Tony, who was flying under automatic control, passed the Iron Legion units coming from the Malibu mansion: "What's the situation, JARVIS?"
"The drone group stationed at Stark Tower has already engaged the enemy. The enemy mothership is hovering over New York City. We've received intelligence that General Ross is preparing artillery fire to bombard it."
"Where are the others?" Tony's dizziness was finally subsiding, and he switched from automatic flight to manual control.
"Captain Rogers is coordinating with local police to evacuate civilians. The shelters in the three nearest blocks are reaching capacity, and evacuees are being directed to other areas."
"Assign rescue-type Iron Legion units to assist with evacuation, and simultaneously guard against enemy attacks on civilians! How long until the orbital drone swarms arrive?"
Tony rapidly issued orders to JARVIS as he landed at the Malibu mansion. He removed his Mark 9 armor and poured himself a glass of scotch to soothe his throat.
"The vanguard of the orbital drone swarm will arrive in 3 minutes and 48 seconds, with the main force reaching New York in 6 minutes and 23 seconds."
"Good! JARVIS, bring up the Destroyer One! Is there anything else we haven't deployed yet?" Tony took a sip of his drink and watched as the Mark Destroyer One armor rose from its storage bay.
"No sir, all equipment you positioned near New York has been deployed for battle!" JARVIS's reply left Tony somewhat disappointed.
"By the way! Where's Carol? What's her location?" Tony suddenly remembered he had asked this question earlier, before crashing into the Dark Elf mothership.
"Contacting Director Nick Fury now."
"Tony! What's the situation in New York?" The moment the call connected, Nick Fury asked anxiously.
"Uh...it's manageable. At present, the enemy numbers don't seem overwhelming. We can handle it," Tony answered while donning the Mark Destroyer One and studying the holographic projection.
"I've already notified Carol, but she's currently eliminating a Hydra base, so it'll take some time for her to arrive. Military units from bases near New York have also been dispatched to provide support."
"Understood! We need her assistance. The enemy's warships are highly advanced. Their stealth technology makes them particularly difficult to counter! What's Ross's artillery plan looking like?"
Tony narrowed his eyes as the tactical situation in New York continued to evolve on the holographic display.
"They're mobilizing now! Let's hope our artillery can pose a genuine threat to the enemy mothership. A few small warships have already created significant problems—I don't want to imagine what that massive vessel is capable of."
Nick Fury's expression was equally grave. He had received updates from Ross. Their forces had been attacked by aliens before they could even launch their own offensive.
Clearly, the enemy was more formidable than anticipated, and Ross's tactical plans had been compromised. Fortunately, in addition to ground-based artillery, fighter jets were en route to the battlefield, preparing to launch air-to-air missile strikes against the enemy.
By now, the skies over New York were crowded with aircraft—predominantly Tony's Iron Legion and drone swarms, along with seven or eight Dark Elf warships, Thor, and the other aerial combatants.
Algrim piloted his warship away from Stark Tower, intending to return later to seize the Aether particles. He was unaware that Wanda had already relocated them.
Malekith suddenly realized he could no longer sense the Aether's presence, and his expression darkened. The Aether, which had seemed so close moments ago, had suddenly become distant before vanishing entirely from his perception.
He strained his senses but still could not locate the Aether. His face gradually contorted with anxiety. Without the Aether, his plan would fail.
Less than a day remained before the Convergence would align the Nine Realms. If he couldn't retrieve the Aether in this brief window, all his preparations would be for nothing. He refused to wait another five thousand years!
Malekith ordered all Dark Elves to attack and recover the Aether particles at any cost. Suddenly, the remaining Dark Elves still aboard the mothership launched in their warships, and the mothership began firing upon the drone swarm.
"They're deploying more forces! Rhodey! Watch the south side! There's a group of civilians who haven't reached shelter yet!" Banner immediately noticed the Dark Elves' movements and alerted his teammate.
"Got it! On my way. Can anyone help with evacuation? There are too many people down there!" Following Rhodes' gaze revealed streets packed with people.
The numerous abandoned vehicles blocked evacuation routes, making it impossible for civilians to quickly escape the danger zone.
"I'm on it!" Pietro ducked behind a building. He took a deep breath and glanced at the Dark Elf warship flying overhead. He felt a twinge of envy that Wanda could fly, while he could only run fast and posed little threat to enemies in the sky.
After muttering a few words to himself, Pietro disappeared again. Two seconds later, he appeared beneath Rhodes, looked up, and after confirming no enemies had spotted him, turned his attention to the congestion ahead.
He raced to the front of the blocked street and discovered the road was impassable due to multiple vehicle collisions. Citizens attempting to pass had to either find alternate routes or climb over the wrecked cars.
"Uh... I need someone to clear this roadblock. Any volunteers?" Pietro quickly assessed the situation and knew he couldn't handle it alone.
"On my way!" Banner responded and immediately flew toward Pietro's position. His weapons and ammunition were depleted, leaving only his repulsor beams as a means of attack.
"Tony! What's your ETA? The situation here is deteriorating! The drone swarm isn't making a dent in these alien warships!" Rhodes hovered in the air, protecting the civilians below while observing the battle between the large-scale drone swarm and the Dark Elf warships.
Despite the drone swarm's concentrated fire, the enemy warships remained unaffected. Instead, they were destroying large numbers of drones by either firing from a distance or simply accelerating and ramming into them.
The drone population over New York was diminishing rapidly. Fortunately, their sheer numbers and small, agile profiles allowed them to buy precious time.
"Inbound now. The orbital drone swarm arrives in 30 seconds. Hold position—the Iron Legion is in place!" Tony, now equipped in the Mark Destroyer One, responded to Rhodes and took a deep breath as he monitored the Iron Legion units arriving in New York on his tactical display.
Malekith also noticed the Iron Legion approaching and narrowed his eyes. He dispatched several warships to intercept them and ordered Algrim to attack Stark Tower at all costs. He was determined to discover where the Avengers had hidden the Aether particles!