Operation Overdrive: Obscured Fate

by EvonySiren

Being stabbed by her old master and left for dead caused Iseldur Hyne to spiral into deep hatred. The emotional pain she had gone through had killed most of her kindness, for anger and carelessness for others replaced who she used to be. The only thing keeping her going is to hunt down her master and return the favor.- (The rest of the Summary is in the Chapter :3!)

18. Chapter 18: Trust is hard to earn

Operation Overdrive: Obscured Fate!

Chapter 18: Trust is hard to earn.

"I see..." Hidden among the shadows, clad in her black and red gear, her dark eyes squinted when she watched the Rangers fight the Fearcats. With a slow lift of her hand, thin, metal wires glinted. There wasn't an ounce of emotion in her voice, save for a hint of displeasure upon seeing the head of the Elite on the ground. "It seems my Bloodhound failed me, even with the sphere I graciously lent him. Such dogs always rip apart their toys... I should have known better than to give it to him." Lady Nightshade stayed crouched in the branches high above the vast clearing of cliffs and ravines.

"To teach a child to finish their tasks, their parents must show them how..." Through her Asian accent and the cold tone in her words, she twitched a finger, and electricity covered her. "But first... I must retrieve what was taken from me. The remains of my once useful child." As monotonous as ever, not a care resonated.

Within seconds, blue light flashed, and she appeared next to the severed head of the Elite. Her dark, almost black eyes stared emotionless at the Elite's lifeless gaze and the sounds of battle between the two opposing teams ceased upon her arrival.

There was no reason to be worried. Not to her. Despite the cautious movements of the Rangers and the Fearcats who stared at her curiously, she kept her attention on the head.

Slowly and elegantly, she crouched to where her knees pressed together. Her fingers lightly grazed one of the hairs on the head as if to show some form of affection. Yet, there was only sadness that he was gone because she had no one else to do her dirty work. "Such a loyal dog."

"Who're you?!" Mack took a position and got in front of his team, unbeknownst to Nightshade, since she simply kept her gaze on the head.

All had fallen silent afterward. Even the Fearcats could sense something horribly wrong with the situation, with her. However, still, no response came. Nightshade's masked lips and nose naturally made it difficult to see her facial expression, but if it were off, they would've seen disgust.

Fingers intertwined with the Elite's hair before the head was picked up and dangled in her grasp. With a slow rise to her full height, her dark, emotionless eyes examined everyone.

Everyone who saw the look on her face, the look of a professional killer, took several steps back almost instinctively. "I... Will be your silence, in the future." From there, electricity covered her, and she was gone within a flash of lightning.

Their unease and subtle fear became evident when the Rangers looked at each other, before peeking at the Fearcats, who had apparently disappeared.

It's my turn to step in.Her thoughts echoed for a moment after she returned to her previous hiding spot. From a careful movement of her arms, they slipped into the loose, long sleeves of her gear that hid her wire weapons; they completely concealed her hands.I must first... Slay a monster. And to do that – I need to locate her.With finality, she turned around, used her electricity, and disappeared within a flash of blue light.If I find that man, then I will find her with him.Her mind was made up. Any and all witnesses would be dealt with after her main target is gone.

~~Mack~~

"Dad!" Through the doors and donning their uniforms, Mack and the others sprinted. Devastation was written all over his and his friends' faces, coming across that woman sent them into a mixture of fear and concern. "Dad!"

"Mr. Hartford!" Ronny yelled and ran alongside. Everyone eventually found him in a bedroom, looming over the goth, who was placed on her stomach so the Slics she had out wouldn't get hurt. Her gear and outfit were gone, to view the damage. The only thing covering her was a blanket that hid her hips and down, so that Andrew and Spencer could clean up her wounds.

"Oh, my gosh!" Rose covered her mouth with both of her hands at seeing scars, deep cuts, and bruises all over the woman's back. On her biceps, stomach, and ribs, there were bits of hidden cuts from the angle that they were able to see.

The room quickly quieted down, for they were all in a lot of shock at the display. "W- Where's Tray?" Ronny's gaze squinted and watched Andrew cut some thread that was used to stitch a wide gash.

"I've already cleaned him up. Spencer, can you show them to Tray? I also need Ronny's and Rose's help with dressing Miss Hyne's wounds in the front." Even though Hartford had a thing for Iseldur - not that he'd ever admit to it – he took her condition seriously and maturely. The goth was in bad shape, and he was the only one capable of fixing her up before the Rangers came back.

