I don't know if Mekantos is like me, but if so, he likes to take pride in his kills, and that's not easy when someone else choked/stunned the victim for you. Hence he might have been willing to do it now and then, but didn't want to make a habit of it, because then he'd not have been able to take as much satisfaction in what he did achieve.

As far as the eyes of flame things goes, the solution to me would be for others to try to break out, then link with Mekantos, and for all to go back in together, if he was to be involved at all.