[OP: "Rise Up" --Skillet]

The team was ushered into a back meeting room next to the kitchen.

They met their host pastor team, which included the senior pastors Mordecai and Hannah; the associate pastors Jeff and Janet; the youth pastor Rick; and the worship leaders Liz and Katie (no relation to each other).

"We spoke on the phone," Hannah said to Shine. "It's nice to finally meet in person. You nervous?"

"Oh, yes," Shine said.

"Well, that's okay," Hannah said. "We all are."

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little shaky," Mordecai said. "But this ain't our first rodeo either. It looks like we're gonna have a bigger turn out than we thought, though. We was thinking a few thousand people, but there's gotta be that much in line already, and it's just starting."

"A few thousand?" Rogue almost choked.

"Oh, for a mega church conference, that's nothing," Shine told her. "My smaller church at home has a few hundred people on a given week even without a conference."

"I've never seen that many people in one place together," Rogue said weakly.

"At least if dey weren't trying to kill us," Gambit muttered.

"So which of you is Storm?" Jeff asked. 

Storm nodded.

"I admire your willingness to put yourself out there," Jeff said. "We were surprised to hear someone agreed to. But, God willing, it's going to catch people's attention."

Storm smiled weakly.

"Though if any of the rest of you want to share, we still have open time for it," Janet said. "We tend to go long...into the wee hours of the morning usually. So there'll be time for spontaneous things."

[I was taken to many conferences as a child, not willingly, and going till midnight was a short one. Same with my friends who mentioned the same thing. We don't do things lightly.]

"How can anyone talk 'bout God for dat many hours?" Gambit wondered.

"Oh, usually we're through talking about God by 10 or so, but the Spirit will move during our closing worship," Mordecai, who told them to call him Morty, said quite casually.

Gambit looked at him oddly.

"No telling what might happen," Janet said. "Last year's conference, we had several people get healed. That was the theme of the conference."

"And they were genuine, not rigged?" Xavier said, not thinking how rude it was.

They looked at him oddly.

"Oh...forgive me, I had heard stories of that," Xavier said.

"Well...perhaps some people do set it up, for attention." Morty did not sound like he took kindly to such people. "But we would never do that. We shoot straight here."

"You never know what could happen." Hannah shrugged. "But we haven't planned it, it's just what we're open to. If you want to include a time of prayer for that, by all means. We've been following Mike's lead this whole time. No one else has done this."

"I'm not opposed to that," Mike said. "I'm sure many mutants would like that, as well as the rest of the people who are here out of curiosity. We must remember that while we invited mutants, the other people are just as important and will be seeking the truth also."

"Are you going to address them directly?" Morty asked. "I think it might be wise, but I feel strongly that turning this into a soap box tirade against the wrong humans have done to mutants would be foolish. We want to make peace, not war, with the people. And I have to ask, 'cause we did have someone do that once or twice, back when we were just getting started."

"Oh, yes, I've seen that too," Shine winced. "It's so uncomfortable. Political rallies are the place for tirades, not pulpits. We must express our disapproval without condemning people beyond hope, I think."

"Then we agree on that," Morty said.

"I agree," Mike said. "You may look at my notes if you want, but I really do not think I put anything offensive in them."

"If you're talkin' about mutants, it'll be offensive to some people." Logan was blunt. "And you all know that people have been threatenin' you, right?"

They looked at him, then Rick laughed. "Ah, no, the death threats in our mail box completely went over my head, pardner."

Rick seemed to think he was a cowboy.

[Yeah, well, a youth pastor has to be colorful, at least that's what the ones I knew always seemed to think. Also the Rick and Morty joke was somehow an accident on my part.]

"People are upset..." Janet said slowly. "But people have always been upset about some of what we preach here. They have called us false teachers for any number of reasons...not usually consistent ones. This is no different. Why should reaching out to some oppressed members of society be unchristian? Anyone who thinks so cannot have read their Bible too closely, I think."