"I... I don't know anything about first aid. Sorry, Mr. Hartford." Ronny nervously lifted a hand and waved it, in hopes of him understanding.

"Don't worry, you can help me! I'll tend to her wounds and stitch her up." The pink Ranger happily chimed in and lightly jogged over to Andrew.

"Alright!" The yellow Ranger couldn't help but feel the need to want to help. Even if she wasn't as knowledgeable in first aid or fixing up bad wounds, she still wanted to be of some use. After all, Iseldur protected her, helped them a bit during bad situations, and jumped to save Tray the moment the Elite had knocked him out.

"Can I leave you two to her? I need to check on Tray. The rest of you need to leave for them to work on the rest of her." Hartford asked with urgency, which Mack saw, and watched him fast-walk toward the door with a swift look at them.

"Of course!" They said in unison and immediately got on either side of the sleeping goth.

Mack was quick to follow after his Dad, curious about what he'd do and Tray's health. Everyone except Ronny and Rose left to follow Andrew out the door. Once they did, they wandered down the hallway to the next room over and stopped in front of the other bedroom door. "Dad. There's a lot to discuss, but first, why was Tray a Power Ranger?" He and his friends stared at him with expectation, watching as Hartford turned around, frowning.

"I'll tell you, but you have to promise me not to tell Miss Hyne. Tray plans to tell her himself... So, please. Let's talk in here while I'm checking on him." From there, he opened the door, with Spencer in tow, and the group followed.

Mack watched him get to work. Unwrapping the bandages on Tray's forearms and biceps, picking up disinfectant, and dabbing the wounds. "Tray Ford is from another world. When he came here, he was taken in by a woman named Nightshade..." As he began and wrapped the kid's wounds with clean bandages and gauze, he explained the rest of the details.

From meeting Nightshade, training under her for half a year, escaping by faking his death, and running into Andrew later after all of that. He even explained the parts about the Fearcats that were in his world, and that he wants to hunt them down in this one, too. Going as far as telling the Rangers that the kid could sympathize with Iseldur and her rage, because he understood why she felt that way.

After everything was explained, Mack stood with his mouth agape at the news. "Let me get this straight." The boy began, his brows knitting confusedly and lifting his finger in his Dad's direction. His worry for Tray was evident on his face when his brows furrowed. "He came to our world by mistake, and he's a victim of Nightshade, too?"

"Dude, it's no wonder he was able to hold off that weird man in armor. I mean – did you see how durable he was?! He was cool!" Dax chuckled and nodded his head, just to earn a few looks from Mack, Andrew, and Will. "I – I mean... Not cool, since he got hurt. That guy deserved all of Miss Hyne's rage!" His smile dropped immediately to be serious in this moment, and he averted his eyes from the three.

As they let silence take over for a moment, they quietly examined Tray's wounds worriedly from a distance. "Anyway." Will started with a sigh, and he too folded his arms. "Whatever that old lady throws at us, we can handle it. We fight bad guys for a living, and if that jerk in armor did that to Tray and hurt Miss Hyne..." He trailed for a second, only to have Mack join in and speak in unison.

"Then we won't let Nightshade get away with it!" Sheer determination shone in their eyes before they glanced at each other and laughed at the coincidence.

Andrew, however, gave the boys a hard stare. One that any parent would be able to decipher as disapproval. "No. We all have to protect them – yes, but Nightshade is far different than anyone you've faced before. You know Miss Hyne isn't afraid of the other villains. She's able to disregard them and push past them, she even fought the Fearcats - three against one for a time. Took out several of those armored guys in the alleyway, too... But if she's afraid of Nightshade, then we're up against a powerful enemy." Hartford returned his gaze to Tray's sleeping figure and gestured for Spencer to fetch him some fresh ice packs for his bruises.

"No way. Are you serious? Miss Hyne is like... A Master! She kicks butt!" Dax gasped and looked between him and the other two next to him.

"Dad – we met her!" As soon as Mack raised his voice urgently, Andrew paused mid-movement and looked at him. Concern was all over his face, he knew that expression from anywhere. "We... Met the same woman who stood on top of the building above the alleyway." He finished, albeit much calmer this time, and gulped.

"Yeah. You should've seen how scary she looked in the eyes. It was like we were looking at a heartless monster." Will chimed in, his fingers clenching his biceps as he continued with a bit more unease in his voice. "Something doesn't feel right about her."

