radio line ever since. Finally, six months ago, he got a response.
Jason hoped the royal family would come to Earth. At the very least, it was safer here. No need to worry about Thanos tracking them down. Their homeworld had already become one of Thanos' military factories. The royal family had been on the run ever since, unable to leave the planet.
But a chance finally came up a month ago. A Chitauri unit under Thanos showed up to collect a batch of weapons. Rumors spread that Thanos had approved an invasion of Earth. The royal family decided to blend in with the Chitauri forces and sneak to Earth.
They were worried Earth would share the fate of their home, but Jason reassured them. Earth wouldn't fall so easily—Earth had superheroes. He managed to convince them. As long as the Chitauri launched their attack, the royal family would come.
Everything was ready now. The only thing uncertain was when they'd actually arrive. So Jason stayed in contact, afraid to miss the moment of landing.
In the galaxy, two infamous villains reigned: the dark overlord Darkseid, and the genocidal Titan Thanos. Their names alone could silence crying children. Still, the universe was vast. Their main domains only extended across the galactic belt. No one knew what lay farther out in the cosmos.
The planet where Jason and Ben had once lived was nothing more than a tiny speck Thanos had casually seized. But to the aliens who had lived there for generations, it was their mother planet, the birthplace of their civilization. Jason didn't want to lose everything. That's why he worked so hard to find the royal family. Only they had the power to lead them back and reclaim their home.
The quantum radio picked up a new message from the royal family. They had safely infiltrated the army and were already on their way through space. The Chitauri were preparing to launch their attack, and the moment they met Earth might be near.
Jason was overwhelmed with excitement. "Ben, for the next few days, you need to keep your eyes on the quantum radio at all times, got it?"
"Uncle, where are you going?" Ben asked, clearly unhappy. He was only fifteen, and he deserved some freedom. Besides, the concert was only a few days away, and he still needed to head out early for it.
"I have to prepare the royal welcoming ceremony." Jason was as rigid as ever. Even while fleeing, he insisted on these formalities. "You have to stay on the radio. The royal family might send the landing time and location at any moment. Until I return, you cannot leave the house."
"Uncle, how long will you be gone? Will you be back before June fourth?" Ben asked.
"I'm not sure. There are things on our home planet that don't exist here on Earth. I need to find substitutes. I'll be as quick as I can. I'll definitely return before the royal family arrives."
"Alright..." From his uncle's tone, Ben could tell there was no room for negotiation. He really didn't want to miss the concert.
Even though people on Earth were still clueless about the invasion, the word had already spread across the galaxy. The Chitauri were gathering a huge force to attack Earth. Most had no idea where Earth even was, but that didn't stop them from sympathizing.
No one really understood why such an unknown planet like Earth had caught the attention of Thanos' lackeys. What they didn't know was that it all started with Loki.
After falling from the Bifrost into the endless void, Loki was picked up by the Chitauri. He struck a deal with them: he would get the Tesseract, and in exchange, they would give him an army. With that army, he could conquer Earth.
Why Earth? Because Loki believed Earth held a special place in Thor's heart. He wanted to mess with his brother. Besides, Earth was located at the center of the Nine Realms—a strategic spot. If Loki could build a kingdom and army there, he could rise again and take back what he lost in Asgard.
But the Chitauri weren't stupid. They wanted Loki to deliver the Tesseract first. The promise of army command was just bait. Let Loki do the work first—whether they honored the deal later was another matter. As of now, all Loki had to show for it was the golden curved spear in his hand.
Loki basically came to Earth alone, all for a promise that might not even be real. He racked his brain trying to open a portal for the army to arrive. But he didn't stop to think—once the army reached Earth and the Tesseract was in Chitauri hands, what use would they have for him?
Turns out, even clever people get played. This time, Loki was the one fooled. The Chitauri only wanted the Tesseract. At the very least, they wanted it off Earth. If Earth's people figured out how to harness its power, they'd become a major new force in the galaxy and a huge threat to the Chitauri.
After all, the Chitauri were just Thanos' henchmen. He didn't care how well they lived. They had to fight for their own survival. Clinging to Thanos gave them a foothold in the universe, but to thrive, they had to crush any rising civilization with potential. Survival in the universe meant playing dirty, and the Chitauri were plenty smart when it came to that. Crushing promising civilizations was just strategy.