"We've taken precautions," Morty said. "The police have sent a few people here, and of course, most of our members have guns." He chuckled. "We told them not to bring them inside though. Didn't want anyone to pretend to come in as a friend and end up...not being one. But if there's trouble, I think they can handle themselves. And didn't ya say you were being some special forces of something for mutants?"

"The X-men," Xavier said. "They are a team of mutants trying to help people and protect the country. We had hoped they would change people's minds about mutants, in time."

"Hi." Rogue waved. "You've seen us on TV maybe."

"I was trying to figure out where I knew y'all from," Hannah said. "You're those mutants.... You rescued the president, didn't you?"

"Yep," Rogue said.

"That was when Kelly began to like mutants," Morty recalled. "I'm glad he had a change of heart. That registration act was going to cause all sorts of trouble. We could've told 'em."

"No one should have to register who they are to the government, I think," Jeff said.

"Where were you in Europe when the Nazis took over?" Shine said dryly.

"The county did have a few words to say about us doing this..." Morty said, on a different note. "They can't legally stop us, but they warned us that it if goes south, they can't be held responsible, and we're acting as an independent, religious organization."

"Some support," Rogue said.

"Well, you know government officials always have to be careful," Hannah said wryly. "But it's okay. We don't need their help. We'll get by. Did y'all want some vittles before we get started? There's still a while before you need to get set up with your mics and stuff."

"I won't say no to food," Wally said.

In the dining hall, a lot of the congregation was there already, eating and chatting.

The mutants got some looks when they walked in.

But they actually spotted other mutants, who came up to them, looking in awe.

Mostly ones who aren't that obvious, but a few who were.

It couldn't be said everyone in the room was exactly welcoming. It was mixed, just like everywhere else had been.

The X-men by now had learned to expect that and not to be frightened by it. So far none of the violence over this had come from inside the actual church, only from outside it. The people weren't all comfortable with them, but they weren't willing to actually target their own church over it, it seemed.

While they were eating, some disturbance started outside.

The protesting had increased.

The cops were discouraging people from getting too close to the doors, but they were still on the sidewalk and street yelling about it.

Luckily the church was so big, you couldn't hear it that well from inside.

But Trinity, Caleb, and Brittney all went to look out the front.

Nancy told them to come back and ignore it.

"That's all just noise," she said, her Hew York accent getting stronger. "They're all squawking, hoping for attention. I say we just mind our own business."

"Will people not come in?" Caleb wondered.

"I hope they will," Nancy said.

Well...it must not have stopped that many of them. There were still thousands gathering inside.

Storm peered into the sanctuary, and then she shivered. "There're so many people..."

"They know this is history in the making," Shine said, "that's why. Are you okay?"

"I...don't know," Storm said. "I've addressed crowds before, but this is daunting. Are you okay?"

"I'm doing my best not to think about it," Shine said. "I suppose after the first few minutes, I'll be fine. Stage fright usually doesn't last long for me."

"Land alive." Rogue looked out. "Am I glad I didn't agree to speak at this thing. That'd chill my blood just lookin' at it."

"Not helping, Rogue," Shine said.

"Sorry." Rogue walked away.

It felt like too little time passed before the worship team went out there to start the service.

The X-men had reserved seating in one corner of the room, but they hadn't wanted to be in the dead center front.

Mystique didn't sit with them, anyway, true to her word.

But actually, Morph and Colossus went with her.

"It's not like it matters; we look normal," Morph said. "Not sure anyone should be on their own, though. Man this place is huge." He laughed nervously.

"Is good," Colossus said. "We reach many people."

Mystique bit her lip. "This is about the biggest crowd I've ever seen--thousands of people, a parade or rally. Can't believe they gathered here for a church service."

"I think it's more than that," Morph said. "Even I'm nervous..."

He looked pretty nervous actually.

"Do you think Storm will be okay?" he said.

"She be fine," Colossus said. "She have steel in spine...not literally, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, sure," Morph said. "Well, Logan will keep an eye on her."

"Are we acknowledging that now?" Mystique asked, fiddling with the pamphlet she'd had in her chair.