"What? What did she do? Did she say anything to you guys?" Questioned the Dad when he straightened up and let Spencer place the ice packs on the kid's bruises when he returned.

"Yeah. We just asked who she was, and all she replied with was 'I... Will be your silence, in the future', whatever that means." Dax spoke up, repeated Nightshade's lines, and nervously gulped; the other two nodded in agreement.

"That must mean..." Andrew trailed off and began moving his brown eyes aimlessly at the floor in thought. "Spencer! Can you take care of him, please? I need to wake Miss Hyne as soon as she's patched up. We might be in danger!" Quickly, Andrew ran past Mack and the other two without so much as a word from the Elder.

"Dad?! Dad, what's that supposed to mean?!" The Red Ranger whirled around and leaned out of the open doorway to yell down the hall, but not a word was received. When he looked back at Will and Dax, they shared the same concerned expressions as he.

~~Iseldur~~

I... Can't move.Exhausted thoughts echoed as the goth listened to the sounds around her.I feel... Warmth?Confusion quickly settled in once she started to feel a warm, wet cloth softly wiping her wounds.
"Man, how is she still alive?!" Ronny's voice resonated around her, but Iseldur felt too weak to open her eyes to see right now.
"I don't know. She must be pretty tough to be able to move with this many cuts on her! Wow!" Rose's words carried a lot of admiration and surprise when the goth continued to listen in.
"Hey Rose, should I be touching these? They seem pretty delicate. They're almost like... Tendrils made of pure muscle, in the shape of cords." The blonde asked, full of genuine curiosity. Suddenly, fingers traced along one of her exposed Slics and caused one of the goth's fingers to twitch.
No... No! Don't... Don't touch!Out of nowhere, she felt one of her Slics spook the blonde when it wrapped around her wrist and made a sound similar to a whip coiling. Her squeak of surprise made another finger twitch.
"Rose! Help! It latched onto me!" Her hysterical scream caused the pink ranger to laugh at her predicament.
"Okay! Okay! Just hold still. We'll have to flip her over anyway, we're done with dressing the wounds on her front." Rose's giggles were relentless at Ronny's misfortune.

Soon enough, Iseldur felt a pair of hands move her body so she could be on her stomach. Thankfully, her face didn't get buried into the pillows, her head was lying on its side.Relax... Relax! Gotta relax my nerves!Iseldur breathed through her nose and gradually opened her eyes. Luckily, the girls weren't on the side she was looking at, otherwise they would've seen that she was awake now. Surprisingly, the touch on her Slic was enough for her body to move a little, it helped her open her eyes.

Just when she felt an extra pair of fingers touch her Slic, the appendage uncoiled from Ronny's wrist and returned to its previous position: lying sprawled to the side on the bed.

"Oh, gosh. Remind me next time not to touch those. They must be hyper-sensitive or something! Ew..." The girl's comedic 'ew' that was barely audible after she spoke, almost made the goth chuckle if she hadn't swallowed the need to do it.

Instead, one corner of her black lips turned up, twitched, and fell.This girl almost made me laugh. That's rare...Her heterochromic eyes stared at the floor near the edge of the bed, and she kept her ears open to their conversations. For once, her guard almost slipped; it was purely accidental when she chuckled. Her lips curved up a small bit when her eyes closed, and through her nose was a huff of air; she did her best to conceal it.

However, a new voice came in. "Guys, is she awake yet? I -" Andrew caught her attention, and the moment her gaze met his, he stopped mid-sentence. "Oh, she is." Then and there was a subtle movement of his Adam's Apple - an indication of him nervously gulping. Contemplative, strict eyes bore into his puppy-browns, creating a lengthy, awkward silence.

When the two girls walked around the bed and saw her, their gazes darted between her and Hartford suspiciously. It wasn't long until they smiled and giggled at each other, before rushing out of the room. "Good luck, Mr. Hartford!~" The yellow Ranger patted him on the shoulder and shut the door on them, to ensure their privacy.

"It's not like that! It's... Ah, forget it." He practically facepalmed and rubbed his hand down his face to cover the spreading redness on his cheeks.

But Iseldur didn't say a word. Just a silent, cautious glare that a stray dog would give every passerby on the streets. If she looked at herself in the mirror, she would've seen how much she resembled one right now, with the scowl she had.

