And here is the second chapter

Chapter 9: Despair

Rogue wakes up, still in a cell. They no longer chain her up to the wall. She has lost all sense of time. All her life is right now is food, experiments till she passes out, repeat. She knows it has to of been a few months since she arrived at this hell. Her broken arm had healed, not that it mattered. The experiments had her absorbing so many powers and mind. Then testing how long thoughts powers stayed with her.

The last time it was someone like Wolverine with a high healing rate. She is afraid to see her back after that time, she probably has an scar left from that. Every time he makes her absorb for longer time frames, and every time the powers stay longer.

Eventually she got a neighbor though. She was a blond that seemed very strong. She dented her door but that was about it. She would not shut up for hours when she was first brought in. Once she calmed down some Rogue heard her ask, "Is there anyone here?"

"Ah am. Ya know this is a special occasion for me, so could ya keep down some." Was Rogue's reply, and even to Rogue her voice sounded bad. She had not talked in probably months. The only sounds that came from her any more where the screams of pain, but even thoughts have less as her pain tolerance has gone up since arriving.

"I'm sorry. I must have woken you. It's just these damn bastards don't realize that they are messing with an Avenger here. If I don't break out of here, I'm sure they will get us all out of here." Her neighbor says with a lot of confidence.

Rogue laughs what sounds like a ruff, cold and hopeless laugh, "Sugar, ya don't stand a chance. We all are goin' to die here. I have not heard of anyone escaping except by death. This place is our death beds."

The woman's reply is one that she would not have expected, "I know one of the x-man has gone missing. One of them approached me to help him find her. It was odd how he keep referring to himself in the third person."

This made Rogue shot up out of her makeshift bed and to the window of her cell, "Gambit's looking for me? Is he ok? Did he get captured too?"

"Slow down kid. You must be Rogue then." She smiles warmly, "But yes he is looking along with some of the other x-men. The ones that stopped looking think you are dead. Wolverine sure is not giving up though too. That man is like a bloodhound. But anyways, Gambit was not captured. His condition I do not know though. He was hurt in the fight that got me captured, but he did get away." She sees the look on Rogue face and is happy to see hope in it now.

"Ah know that damn swamp rat would not stop looking for me. How long have I been missing Miss?" Rogue asks.

"Ms. Marvel, but you can call me Carol. And it has been seven months since you disappeared. Wolverine approached the Avengers about this. He thought it might be something with the mutant cure. Well he sure was right about that one."

"Seven months. It has been that long? And you say he never stopped looking for me?" Rogue could not believe it had been that long.

"Yes he even told me he would not stop looking until he was dead." Carol could see Rogue reach up and hold onto a small charm that hangs around her neck. "He loves you deeply. I could tell. I was the only Avenger that was free to help him with the riots and protests that keep popping up. But I would have helped him just because of that love. I know he will come for you." Carol tosses something out the window of her cell towards Rogue's cell. It lands and is the queen of hearts. "He gave me that just in case I found you first. Just wish it was under better conditions."

Rogue sees the card and instantly is filled with hope. Tears that had been building up inside of her for months fall from her eyes and down her cheeks. She misses his voice so much and longs for his strong arms around her once again. She had all but given up, wanting Sinister to just kill her and be done. But now she had a new hope, her will was no longer broken like it was. She looks to the other woman and in her normal voice now, "Thanks Carol."

Carol smiles hearing Rogue's voice sounding strong once again. "Well we got a lot of time kid. Time to get to know each other."

Rogue laughs genuinely for the first time in a long time. "Ah guess so. Now where to start."

Rogue and Carol over the next few months got to know each other very well. They encouraged each other, and keep their hopes up. They would confer each other after they where experimented on. It was a daily routine they had gotten into. They would talk while working out in their cells or trying to recover from their wounds. Rogue hoped every time they took Carol away that she would come back.

The next time they come for Rogue, they grab Carol as well. They look at each other as they are taken down the halls. They enter the laboratory where they are both strapped down to the exam tables. Carol could see how worried Rogue is. Carol shakes her head and says quietly, "Don't worry, the sick fuck probably wants to see the effects of us being tortured in front of each other."

But Rogue didn't think that was going to be the case. She has a really bad feeling about this. Then can Sinister's voice, "My two favorite test subjects. The mutant that takes peoples powers and the human empowered with alien powers. This will be entertaining."

Carol looks at Sinister, "You all ready know that you can not break me physically or mentally."

"Yes but she is going to take your powers." Sinister smiles as he grabs both tables and moves them close. He flips both tables into the upright position so that they are facing each other.

"Now let's see what happens after she touches you for awhile." His wicked smile grows larger. "Well go for ten minutes to start with."

Her raises Carols arm to touch tightly against Rogue's. Rogue desperately tries to control her powers so she does not the only friend she has in this living hell. But far to soon does her powers start to kick in. It starts off like a static shock, but soon Carol is screaming in pain as her powers are absorbed by Rogue. Rogue fights against her restraints trying to get free or ever just move away from Carol to stop the absorption. Soon blood runs over Rogue's hand from pulling on the restraints. Carols screams fade as her face starts to get pale and sunken. Rogue starts to see flashes on her memories as Carol is absorbed. Five minutes later it was all over.

Carol's body was pulled away from Rogue as tears ran down her face. Carol looked like a lifeless skeleton. Rogue could tell, even through her tears, that Carol is dead. She is dead because of her and her powers. Rogue begins to pull on her restraints trying to free her self so she could at least save Carol's body from any other experiments Sinister may try. Her one arm breaks free from the restraints as she lunges out, but she is hit with a blast of electricity so powerful that it causes her to black out.

In the darkness of her mind, Rogue can hear a voice, "It's not your fault Rogue."

Rogue could swear it was Carol's voice. Then Rogue could see her. "Don't blame yourself Rogue. There was nothing you could have done to stop this."

"Yes ah could, I should have just killed myself when ah was ready to. Before you arrived." Rogue shakes her head.

"Destiny has a weird way of playing out Rogue. Don't blame yourself. I'll help you as much as I can. I know how much you want to control your powers now that I'm in your head. Maybe I can help you with that." Carol smiles at Rogue.

"Ah don't know about that. Ah just don't want to have what happened to you ever happen again." Rogue looks down at her hands. She then looks up to face Carol. "Ah will always feel responsible for your death Carol, but ah will not let it be in vain. Let's get started."

Carol smiles seeing her friend resolve and knowing that she will survive.