"Can we acknowledge it?" Morph asked. "I'm pretty sure they haven't."

"I don't know--you tell me," Mystique said. "Don't know why anyone would drag their feet about something so simple."

"Well, Logan always had a thing for Jean," Morph said. "Which we don't talk about...but, lately, I'm not so sure."

"Of course he doesn't like her," Mystique said coolly. "They have nothing in common. This is proof of it. She is at home. Anyone could see that. I suppose he's too big of a fool to notice the difference."

"Are you an expert on this now?" Morph said.

"On knowing when someone has feelings for someone else? I'd like to think I'd have to be," Mystique said flatly.

"Colossus not know what you are talking about," Colossus said. "But we are not paying attention to concert."

"I don't think concert is the right word..." Morph said. "But okay, you're right. We should stop talking."

So they did.

https://youtu.be/jdE03zRJtxw

[Better is One Day-- Kutless]

https://youtu.be/Q7EPZV56PuA

[Above All-- Michael W. Smith]

https://youtu.be/J3dduaI07wg

[My Redeemer Lives-- Reuben Morgan]

https://youtu.be/yGwhZtEnjao

[Are You Washed (In the Blood)-- Sweet Tidings Gospel Jam]

https://youtu.be/uGA4erN2Q90

[Gospel Plow #2-- Sweet Tidings Gospel Jam]

The Gospel songs they included were kind of catchy, Morph thought.

Mystique, paying little attention to the songs, was looking around and counting how many mutants she could spot just on appearance alone.

She was surprised to see there might have been at least 50 there--not a lot compared to the humans, but a lot to be out in public at once. Some were sitting next to humans, who didn't seem to care. Others had gathered in a corner or even on the floor, with only each other.

Kurt was drawing odd stares, as usual, but at least no one was yelling at him.

Mystique wondered vaguely if this was the sort of thing she ought to have been proud of him for, as his mother, if she'd ever invested in him. Or Rogue...

Well, it beat what Creed did.

Rogue was facing some of her fears here.... Perhaps that was good. If it was rewarded and didn't end in trouble.

But speaking of trouble.

They came in late, but finally she spotted what she'd been afraid to see.

"Morph," she hissed, nudging him, "look."

Morph looked.

They were some of the mutants from Magneto's camp.

All of them ones who didn't stand out too much, but some were clearly mutants.

Not just that. She spotted some of Sinister's Marauders there also...though they weren't in costume, but they were easily recognized--but no sign of Sinister--and they weren't trying to kidnap anyone.

"What are they doing here?" Morph actually looked green.

"Perhaps they're just curious," Mystique said. "But Magneto's are not. One look at their eyes, you know they're here out of anger."

They were glaring at the whole scene.

"They wouldn't do anything with this many witnesses...right?" Morph said.

"They don't care," Mystique said. "But they're waiting...perhaps for the speaking..."

"Maybe someone should go talk to them first," Morph said. "Try to talk them out of it. The Professor maybe could. Or he could convince them...the other way."

"It won't work that long," Mystique insisted. "Don't provoke them. Maybe they'll go away."

She didn't buy it, and she wished she could sink through the floor, even if none of them should recognize her right now.

The worship ended a little later, and Pastor Morty got up to introduce the night's events.

There were a lot of kids present, as a matter of fact. Some of them had coloring pages that were handed out in the front.

The mutant kids who'd come with the group were sitting by Logan and Hank with theirs. No one had stopped them from getting some.

Morty welcomed everyone, including the kids and mutants, and said he hoped this was going to be a powerful night for all of them, and he opened in prayer.

Mystique eyed the Mutates.

They were watching him like he was a bird in the bush they were thinking of shooting.

If Morty noticed the hostility, he didn't acknowledge it.

"And now, I'd like to introduce all of y'all to our guest--all the way from The Big Apple, Reverend Mike Billings."

A thunderous applause met this as Mike came up to the pulpit.

The Mutates zeroed in on him like they knew him from the news.

"Someone's gotta talk to them." Morph started to get up. Mystique yanked him back down.