I hit him. I screamed at him. I threatened him! And I even warned him to stay away from me!Fists clenched at her sides as she remained still, refraining from moving from her position on her stomach.Is he dumb? Or just too kind? Kind...Once she thought more on the last word, she gulped, and worry clutched her heart.She'll kill him...Her jaw clenched when she mulled over that fact and drifted her gaze to the floor in doing so.

"Miss Hyne?" As soon as he asked, her eyes snapped back to his, and her intense stare returned tenfold. He was inching closer with a careful hand reaching toward her, which seemed to spike her guard. Immediately, her Slics raised after her eyes sharpened dangerously, a defensive, survival instinct instilled into her from childhood. "It's okay. You're okay... I won't hurt you. None of us will. Please," he added softly.

She gasped when she felt his warm hand rest on her shoulder blade, accidentally making her Slics become ridged and stiff. However, when he started to rub, she began to panic.

What is this?Her eyes aimlessly looked down and around the floor while her breaths became heavier. Fear of the unknown clouded her mind. Never in her life had she felt this sensation before, unless she had to work for it. Serving Nightshade truly scarred her; such affections or touches confused her to the point of fear.I can't move! I need to move! I need to get away! I don't know how to feel about this!The goth screamed in her mind and tried to use her arms to push herself upright, but it only resulted in her falling back down onto her stomach. The jolt of pain made her grunt aloud through gritted teeth and rest her head on its side again.

"Relax! It's okay..." Softly, calmly, Andrew continued to rub her shoulder. At the angle she saw him in, all she was able to see was him leaning over and picking up a rag from a bucket on the floor. "I wanted to talk to you."

When she didn't answer, he stopped rubbing and began to dab away with the warm rag to try and lessen her pain somehow. From there, he continued with a gentle voice, "Nightshade is a powerful woman, isn't she? I just recently learned her name... She appeared and spoke to the Rangers before running off with the severed head. So, I wanted to know what kind of defenses we should put up to defend ourselves." Concern, concealed fear, and kindness, all combined with every word he spoke. He was truthful; he did learn her name, but he didn't specify how, so he wouldn't stir suspicion.

After roughly another minute of silence, he sighed. "Listen. I understand you don't trust us or feel comfortable enough to rely on us. But she's evil. A villain, and like all the other villains, she needs to be taken down. I know... You're scared of those kids getting hurt by her. It's easy to notice." She heard sympathy and sincerity in his soft words.

Reluctant to so much as speak, Iseldur pondered.She's going to target them next, if she manages to kill me. Damn... I have no choice now. Fu-Before the goth could swear in her thoughts, she decided to answer him. "She'll come after me first. And if she kills me... She'll kill you and your Rangers. She and her clan go after their main targets first, then they wipe out witnesses. She can sneak past any level of security, so it wouldn't matter what defenses you'd put up..." As much as she hates conversations, she has no other choice but to talk. Given her predicament, she's kinda stuck.

There was a huge sigh of relief and a smile from Andrew, as if one of the many weights on his shoulders was finally lifted. "Alright – then, what if we somehow trapped her? Surely there's a way to slow her down or snare her. Even predators can be caught if the hunters have information about them." The warmth of the rag left her after he stood up straighter. From there, she watched him pull up an armchair from the side, closer to the bed so they could chat eye-to-eye.

"If you fake your death, it could throw her off track." Plain and simple, the goth answered. It was hard to look into those pools of chocolate browns, so she moved her attention elsewhere, finding the dresser suddenly interesting for no real reason.

"How could I fake my death? And how would that throw her off track?" Andrew asked with a lift of his brow, unbeknownst to her, of course, since the dresser was still strangely fascinating.

"Take something that will significantly slow your heart rate for a time. She'll check for pulses and all kinds of crap. Your heart rate will have to be at a bare minimum for her not to detect it. Frick... This is annoying." Her eyes closed tightly when she grumbled, hating that she had to have a full-blown conversation with someone. "That way – if she thinksyou'redead, she'll think I ran away somewhere else and that I left you in the dust." Bitterness laced her words when she rested her forehead on the pillow. Hopefully not staining the material with her black makeup in the process.

After a moment of silence, she peeked at Andrew's contemplative stare at the floor, who sat with folded arms. "It's a risk... But I might be able to pull it off. How would I know if she's here or not? Are there any ways I'd be able to plan my fake death before she gets here?" With his gaze flicking up to meet hers, she immediately averted them; professionalism and seriousness reached her ears when he asked.

