"Approaching Himalayas," said Cyclops, Pressing down on the control panel's intercom button. "Get your uniforms on, everyone, if you haven't already. Oh, and Storm, as an FYI, we want a forecast of sunshine and a light breeze."
He turned to his returned copilot, Wolverine, and asked "Logan, how far away are we?"
"Two miles, boss man. We should land before Mez finds out we're here.
"Good to know, partner. Preparing for descent." Scott moved the controls in a steady, downward swerve and began landing behind a nice-sized, snowy hill, out of sight from Mesmero's base. Looking out of his window, Logan could see the steel-plated door that protected the fortress from intruders.
Cyclops made an easy landing, and all the X-Men made their way off the Blackbird in full uniform, just as instructed. Jean walked over to her husband and waited for him to begin their plan.
Scott cleared his throat and started. "Okay, this is going to be a full team mission. No partners, nothing like that. Just me leading all of you.
"Now, if you don't mind, Beast, go up this hill stealthily and make sure it's not a trap. Mesmero's tricky, even without Magneto to lead." Turning to Jean, he seemed to get off subject. "Magneto is still trapped in the Blackbird, right Jean?"
"That psychic bubble I wrapped him in shouldn't wear off for another few hours, if that's what you mean, honey."
"Good. Now, go on Beast."
Beast gave a smart salute. "Yessir, Scottie boy!" He hopped up the mountainside like a blue fuzzy frog until he was out of sight. A few moments later, he leapt down in the same fashion.
"Okeydoke, boss-man, now we know they're not stupid. Pyro's waiting for us to hop down, so I think they know we're here. I say we jump him!"
Scott gave it a moment's thought, but no more. "Agreed. Storm, you and I will go down there real fast. I want hail unless you get any better ideas. Let's go."
Not quite as quickly as Beast, they reached the hilltop. Scott and Storm both crouched down, and Scott squinted to look closer. "Yeah, Beast was right. There's our buddy Pyro, just waiting for us to show up and say hi." He set his visor down to concussion-level and started slowly sliding down.
Storm glided at the same speed, not allowing the wind to tell of her presence at all. Her eyes began to go white as the snow above which she flew, and penny-sized hail began to fall, followed by golf ball-sized.
They could both see Pyro being battered mercilessly by her trick. "Weather-witch!!! I know you're behind this! Come out and show yourself!"
Storm flew right in front of him at the bottom inside a little crevice. "Gladly," she said.
"This is where you get deep-fried, lady!" shouted the villain.
Scott shouted, "Now!" Storm ducked, and Scott jumped down, firing and hitting Pyro square in the chest before he hit the bottom. Pyro slumped to the soft, white ground and into unconsciousness as soon as he was hit.
Storm glided back up as the hail stopped and was soon reunited with Scott, along with the rest of the team, all eager for battle. Wolverine's claws were out.
Scott gestured to the door. "Wolverine, would you do the honors?"
Logan grunted in satisfaction. "Gladly." He rushed at the door like a hunting lion--- or wolverine, and as he reached the solid steel door, dug his claws into it fiercly. His claws went through it like butter, and he cut a straight box through it. He pulled his claws out and the door fell to his feet.
"There's your opening, bub," he motioned for Cyclops.
"Wow," said a clearly impressed Beast.
The rest of the team followed into the room. It was about as big as a basketball court without the bleachers, and was surrounded with robots going to and fro everywhere. They were big and small, thin as wire and fat as basketballs, and all appeared to be some sort of titanium-steel alloy. It was like a mini factory run entirely by machines.
Everyone was taken aback for a moment at all the life brewing about before them in little machines. They were reminded of what to do when one robot, a four foot one with a basketball belly, stared with red eyes at them. "Intruders," it acknowledged. "We must attack."
Suddenly, its bright red eyes glowed for a moment, and a laser shot from each one! Jean made both avoid the team as a whole and go into the hill, but the team was awake again. "X-Men, attack!" shouted Scott.
Wolverine dashed forward and cut through two in one swipe. Turning around, he gutted one in its mechanical stomach and tossed it against one aiming for Cyclops.
"I owe you one, Logan!" shouted Cyclops. He suddenly saved Wolverine, beaming one about to shoot Logan. "Not no more, Cyke!" shouted Wolverine.
Storm was using wind to her advantage, since there was no sky for anything else. Every robot that came at her was met with their own tornado and tossed against the wall.
Jean was having probably the easiest time. All she had to do was point at them and Cyclops would shoot skeet for her. They were making a perfect team.
Beast wasn't doing half bad either. All he had to do was grab one and hurl I somewhere. Thanks to Storm, to whom he was sticking close, none were getting their chance to shoot at him.
Scott fired down the last one a few seconds later, and all activity in the room ceased again. "Okay, team, excellent work. That was a good practice for the real bad guys. A nice session in the Danger Room, you might say."
Looking ahead, he saw another steel door in front of them. "Wolverine?" he said. Two minutes later, the door was as its brother… on the floor. Scott turned to his team. "All right, team. On to Mesmero!"