"Are you crazy? They'll do something for sure if you do that," she said.

"Leave them be. They should listen too." Colossus hadn't missed what they were talking about.

Mike started to speak. He introduced himself and then talked about how he'd come to care about this ministry, telling his story, and about meeting the mutants he knew and the church getting flack for it.

People applauded and shook their heads at the right moments.

Then Mike began talking to the mutants in the room directly about what he'd come to learn about them.

"Mutants are as different from each other as other people are," he said. "So I won't try to say something that will speak for all of you at once. I know everyone's story is different. But whatever your story is, and whatever you've been told in the past, I just want you to know that God is no respecter of persons, and He does not care about what we are. Maybe some people have used His name to justify cruelty, but that's not what He wants for us. And if you're here, I think He's been calling out to you, even if you don't know it, trying to show you He does care. And this is for all of us." He consulted his notes.

"It's our job to look out for our brothers and our neighbors, no matter who they are and what they're situation is and what they believe. We're all in this together. I want to talk to you all about the Good Samaritan. I'm sure you've heard the story before, but we can always hear it again..."

He launched into the story of how a man was on the road and was attacked by bandits and beaten and left almost dead.

And a holy man passed by and did not help him, and another holy man, of a different kind, passed by and did not help him. Both making excuses about why they could not.

And then a Samaritan, the long enemy of the Jewish people, passed by and helped him and took him to an inn and paid for his care.

Mike ended this by repeating Jesus' question to the crowd. "Which of these men do you think was his neighbor? And the man answered, 'I suppose the one who helped him.' So he doesn't seem very enthusiastic about it, does he?"

People laughed.

"And Jesus tells him he's right, and we should go and do likewise. I think whatever our differences are, the point of Christian living is to help whoever needs help. And that God doesn't care about our excuses. We'll be talking more the rest of this weekend about how to help--"

Suddenly some yelling interrupted him.

It was the Mutates...and perhaps a few other mutants who were getting angry also.

"Mutants don't need your help, human!"

This shocked the crowd, and people began talking, asking what was going on.

"Uh oh..." Morph said.

Mystique lowered her head like she was ducking.

"They must stop this." Colossus got up and started going toward them.

Morph followed him, not sure what else to do.

Mystique hung back, frozen in fear.

Wally dashed over also.

"Hey, hey!" he said. "Stop it, you're interrupting the sermon."

"You!" Some of them recognized him.

"Quiet," Colossus said. "He is speaking good things."

"What are you?" they sneered at him. "Stay out of it, human."

"I not human." Colossus turned his mutation on, earning some gasps from people.

"Hey," Wally hissed to him, "let's just get them out of here, I'm fast enough to. We can deal with them outside. Let Mike get on with it."

He made some sign at Shine with his hands, and she replied in kind.

Then Wally yanked several of the Mutates out of the room before they even knew what happened.

Colossus firmly plucked another one up who wasn't strong enough to stop him and carried them out also.

The others ran after them to stop this.

The crowd was surprised...but probably the security outside had made them realize this was a possibility, and only a few of them left.

Mike, after seeing Shine gesture at him to go on, went back to what he was saying, after briefly saying that he as sorry that they felt that way, but it was not his intention to demean anyone.

"Now I have to hand over the mic to someone who's actually met and gotten to know more mutants than I have," he said. "Please welcome Shine West."

Shine got up.

The X-men who remained gave her nods-- or else alarmed looks.

Scott had gone out to help settle the argument.

* * *

"I don't care what you see this as," Wally was saying to them. "These people aren't trying to hurt you. You have no right to do this to them. You all should be ashamed of yourselves."

"We don't have to listen to you!" they argued with him.

"Hey, we let you guys off easy before," Wally said. "Don't make a scene out of this. There's cops here."

"We're not afraid of them," they argued.

"Please, please." Xavier joined them. "Friends, let us talk about this. Did Magnus send you here?"

"He knows we're here," they said.

One female Mutate spoke, "He wants us to scope it out. See what they were saying. Mostly, he was surprised you had the gall to put this on after so many mutants told you not to."

