"The Ancient One trusts me that much?" Ryan hadn't expected her to hand him command. What if he lost his mind and squandered every fighter Kamar-Taj had?
The guard at the New York Sanctum Sanctorum was puzzled by her decision too, but he had no intention of disobeying. He had heard about Ryan's record at Kamar-Taj.
A genius on par with the Sorcerer Supreme.
The most gifted sorcerer in history.
A sorcerer who surpassed even Kaecilius.
Those stories gave the Sanctum's guardian plenty of faith in Ryan.
Seeing that trusting look, Ryan gave him an order. "Bring in the sorcerers to defend the Sanctum Sanctorum. I'll deal with the Chitauri."
"...By yourself?"
"Isn't one of me enough?"
As the guardian tried to make sense of that, Ryan patted him on the shoulder. "I'm counting on you here."
Then, under the guardian's stunned gaze, Ryan flew away.
The Chitauri had taken over the distant sky.
Their aircraft blanketed New York like dark clouds, casting shadows across the ground.
With the Portal overhead still open and sending in an endless stream of reinforcements, Chitauri soldiers were everywhere on the streets too.
All that remained for humanity was despair upon despair.
Hawkeye fired his last arrow, then raised his bow to fight the Chitauri soldiers up close. But he was only one man, and the Chitauri seemed as countless as a zombie horde.
Hulk raised his arms. Above him, Chitauri aircraft swarmed so thickly they looked like bees pouring from a disturbed hive.
The aircraft fired their lasers, pinning Hulk in place.
Tony was in the thick of the battle too. He had just taken down a massive Chitauri machine, only to be shot out of the sky by Chitauri rifles.
Of the Avengers, Thor was the only one faring a little better.