It's good to have few numbers when you were a nomad, but once you sit down you always aim to have more staff, but that wasn't easy if you had too many secrets. That's why we used old contacts, canary, a female mutant. She leads a group of adult mutants who were turned away from the sweet paradise of Charles Xavier's school for mutants.

So we were in our little dock awaiting her arrival, I had in mind that it would be a tough negotiation. We had little to offer but needed a lot from her.

Soon a military yacht came into view, shark-T2 produced by Hammer Industries, a military vessel built to protect high-value figures without losing comfort.

A prize from a joint raid that was done on us, I hope they didn't forget how kind we were to hand over our share of the loot.

“Come on boss, I don't have to be here” Antoni spoke, his voice with an unmistakable tone of nerves, He and Canary shared a somewhat tangled past.

“Antoni you can't escape her forever, besides if everything goes well she'll be at our table” That's why I needed him here, even if she was upset, and canary although she appeared to be a rational and logical woman, she was impulsive.

Soon her boat moored next to ours at our private dock, dwarfing our yacht. A simple, medium-sized one with two rooms with bunk beds, there was never any need for weapons or a larger size for our small group.

My eyes shifted to the sight of a woman with her unmistakable cigar, a habit due to her genetic mutation. The dark hair and her trademark karambit accompanied by her irresistible smile were always intimidating to see.

“Maleit, it's a pleasure to see my favorite teenager” Canary began ”I must say when you talked about settling down I was expecting better places.”

“It's just a start, life at sea isn't much more comfortable, we can't all have the comfort of a luxury yacht” I replied.

“We should continue the conversation inside” Eliza interjected.

“Sure, I'd like to get a detailed look at your new home” Canary finally said, while on his way one of his men nudged Antonio.

“I seem to forget” Koemi joked, as he offered Antonio his hand to get up.

That was comforting.

“I must say I wasn't expecting much, but I see you've focused on the interiors” Canary said, as he ran his hand across his seat.

“We renovated a bit, we don't share the same tastes as the previous owner, so we decided to give it our touch” I replied.

“Although it's lovely to meet your new home . You didn't call me here for this,” her voice was sharper, more controlled, what warmth and softness she had to leave the cold objectivism behind, ”What do you want from me?”

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“...I want to create a place for us,” I surveyed the looks in the room, only to notice how absurd it sounded, but surely their looks got worse after this; ”I'm not talking about a school, or a nation or even a superhero club, but a utopia, completely our own.”

“You're talking crazy!”

“I know how unfeasible my ob-”

“It's not about feasibility, Humanity won't let create such a place, I more than anyone witnessed the very idea only to be one of the few victims who survived” ”Madripoor will just be another island where we will gather like pests, only to be bombed.”

“I know it will be hard for some to accept, but I am not naive, I know we need power to back it up. But while I need allies, I won't reveal more details with strangers, let alone a second-guesser, no offense to you Jhon” Creating a place for mutants, would seem impossible, it was like creating world peace, I mean, almost impossible. even for me it would be, if I hadn't witnessed the resounding success that was Krakoa, but I knew clearly that the ‘I saw it in a comic book’ argument wouldn't be convincing.

“I recommend listening to no more of this young lady's crazy talk, young lady” Jhon spoke aloud.

I leaned back slightly, reflecting. I could see the game they were playing. They thought they were desperate to convince them. Anyone else would have left the room after I spoke about my goal, but, their feigned(but very well-acted) annoyance was just another game, where they expected me to over-offer and over-talk. He was attracted to the idea, that a person like Canary would know the profits that a partnership like ours could bring. Also because he likes some shady stuff anyway.

“We will be part of your plan, I always got excited hearing the stories of how beautiful Genohsa was before the bombing” Canary folded her arms ”I would like to hear your plans in detail to prevent an end like that from happening.”

John's expression barely changed, after hearing that.

“Sure” She wouldn't be a reliable ally, all her men were loyal to her, but I wouldn't have to worry about my back with her by my side. Krakoa needed more than just an empty structure, and I would take it upon myself to form one.

--

Canary and Jhon entered a rickety truck and settled into their seats, it was the only transportation they had available and Canary had decided to spend a few days in Hightown. After many attempts to start the truck, they began their journey.

“You looked ready to fight the boy. While your bravery is admirable, I don't think I need to remind you how suicidal the idea is” Canary spoke, as he sipped his prismatic wine.

“I wouldn't dare” he assured her. “But what is your reason for trusting him? His offer of recognition or alliance is vague. Though he is a monster, he is not one to subdue his allies.”

“I don't trust the guy, I trust his goal,” he revealed.

“A utopia for us...? “Canary could note the skepticism in Jhon's voice.

She nodded. “The kid is elusive, but when I talk about it his look changes, he's serious about it. We'll be able to benefit from a target like that.”

Another bump in the road rocked the truck and Canary grumbled aloud in discomfort. John chuckled and she looked at him in protest. To distract her, the older man asked another question, “What about Genosha?”

“Who knows, maybe the brat is confident he can protect an entire country” Canary said, as he hummed a little cheerfully over his wine.

“We both know the absurdity of the idea miss, though I believe his tales of the exploits he performed. Genosha had the most powerful mutants backing her and they weren't very supportive” she replied.

“Relax, I was just kidding, we'll leave before something like that happens. Although there's no telling, she may not have presented the full power of the little monster.”

John's old bones rattled, they had spent years at Canary's side, both being survivors of the Genosha catastrophe. John prided himself on having raised a girl who had lost two things that night, her memory and her parents. So he knew Canary very well and knew she was not a woman who spoke superstition.