"Alright, everyone, let's move," Fury said, surveying the chaos engulfing the city, and addressed the others. The Quinjet had dropped them off on an overpass, after which the pilot headed off to engage the Chitauri pouring through the portal.
"Captain, you're in charge of evacuating civilians. Your presence will calm them down," Fury added, checking his pistol's magazine and turning to Steve Rogers.
Captain America was wearing his classic suit—the one people recognized from museums, the suit of the legendary hero who won the war. His appearance among the citizens should inspire confidence.
"Alright, but the enemy looks very dangerous. You be careful too," Rogers replied, gripping his shield. Panic reigned below: the police were trying to maintain order, but the alien invasion and the paralyzed traffic made it impossible to control the situation.
Before he could finish speaking, a volley of missiles launched from Stark Tower, targeting the Chitauri in the sky. The enemy chariots exploded, illuminating the sky with fiery bursts.
"Looks like they'll handle most of the enemies. Let's move," Fury said. "Natasha, Barton, go with the Captain, we'll provide air support."
After the missile barrage, thunder echoed through the sky, and lightning bolts struck several Chitauri chariots, sending their charred remains plummeting to the ground. Rogers, seeing this, vaulted over the overpass railing and jumped down to the street below.
"Want to try that?" Black Widow asked, looking at Barton.
"No, I'm not a super-soldier," he replied, drawing and nocking his compound bow.
Attaching a grappling hook arrow to a nearby wall, he rappelled down. Black Widow shrugged and took a less dramatic route. Meanwhile, Fury, Coulson, and the other agents began firing at the enemies who managed to evade Noah and Thor.
On the street, Rogers quickly assessed the situation. Despite the heroes' resistance, chaos gripped the city. Abandoned cars clogged the roads—drivers had left them in their haste to escape. Debris from buildings and wreckage from Chitauri chariots rained down from the sky, damaging the vehicles below.
People ran in panic, fear etched on their faces. Some were on their way to work, others were simply out for a stroll, but none of them expected to encounter an alien invasion. In the offices of the high-rise buildings lining the street, people watched the events unfold through their windows with anxiety. Police officers had arrived, but due to the traffic jams, they were forced to proceed on foot, firing at the Chitauri in the sky, but their efforts had little effect.
At that moment, Rogers heard the sound of someone landing behind him—it was Barton.
"What's next, Captain?"
"Agent Barton, there's a school bus involved in an accident, and the children are trapped inside. Take care of rescuing them," Rogers pointed towards a bus wedged between other vehicles. Its door seemed to be jammed, and cries for help could be heard from inside.
Barton nodded and ran towards the school bus. The Captain continued moving, jumping over stalled cars, helping several trapped civilians, and soon climbed onto the roof of a police car. The nearby officers looked at him in bewilderment: his suit was familiar, but in the midst of such chaos, they didn't immediately recognize him.
Surveying the area, he addressed the police officers, "Send people into those buildings. When people start running, they might get caught in the crossfire. Lead them to the basements or subway stations, away from the streets. Secure the area up to 39th Street."
The police officers exchanged glances, unsure who this man was and why he was giving orders. One of the senior officers, looking at him skeptically, asked, "Why should we listen to you?"
At that moment, a laser blast from the sky flipped a nearby taxi, forcing the officers to take cover. Another blast was deflected by Captain America's shield, ricocheting away. Soon, a Chitauri chariot approached, deploying two aggressive soldiers.
They immediately targeted the tallest figure. The Captain, remaining calm, knocked down one of the attackers with his shield, then quickly crouched and raised his shield, hearing the charging sound of an energy weapon.
Clang~
The shot against the shield proved useless, the beam ricocheting harmlessly away, forcing the police officers to seek cover.
The Chitauri soldier, seeing that the attack didn't work, tried to strike with his fist, but the Captain parried the blow, causing the alien to lose balance. Rogers grabbed the soldier's weapon and, with a swift strike of his shield, severed the alien's arm along with the weapon. He then pushed back the first attacker and hurled his shield at the second, knocking him to the ground.
After that, Rogers turned to the police officer.