At this time, all of New York was in chaos. A large number of citizens who had previously hoped to wait out the danger began to flee, but countless people with the same idea flooded the streets.
As a result, the main traffic arteries of the entire city were completely blocked. The sound of artillery fire from military deployments around New York continued unabated.
But the Dark Elves' warships moved extremely fast, and the artillery often missed their targets. Even surface-to-air missiles were easily evaded, and instead, some city buildings were accidentally damaged in the crossfire.
Ross had to order a cease-fire with a grim expression, and then could only pin his hopes on the Avengers in the city. However, he did not sit idly by and wait for disaster. He mobilized the emergency forces stationed in the city and ordered troops stationed outside to enter New York.
At the same time, the New York government began dispatching police to direct citizens away from dangerous areas, and the remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in New York were also deployed under Coulson's leadership.
Tony had been relying on JARVIS to monitor multiple information streams and knew the situation was dire. This was the first time Earth had been invaded by aliens since the Sky Screen had appeared and revealed information about future alien invasions.
Tony knew nothing about the Dark Elves and didn't even realize they were the same Dark Elves that Thor said should have been destroyed long ago. He believed these enemies were sent by the hidden mastermind, Thanos.
Although he was somewhat confused as to why they weren't Chitauri, the urgency of the situation left Tony no time to ponder this. He simply continued pursuing the Dark Elves' warships.
With the combined attacks from him, Rhodes, and Banner, two warships were destroyed and crashed in the city, but the ammunition carried by his armor was also depleted.
Thor, with lightning coursing across his entire body, was chasing another battleship. Now he could fly on his own without relying on Mjolnir—a skill he had learned from Captain Marvel. It had greatly improved his mobility.
It was precisely this ability that had given him the confidence to break through the glass and jump from Stark Tower. After awakening his divine power, Thor had truly become a formidable warrior. Facing the warship that circled around and headed toward him, he attacked it with lightning without hesitation.
This was different from his previous restraint in Stark Tower, where he had held back out of concern for civilians. This lightning bolt was massive and instantly pierced through the battleship in front of him.
Inside Stark Tower, Algrim was fighting against Wanda, Natasha, Captain America, and Barton. Relying on his powerful body, he could withstand direct hits from Natasha wielding Mjolnir without suffering significant damage.
"This guy has incredible physical strength and defense capabilities!" Captain America blocked a heavy punch with his shield and kicked Algrim in the stomach, but was knocked back and regarded the Kursed warrior with a serious expression.
He had tried numerous tactics, but Algrim's thick skin made him impervious to their attacks. Among those present, only Natasha with Thor's power stood a chance, and even Captain America couldn't withstand Algrim's blows without his shield.
"Wanda? Are you finished over there?" Natasha crouched with Mjolnir in her hand and looked at Wanda, who was dealing with the Dark Elves under Algrim's command.
Wanda was using chaos magic against several Dark Elves and turned back to say, "Almost!"
These Dark Elves were largely helpless against Wanda's attacks, but their black hole grenades posed a significant threat to her and delayed her progress. Still, this could only buy them a brief reprieve.
Knowing that Natasha was struggling against the Kursed warrior Algrim, Wanda increased the intensity of her attacks. She quickly eliminated the remaining Dark Elves and turned to face Algrim.
At that moment, Algrim took out a black hole grenade and threw it at Barton, who had been harassing him from the corridor above. Seeing this, Wanda quickly cast a spell to redirect the grenade, saving Barton.
When the grenade exploded, it destroyed a section of the central corridor. Barton nearly fell but managed to grab the guardrail just in time.
Seeing Barton in danger, Natasha immediately swung her hammer to rescue him, while Captain America engaged Algrim to buy time.
Wanda concentrated a powerful magical blast in her hand and hurled it at Algrim, who sensed her attack and turned to block it with his arm.
As he turned, Captain America pulled back and threw his shield again. Without looking, Algrim caught the shield with one hand and hurled it forcefully at Wanda.
Wanda immediately opened a portal in front of herself. The shield flew through it and emerged behind Algrim, striking him in the waist.
Although Algrim had seen Wanda use portals before, he couldn't react fast enough. The shield he had thrown hit him instead, causing him to stagger.
Wanda didn't pause after closing the portal. She conjured more magical energy and attacked Algrim continuously. Algrim could only block while retreating toward the warship that had crashed into Stark Tower earlier.
He realized his position was untenable. Wanda's magic made him deeply uncomfortable. Despite his great power, he couldn't get close to her and was forced to take her attacks. He decided he needed to withdraw.
Meanwhile, in the sky, Tony was flying while instructing JARVIS: "JARVIS, activate the Iron Legion and the drone swarm, and initiate the global strategic defense system!"
"Yes, sir! The Iron Legion has been deployed and the drone swarm is launching. Should we engage with maximum firepower?" JARVIS promptly responded.
"NO! Avoid civilian casualties and structural damage at all costs!" Tony immediately rejected the proposal. This was downtown New York City, and Ross's artillery had already accidentally damaged several buildings.
If the Iron Legion and drone swarms opened fire at full capacity without regard for consequences, the number of casualties would increase dramatically. Tony would never allow this unless the situation became absolutely critical!
Under JARVIS's control, numerous Iron Legion units stored in the Malibu mansion launched one after another from the underground facility.
The drone swarm on the roof of Stark Tower took flight in large numbers. Tony had kept these drones in reserve, concerned about leaving Stark Tower defenseless, but now he couldn't afford such caution.
In orbit, several satellites opened their internal bays, and swarms of drones began descending toward Earth.
Nations around the world had noticed the events unfolding in New York City. Their satellites had been monitoring the area specifically to guard against sudden alien invasions.
But no one had expected an attack to come so suddenly. Satellites from various countries had failed to detect how the Dark Elves had silently positioned themselves over New York, a fact that deeply alarmed global security agencies.