"How did you know that?" Wally asked. 

"We network," she said stiffly.

"I don't see Psylocke here," Scott spoke up. 

"Yeah, was she too big a coward to show up after last time?" Logan sniffed.

"I'm going to contact Jean and make sure nothing is going wrong at home." Scott stepped away.

"Magneto did ask us to pass on a message to you, Xavier," the female mutant spoke. "He said to tell you this will not lead to anything but more scorn for mutants, and you're a fool if you support it. And the consequences are on your head, because he warned you ahead of time not to get involved."

"And you may tell him that no one is allowed to threaten my friends and guests in this manner and not earn my disapproval," Xavier said. "How can I condone his actions? And I implore him not to harm them anymore, for our friendship's sake if nothing else."

The Mutate smiled very unpleasantly.

"He also wanted to know if you're still a harboring Mystique."

"That's not really his business, is it?" Morph spoke. "We're not gonna help you find her after what happened. Even if we knew where she was."

"Gave you the slip already, did she?" The female mutant must not have liked Mystique. "Figures."

Morph hadn't said that exactly, but he wasn't about to correct her. He hoped none of them were psionic.

"Excuse me." Some news people came closer. "Are you mutants? Do you have a statement on this?"

Logan glanced at them. "Yeah, I have a statement. Get that camera away from us before we break it."

They stared at him.

Logan took a step forward, and they backed away.

"Logan, do not frighten them," Xavier said.

"I don't care if it's for mutants or not, those kinds of paparazzi always make me sick," Logan sniffed.

"Please, leave," Xavier urged them. "Or else remain peacefully. We do not want to fight on this occasion."

"Fine, we're done here anyway," the female mutant said. The others looked at her, then they backed off.

"Remember, Xavier, you were warned," she tossed back at him before they ran across the parking lot.

"I smell trouble," Logan said.

"At least they have gone for now," Xavier said.

"We're gonna miss Storm," Morph said. "Come on."

They went back to their seats. People looked at them but didn't ask them anything.

Mystique was still where she'd been, looking ready to have a heart attack.

"Are they gone?" she asked.

"Yeah, they left. Just wanted to cause a stir, I guess," Morph said.

"That is not like Magneto." Mystique narrowed her eyes. "There's something else."

"Well, they had a message too," Morph said. "But we should talk about this later, with the whole team."

Mystique went silent.

Morph could have sworn she was acting like she was worried about more than just her own safety, though. She kept glancing at Shine and then the others, like she was waiting for something to blow up.

Shine was still talking.

"And we were bringing them food for a while, until, unfortunately, they broke off from us." She was speaking of the Morlocks. "But some of them we took in. But there's so many more, more than we could possibly handle on our own. Mutants are the most needy of the citizens in our countries, because they are the last people anyone thinks about needing help, usually. There're shelters for other people...but only a few for mutants. Most of them end up in the streets, if they cannot hide their powers. In the gutters and sewers of the world. Often they get found by groups who are little more than terrorists, but they have nowhere else to go, so they work for them. People on the news talk about mutant violence, but they don't ask why mutants are so driven to be violent. Most of them are desperate and starving and angry. If they had more options, they might not choose those. Many who have been presented with a better choice have jumped at the chance to contribute good things to the world instead. And with that said..."

She took a sip of water. "I know, mutants, that you are angry. I've been listening to your stories for months now...and it gets messy, trying to sort out the pain and the misunderstanding and the injustice. I can't stand up here and pretend that it will be easy to walk this path, but I think of how many people in the Bible did not have it easy, and I have hope. Adversity is not always bad, not if it's what we need to rise above what's normal.... I know that normal is a difficult word for mutants, and for the rest of us, sometimes. Normal is what they can never be...but in getting to know them, I've started to think that's a gift, not a curse. Being 'normal' is just another word for being complacent, usually, thinking that this is as good as it needs to be. I've been reminded many times that it's important never to stop thinking of how we can improve, even personally, on our own. I think that for people who endure to the end, God promised they will be saved. It won't be easy to change things, but the only way things have ever changed is by people rising to the challenge, and I mean humans also. All of us. We have to do the right thing...and it starts with each one of you. I want to read a quote that I've never forgotten since I first saw it."

