From his security cameras in the control room where he was supposedly on the floor, unconscious, Magneto slammed his fist down upon the metal. "No!" he shouted. "How could Wolverine defeat his worst fear? How???"
He calmed himself as Wolverine entered the base and pulled out his com link. "Attention, Menace. Come in Menace. Do you read me?"
"10 4, boss."
"Read ya."
"Right here, father"
Magneto smiled. At least nothing had befallen his inner circle. "Good. Now listen closely. Pyro has been defeated. Repeat, Pyro has been defeated. You will have to follow up your part of the plan without his assistance. Do you read me?"
A quick yes from al.
"Any questions?"
The Scarlet Witch spoke up. "Is there any chance that Pyro could rejoin us?"
Magneto chuckled at his daughter's wisdom. So he had taught her something. "Good question, but the answer is no. He was thrown off the cliff east off this base and into the river he himself had boiled. He's dead. You'll definitely have to go alone."
Everyone shut off their com link and Magneto's smile vanished. He walked over to Mesmero, who appeared to be waking up, and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him to where their eyes were level.
Magneto had once served as a POW while recovering from WWII for three years in Stalin's Russia. He had been tortured, of course, sprouting his hatred of all human government, especially communism. But he had also been taught. They had thought he might join them when they discovered his inner hatred that had yet to emerge when his young wife would die. So, they taught him a skill that he needed now for this moment. The art, skill, and power of hypnosis.
He walked over to the control panel with Mesmero still in his right hand and turned on some slow music. Mesmero's eyes drooped down as he listened to the slow beats.
Magneto spoke in an unnatural, kindly tone like addressing a child. "Mesmero, it's me, Daddy. Your daddy. Do you recognize me?"
"Yes. Hi, Daddy," squeaked Mesmero, his eyes still closed.
"Son, I have a question for you. Will you answer me after I say it?"
"Yes sir."
"Is there anyone you hate right now in the 1st grade? Someone you wish you could just reach out and punch on the nose? Someone you wish you could punish forever? Someone you hate?
Mesmero was silent,
"Mesmero? It's Daddy, remember? Anyone you hate?"
"Y-yes sir. There's Billy Bofield at recess. He always wants to beat me up, so all I can do is play on the swings near the teachers or I'll get beat up.
"Do you hate Billy Bofield?"
"Yes sir."
"Say that for me please, son. Say that you hate him."
"I hate him."
"Who?"
"Billy Bofield."
"Now say it all together for me, son, or I can't believe you, Say it all together now."
"I hate Billy Bofield."
"Very good, lad. Very good. Now, does Billy Bofield have a whole gang that he walks around with?"
"Yes sir. There's Sarah, she's a tomboy; and Adam; and Joe; and Sam. They all hang out with Billy at recess. One time, when Billy beat me up, they just stood there and laughed. I hate them too."
"Very good, son. Now, when I wake up, you will be an adult again and I will show you the ones you hate. Okay?"
"Okay, Daddy."
"When I count to three, I want you to open your eyes and be an adult again, but I want you to continue listening to me. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes sir."
Very good. One… two… three."
Mesmero slowly opened his eyes and stared blankly at Magneto.
Magneto walked over to the screen and pressed a few buttons, and a large picture of all the X-Men popped up before their very eyes."
"Do you see what I see, Mesmero?" he asked in the sing-song voice.
"What do you see, sir?"
"I see Billy Bofield and all his gang: Sarah, and Sam, and Adam and Joe. Look! It's them, they're just all grown up now, like you. Can't you tell?"
Mesmero squinted and his eyes went wide. "Daddy, it's them! Make them go away! They might beat me up! Make them go, Daddy!"
"There's no reason to be afraid of them, Mesmero! They can't hurt you any more! You can hurt them!"
"Me… hurt Billy Bofield?"
"Yes! And all his gang too! Nowadays they go by different names, but it's them! Don't you see?"
"You're right, Daddy! You're right!"
"Now, what do you want to do, Mesmero?"
"I'm gonna go fight Billy and all his buddies!"
Magneto smiled as Mesmero said this. "Good boy."
In their prison, Nightcrawler and Angel struggled to escape from their steel shackles. Something in them prevented Kurt from teleporting away. Apparently he would have to free himself first.
"Angel, are you having any luck?" he asked.
"Nill. You?"
"The same. If I could only teleport free…!"
Suddenly, something in the corner caught Angel's eye. Something was sparkling over in the corner. What was it?
"Kurt! Can you see that thing over there? That shining thing?"
Nightcrawler glanced over and squinted. "Yes, I see it."
Angel stamped his foot in impatience. "Do you think you can reach it? We don't have all day!"
Kurt, his shackles being shorter than Angel's crawled over and picked it up, slowly inching back with it firmly in his two fingered hand. Once he was back, he opened it up for Angel to see. Angel's eyes went big. "Kurt… do you know anything about this place before Mesmero made it a base for himself?"
Kurt scratched his head. "I think Scott said it was the only diamond mine anywhere this side of the world a long time ago, but that it was totally empty now. Why?"
"Because, as Warren Worthington III, I've seen a lot of precious metals in my day. And guess what the hardest rock in the world is?"
Kurt raised his head in realization. "Diamonds!"
Angel nodded. "Kurt, my friend, I think they left a diamond behind. Now let's break these shackles!"