A/N: Okay, here's the next chapter. Sorry if it took me too long to write it; for a while there I had writers block and I didn't know how to continue.

Firebirth: Chapter Two

Rouge sat down on her black sheet bed and looked over at Kitty. She was fast asleep, still in her cloths, her lap top computer still on. Rouge shook her head. She would have gone over and turned it off for her, but she didn't know if Kitty had any important information on it that she hadn't saved yet.

Rouge let out a yawn herself, and frowned. It was hot in the room, which may or may not have been due to the layers of clothing she was wearing so that her powers wouldn't hurt any one who touched her. She walked over to the window and opened it.

She stood there for a while, her hands on the window still, looking out into the starry sky, thin white curtains flapping in the wind.

It's so peaceful, she thought.

Suddenly, a large white owl carrying a book appeared from nowhere right in front of her face.

Rouge gave out a cry of surprise and stumbled backward, arms flapping about. She fell down on her back.

When she sat up, the bird was perched on her windowsill. She stared at it.

"What is this, an invitation to Hogwarts?" she asked finally, slowing reaching her hand out to the book that the owl was carrying, hoping that it wouldn't bite her or anything.

When her fingers touched the leather book and the bird didn't doo anything, she snatched it away quickly, then shooed it out of the room. She closed the window and watched the owl fly into the night through the surprisingly clean windowpane.

Finally, she looked at the book. It was faded, and it looked like someone tried to clean it.

"Destiny's Diary," she read out loud. Her face suddenly went pale.

"Ah, geez," she said.

A tall woman named Tessa stared at her computer screen, a frown on her deep red lips, her curly back bangs falling over her pale skinned shoulders.

With a sigh, she took off her red glasses, and rubbed her eyes.

On her screen were the Internet findings by a man named Vargas. Pictures of a leather bound book, clippings from its pages.

Tessa sighed, and wished that she could perhaps take a break at trying to decipher the code that was in The Book Of Destiny; Volume Eight (as Vargas called it). Unfortunately, she did not have many friends who could relieve her of such.

Tessa worked for what was know as the Hellfire Club; more specifically, she worked for Sebastian Shaw, the Black King, and ultimately the president of sorts of the club. She was their information outlet.

Tessa was a mutant. She had a mind like a computer; possibly better. A photographic memory that served her well, Tessa was indeed a computer made of flesh and blood. To put it more bluntly, Tessa could remember what she saw, and what she remembered she could analyze. Which was everything.

Alas, Tessa was also considered to be a puzzle wrapped in an enigma. Not many of the other members of the Hellfire club liked her. She seemed to have the emotions of a computer also, not earning her many friends.

Suddenly, and surprisingly, there was a knock at her door.

I wonder who that could be? Tessa thought, getting up from her chair. Probably just Shaw wanting something from me, she answered to herself with a frown.

Instead, when Tessa opened the black mahogany door she found teenage Elizabeth Braddock, known better as Betsy.

The girl's older brother, superhero Captain Britain, was making a smart alliance with the Hellfire Club. Member of the splinter British Team, Captain Britain was looking to an upgrade from simply just a member to White King; a big promotion, considering.

The blonde hair, blue-eyed girl looked nervously to the older woman. She wore a simple blue dress with long sleeves and a high neck.

"Miss Tessa," she said, "they're serving breakfast and the Black King was wondering if you were to be joining us?"

Tessa considered. She hadn't realized the time, and wasn't very hungry. On the other hand, it would give her a much-needed break from the interned reading she had been doing.

"If you could just bring some herbal tea to my room…?" Tessa asked. Betsy nodded. Tessa hesitate, and then spoke again.

"Will you be joining them, Betsy?"

The blonde girl looked up from the floor, were she had been staring the whole time, and shook her head.

"I'm not very hungry, miss," she said. Tessa smiled.

"Then make you a cup too," she said, "and join me?"

The girl smiled and nodded.

Betsy stood there are Tessa closed the door, a little bit more happy since she had arrived to the states. In Britain, she had been quite popular among people. But here in America, she felt out of place among her brother's friends. The only person who had been in nice to her at all was Meggan; but Tessa suspected that was only because she liked her brother.

Emma Frost, the White Queen, was also slightly nice to her, but Betsy was quite afraid of her. Emma was only nice to people she wanted something from; and Betsy did not like the idea of what the tall blonde woman might want from her.

Betsy walked down the hallway and down the stairs to the kitchen. Tessa may be older then her, but she might be the only friend in the states until her and her brother went back home.

If they went back home.

Tessa was surprised that under the young girl's somewhat shy exterior, Betsy was a wonderful girl with a great personality. She seemed to be a very confidant and normal girl, not at all like she had come off as.

Though it was probably best to act shy around the Hellfire members. They were horrible people, and would crush someone like Betsy was underneath.

Tessa had not thought to invite the girl into her room at first. Very few had ever entered, especially not a young child such as the blonde teen. But something about Betsy was looming in Tessa's mind. Something that her computer-like memory was picking up.

After the British mutant left, Tessa returned to her computer and searched though the memory banks until she found what she was looking for.

Near the last page that Vargas had shown on-line of the Book Of Destiny, there was a small picture of two people fighting. One of them looked vaguely like Betsy, with purple hair and a sick look on her face. The other was Asian, with a deep crimson mark on her face. She seemed unaccustomed to her body; though how the illustration could be so detailed was beyond her.

Tessa frowned, and read the passage that was under it. All that she could see was something about "the search for the Crimson Dawn". The rest would be on the next page, which Vargas had not posted online.

I have to get this book, thought Tessa.

And she knew just how she would.

Meanwhile, Rouge was going over the book that was delivered to her window. With every page that she turned, the deep frown on her face increased. Finally, she slammed her book and went to find the Professor.

Something bad is going to happen, she thought. And I'm afraid that I might be the only one who can stop it.

A/N: Whee! The last chapter was a little short, so I hope this longer one makes up for it a little. Remember, Review and let me know what you think, and if I should add anything.