She picked up an index card.

Someone also put the quote on the screens behind her, where they'd project song lyrics also.

"The whole course of human history may depend on a change of heart in one solitary and even humble individual - for it is in the solitary mind and soul of the individual that the battle between good and evil is waged and ultimately won or lost." --M. Scott Peck

Shine looked up. "I think of this often--that we think change has to be big, but really, change is always personal first. So I ask all of you to think about what is in your mind and soul, not about what the world as a whole thinks about us or God or other people. And see what you are supposed to do. And I'd like to end with one more quote before I hand it off to my friend:

"'There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community.' M. Scott Peck"

People applauded as she walked back off stage.

Morph checked the program. The theme of tonight was stated as Love Thy Neighbor. He supposed that was why they were all talking about that first.

Storm was up next.... She looked pale as she got up there.

But everyone must have seen she was a mutant.

The room got very quiet.

Storm almost felt like she did when she felt claustrophobic. But she swallowed it and took the mic.

"Hello," she said. Her controlled voice immediately commanded their attention even more. "My name is Storm. That is my Mutant name... I'm a mutant..."

Everyone was staring, enraptured.

Storm drew a deep breath, feeling like she was standing on the top of a mountain in thin air, before she went on.

"I have come to tell you a bit about us, from our perspective...as well as I can. I was honored to be asked to. But this is my first time doing this, so you will have to bear with me if I am a little nervous."

People actually laughed a little, taking this to be a joke.

Storm felt slightly better.

"Well, I wasn't born knowing I was a mutant," she went on, checking her notes. "Most of us aren't, in fact. I realized I had powers as a young child, after my family tragically perished in an attack in Cairo..."

She told her story.

Once she got started, Storm was an eloquent speaker by nature, and no one was missing a beat of what she had to say.

She didn't go into huge detail about her childhood with the Spirit King, only saying that she was used for her powers by some evil man and then rescued.

"After that I went to my mother's home village in Africa for a while," she said. "There I grew up for a while and used my mutant powers to aid my village... While I liked it there, and I was fond of my people, it began to become too much. They worshiped me like a goddess."

She had not explained what her powers were, but no one seemed to care.

People were leaning forward.

"Eventually it was too much," Storm went on. "I left and came to America and found other mutants who would treat me as an equal and helped me learn to control my power and emotions, after how the past had messed with my head. Until recently, we have striven to protect people from threats, such as mutants who have taken this hatred to a different extreme, and other threats that we are suited to helping. And then this year is when we began to be interested in what you call 'ministry.'"

She told her story there, about coming to respect this and see it was real and it worked.

No one yelled anything at her.

Perhaps even the other mutants were too much in awe of her story.

Storm finally wrapped it up. "My wish is that we keep aiding other mutants, who are less fortunate than I am, and humans too. And we learn to live together in peace. I have seen enough bloodshed already. I do think that mutants mostly do not have hope, and that is our biggest problem, as well as loneliness... I am glad to say I now do not suffer with either of these problems, but so many do. We must keep trying to help them... Thank you."

She wasn't sure how else to end.

Btu she was met with uproarious applause from pretty much everyone, to her shock.

She sank back down, and Shine hugged her. "Did you see how quiet they were? They were hanging on every word you said. You did great!"

"That was really good, Storm," Rogue agreed. "I didn't know you could do a whole speech like that, though I guess ya always had a thing for that."

"I didn't know I could either..." Storm said.

"Comes naturally to ya," Logan sniffed, like he'd know all along it would go well, instead of checking the conference crowd for any sign of anyone getting too riled up.

[You know, if you ask me, Storm was born for this. She's always exhibited massive gifts in inspiration and leadership, but it's not really used a whole lot in the canon stories about the X-men. It was nice to explore it more here.

Wonder if we've seen the last of Magneto's group.]