When her thoughtful wandering brings her into the slums of New York, Valkyrie witnesses a few of it's ills, including a knife fight, and a poorly maintained tenement. There she rescues a small child from a rat and offers the child and her mother sanctuary at Dr. Strange's Sanctum.

Agreeing to help out the Elina and her child, and curious about her living conditions, the Defenders go to pick up some of her things. At Elina's apartment they find that it is being fire bombed by the the Sons of the Serpent, who are attacking the tenement to eliminate those who do not meet their ideal of ethnic purity.

Battling with the Defenders, the Sons of the Serpent are easily defeated and sent running, however they vow to come back in force and destroy the area.

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