New York—the city that was once bustling with the movement of cars and countless tourists—was now transformed into a scene that was previously only witnessed on the battlegrounds of the Middle East.
Skyscrapers, buildings, and cars were reduced to rubble, destroyed beyond any recognition of the city it had once been.
Believe it or not, this wasn't the result of disputes between enemy nations. No, as strange as it may seem, this chaos and destruction was the outcome of an invasion from outer space.
Aliens were invading and destroying New York through a gigantic portal that had opened directly over the city's skies.
This portal didn't simply appear out of nowhere. No, it was the result of the meticulous plan of one man: Loki Odinson.
He had finally executed his long-awaited scheme, and now his army had arrived on Earth.
An army composed of soldiers who didn't flinch at the sight of death, who would willingly do anything to achieve their objectives.
That army was formed entirely by an alien race known as the Chitauri—an alien species with a hive-like mind and countless soldiers at its disposal. Their technology was thousands of years ahead of Earth's own.
Therefore, Earth's domination was not a question of how, but merely a question of when—and that "when" was not far away.
At least, that was what Loki thought…
Boom!
Standing on the balcony of Stark Tower, the location where Loki had placed the device keeping the giant portal open, he heard the distant, loud noise of explosions coming from below.
Below him, he could clearly see some of the annoying ants who still dared to oppose him.
Tony Stark was flying through the skies, clad in his iconic Iron Man suit, fiercely battling the endless swarms of Chitauri soldiers that were zipping around on their strange flying devices.
Iron Man fired lasers, missiles, and even engaged in hand-to-hand combat with several Chitauri warriors. But it was all meaningless because each time he killed one, two more appeared to take its place.
This ongoing battle was beginning to irritate Stark, a feeling becoming increasingly apparent from his erratic flying and movements in the sky. His desperation grew evident as his suit's power reserves steadily depleted.
But he wasn't the only one who was struggling with the seemingly endless enemy army.
Boom! Bam!
Farther away, closer to the portal, loud sounds of thunder and explosions filled the air.
The source of this thunderous assault was a strikingly handsome man with golden hair and a physique that could only belong to a god.
And indeed, he was one. Thor Odinson, a god they had encountered when returning from Germany with Loki as their captive.
Thor had joined Stark's alliance after a slight misunderstanding that had quickly been resolved.
Right now, however, his situation was not looking particularly good. He was surrounded by an endless number of Chitauri warriors, constantly struck from all directions by spears, swords, and blasts of energy.
But Thor wasn't merely taking damage. He was also dealing massive amounts of it. Each blow of his mighty hammer could take down tens of soldiers, and whenever he unleashed his powers of thunder, hundreds fell from the sky.
Yet, the number of enemies showed no sign of decreasing, regardless of how many fell at his hand.
Meanwhile, a fierce battle raged below on the streets, where groups of Chitauri soldiers caused widespread destruction.
Fighting these invaders on the ground were Natasha—the Black Widow, Steve—Captain America, and Clint Barton—the Hawkeye, who had recently broken free from Loki's mind control.
They struggled valiantly, fighting tirelessly against countless enemies emerging from the sky while simultaneously attempting to protect the fleeing civilians seeking safety.
Watching all this unfold from his perch, Loki couldn't help but smile.
If he wished, he could easily command the entirety of the Chitauri army to overwhelm these troublesome ants, bringing their futile resistance to an end. But Loki reveled in their struggle and desperation as they tried helplessly to defend the civilians. Seeing their despair brought genuine delight to his face.
Thus, instead of ending the battle quickly, he continued to disperse the Chitauri soldiers, allowing them to spread terror and destruction more broadly.
The intoxicating sensation of commanding such immense power was a feeling Loki deeply cherished.
As the Avengers desperately fought to protect the civilians, they couldn't help but think about what had led them to this dire situation.
After capturing Loki and bringing him aboard the Helicarrier, everything had seemed to be going smoothly. But in an instant, everything changed dramatically, completely turning their plans upside down.
The team was manipulated by Loki's scepter, which contained the Mind Stone, turning them against each other and shattering their fragile unity.
Only after losing a close friend, who had died attempting to prevent Loki's escape, did they finally understand the gravity of their situation. They realized they had no chance unless they stood united.
And thus, they arrived at this current, desperate situation.
New York burned, filled with chaos. Alien creatures swarmed the skies, explosions echoed through the buildings, and screams pierced the air.
Amid this chaos, the Avengers regrouped near Grand Central, their bodies exhausted from the continuous fighting. The relentless enemies had drained their energy and resources.
"Alright, anyone have a plan to end this mess?" Tony asked through his mask while firing an energy blast at a Chitauri soldier nearly striking Natasha from behind.
"Huff… Maybe—huff—we could try talking to Dr. Selvig. He created the device opening the portal," Natasha suggested breathlessly after narrowly escaping harm.
"Urgh... Does anyone know his current location?" Steve asked, throwing his shield at a group of approaching Chitauri.
"Selvig? I think he was near the portal device on my tower when Loki threw me off to my 'death'," Tony responded, landing a punch squarely on another enemy soldier's jaw.
His armor's power levels were dropping rapidly, forcing him to rely more on physical attacks.
"We have to get to him somehow. We can't keep fighting like this much longer," Steve said, dodging incoming energy blasts.
"The situation is bad, but we might manage it," Hawkeye said, firing an arrow accurately into an enemy's head.
"It's not like things could get worse than they already are, ri—"
Roar!
Before Clint could finish his sentence, a deafening roar echoed from above.
They all looked upward as massive Leviathans emerged from the portal in the sky.
Leviathans—gigantic biomechanical creatures resembling a cross between a flying whale and a mechanical centipede—acted as troop carriers and battering rams, devastating buildings and unleashing hordes of Chitauri soldiers.
"Dammit, Clint! Why'd you have to open your big mouth?" Natasha shouted.
One Leviathan descended toward them like a massive, deadly mountain, its armored body glistening, maw wide open and charging an energy blast.
At that moment, Bruce Banner arrived at the scene. After a brief exchange, he calmly stepped forward as the others prepared for the worst.
"Dr. Banner, now would be a good time to get angry," Steve advised.
"That's my secret, Cap..." Banner began, rolling up his sleeve—
But before he finished, a shadow flashed overhead.
BOOM!
A tremendous shockwave cracked the pavement as something—or rather, someone—collided head-first into the Leviathan's exposed control plate at terminal velocity.
The Leviathan roared in agony, convulsed, and then spiraled downward. Its enormous form crashed through vehicles, debris, and finally came to rest against a parked bus.
Silence filled the battlefield.
Dust and smoke settled, revealing a red-and-black figure standing atop the defeated Leviathan's shattered head. Muscles taut, mask expressionless, his body showed faint cracks of energy and blood from the impact—but he stood strong.
Tony hovered nearby, blinking in disbelief.
"Okay… that wasn't the green guy, was it?"
Steve tightened his grip on his shield.
"No, it wasn't."
Bruce stared wide-eyed.
"He cracked its skull from above. That's… not possible."
Steve's gaze fixed firmly on the figure standing atop the Leviathan's remains.
"Well..." Steve muttered, finally finding his voice.
"It just happened."