"Yeah... Rig all the other friggin exits and entrances to slow her down. Plot some weird sh-... I mean, goop, on the floors. She uses wire threads as her weapon to sneak around and take out targets, mostly from a distance... That monster's someone you don't want hiding beneath your bed or in your closet." As awkward and strange as it felt to converse, nervousness and embarrassment made her voice crack a little. It'd be almost impossible to keep a straight face with having to look at his kind puppy-dog pools of brown.What am I supposed to do now? Hartford's and the Rangers' lives are at stake! ...Not my Stake, but Nightshade's.An eye twitched at the thought, frustration was evident when her teeth clenched from it all.

"Well, let's make that a Plan B, then. Because I just came up with another plan." His words made her return her stare to his – an indication for him to continue. "It shouldn't take me long... So, how about I give you something that will make you recover faster? As much as I hate the idea of letting you keep going... You're the only one capable, by the sounds of it, who can fight her." Sighing, leaning on his knees with his elbows, Andrew's head sank. He already looked defeated despite not going toe-to-toe with Nightshade.

"Do it." Iseldur instantly replied, earning her a nod, and watched his head lift to look at her again.

"Before I do. I want to know something..." He trailed to give himself some time to mull over the right words to say. Gulping and breathing through his nose, he continued hesitantly, "What did she do to you that hurt you this badly? I want you to talk to me... Please," She saw it. The sheer concern made his brows knit and his eyes dampen with sympathy.

I knew it... I f* knew it! He wants me to-Her colorful swear word in her mind was overrun by a groan from him, making it a bit hard to hear herself think. "Fine... Whatever." With venom, she clicked her tongue and looked away.

She heard him inch his armchair closer to show he was listening, the brushes of the seat's feet scrapping across the carpet. "Nightshade took me in when I was little, I was maybe six in human years." The goth started with a close of her eyes in defeat. There was just no way she'd be able to get out of talking to him now; he was already involved with Nightshade, so it was too late.

"I crashed on Earth in a Stasis Pod, in Japan somewhere. She took me under her wing, taught me the basics of how to live on Earth, and trained me. That rat taught me everything I needed to know about how to fight and use something she liked to call a 'silver tongue'..." Pausing, hating having to talk, she did everything she could to muster the strength to continue, but her words started to catch in her throat.

Images of copying her old master's footwork, sometimes in perfect sync, were resurfacing. Performing various moves to the best of her ability whilst dressed in shrouded cloth Assassin clothes that only exposed her hair and eyes.

When Andrew didn't say anything, she wanted to stop there, but something inside her pleaded for her to keep going. The bubbling sensation in her chest made her breath heavier, and made her anger rise a bit, it wasn't something she was used to. Gulping slightly and shakily, she continued with restrained anger and pain. "But as I grew up, I got stronger. She started to fear my strength and power... So she sent me on a solo mission to earn my right to the position of an Elite, by taking out a powerful target for a contract." Again, she paused, her eyes fluttering emotionally when she tried to swallow down the need to cry.

"But it was a setup." Sighing through her nose, she did her best to keep her voice stable and not wobble from her emotional pain. "That fucking rat! I ran into her after I took out the target. And she stabbed me close to my heart with a Stake, claiming that I was a monster that needed to be slain. She killed me that day..." Her voice, deep and wobbly from the internal rage and sorrow, wedged itself out a little. "I used to see her as someone independent, strong, serene, peaceful, and motherly who carried authority with each step she took! Taking downeviland training her kids to not be afraid to take a life in order to protect others," she added softly, and refused to look at Andrew's expression.

She didn't get to see his softening eyes darkening and hardening with a bit of anger. "But instead, she saw me as a monster! A FUCKING MONSTER!" Tears rolled down her face when she screamed through gritted teeth. Neither of the two saw the door cracked open, with many ears eavesdropping on their conversation.

"That Elite. That THING SHE RAISED! He tortured children and Elders... And took their lives! He took an interrogation too far! So I tried to warn her... But she f* scolded me for it!" Her Slics slapped around behind her furiously when she buried her face into the pillow. "She didn't care..." In almost a whisper, she continued. "She considered those he killed as witnesses that needed to be dealt with immediately. I grew so sick of it all! And she knew it... So, that's why she sent me on a solo mission." The goth paused for a few minutes and took several deep, shaky breaths to calm her nerves.

"To take out a threat before it manifests completely?" Andrew asked with a sharp stare and intertwined fingers, which she saw once she looked at him through her watery eyes.

It took her a bit longer to continue, but when she did, the look she gave was self-explanatory. "What do you think?" Almost with sass, her snarky question made him sigh and shake his head. "I was seventeen when she ambushed me..." she added with distaste and hatred.

"I agree. What she did was horrible, and what she's doing with her people is wrong. And I know, there's more to your past than just Nightshade. I guess you can say - I can feel it somehow." He leaned back in his seat and rested his arms on the sides of the chair, propped.

"Ah – and so can I! In fact, all the Rangers could tell." Spencer chimed in and drew their attention to the bedroom door. There he stood with a proud stance, with his arms against his back and a knowing smile that only Andrew noticed.

Hartford gave the elder a quick look of denial before he spoke up. "So, what made you want to become a singer?" Hoping to change the touchy subject, his brown eyes returned to her colorful ones. The Rangers leaned and walked through the door, their expressions full of worry and curiosity.

"To spite that b-" Before Iseldur could continue, Spencer cut her off with 'Language!' and she grumbled. Regardless, she sighed and closed her eyes to think. But after she reopened them, she continued. "To spite that rat. She hated music, claiming that it disrupted the peace and focus of her so-calledchildren. So, I decided to choose a genre that would annoy her the most... And one that would tame some of my anger," she added a bit softly, until Rose spoke up.

"Heavy metal, right?" questioned the pinky, as the goth watched Ronny sprint to her and quickly cover her up the rest of the way to shield her from the boy's eyes.

A simple appreciative nod was given to her before Iseldur answered. "Yeah. But my new song... Has some screaming to it. And I know it'll lure her out of thelittle holeshe hides in. When she does show up... I want all of you to stay out of the fight. I don't want to give her any chances of killing you." There was still a bite to her tone, suppressed anger, so she could speak more clearly. Sighing for the millionth time now, she closed her eyes to take in the subtle silence that came next.

Everyone was nervous. She could tell without so much as looking at them. "Miss Hyne." Ronny crouched to be at eye level with her and hesitantly inched closer to her face. Her beautiful heterochromia eyes bore into darker ones suspiciously and tiredly, awaiting her next words. "We're really grateful that you helped us out. And that you saved Tray when he was going to be killed..." She paused with a quick breath through her nose. "We want to help you. You're in a lot of pain, so let us be here for you. We know you have a hard time trusting others; we get it. But... Don't you think it's about time to stop being so afraid? You know we're not going to hurt you. We'll never betray you... Unlike Nightshade," she added softly with a kind smile.

The gentle stroke against her forehead to move a strand from Iseldur's face caused the goth to look away from her. "We may be younger, and we may still have a future ahead of us – but we have our strengths too. You can trust us... Whatever Nightshade put into your head when you were little - must have done it to misguide you so you wouldn't listen to anyone else." When her eyes flicked up to see Ronny's, she noticed a few of the Rangers nod in agreement.

These kids... Damn. They're too nice! I... No, I can't! They'll get killed! They'll-Her eyes began to wander as she pondered over the blonde's words. Their kindness, their goodness, and how sincere they looked only brought caution and weariness to her mind. Yet it was soon pushed away when Mack spoke up.

"We'll survive!" The red ranger grinned brightly and lifted a clenched fist next to Will, who bumped his in return.

"Yeah, you can count on that! We're not pushovers. We've been through tougher situations before. You just gotta trust us." Mack reassured with an excited, persuasive grin whose eyes sparkled with honesty, an evident trait given to him by his Dad.

To misguide me?After she stared at his enthusiastic face, her thoughts returned to what Ronny said, and everyone waited patiently for her to soak it all in. Now it all made sense.She always told me that everyone lies... No matter what the reason they might have. After she stabbed me, though, I just stopped trusting people...Her colorful eyes averted when her fists clenched at the thought. Everything she said to her growing up was just a way to keep her in her palm.

Reluctantly, and through a shaky breath, she muttered, "Fine... I'll... Try."

Her words made Andrew sigh loudly in pure relief, and the Rangers excitedly giggled, happy that she had finally decided to give it a shot.

A/N: Woooh! FINALLY! What do you think will happen next between Andrew, the Rangers, and Iseldur? And what will happen to Kamdor and Miratrix? Or the rest of the villains?

I'd love to read your thoughts on this! It'd be so cool xD!