Episode fanfic Title: Who's the better lantern?

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(Cassandra's POV): 1 week later...

"So, you were saved by a red lantern whose name is Razer, who was supposed to be the enemy of your uncle, but rejected the offer of helping out; he is Volkgerian from the Forgotten Zone, the last of his kind; you and Aya saved him from a nightmare device that brings out your painful memories by replaying repeatedly; Aya knows your heart condition, your uncle forgot about your birthday and you're sharing a room with an alien hot man in just one freaking week!" Kia exclaims in shock after I explain every detail of my first solo mission in space to my best friend, who looked like she was ready to destroy my soul: "Y-Yes." "And why is that?~" I can tell her voice has changed. "The Interceptor ship was too small for it to have more rooms, I told her in defense: "So Uncle Hal suggested that I be roommates with Razer." 

Kia laughs in disbelief, "He did not!" 

"He did." I sighed while I fidgeted with my bathrobe after I had showered from working out inside the bathroom since there isn't a gym for me to gain muscle, "Eek! Hermana, you got a ticket to romance village!" She squealed through the video chat while I blushed and shushed her: "Come on, Kia, it's not like that," I replied, trying to downplay her excitement. "We're just roommates. And besides, Razer is from a different species, and he's been through a lot. It's not like we will start some intergalactic romance or anything."

Kia's laughter filled the virtual chat as she pretended to swoon dramatically. "Oh, por favor, Ghosthacker! She continues, "It's like that's 'not the setup' for a classic space romance novel! Mysterious and brooding alien warrior with a tragic past and a brave, compassionate human who shows him the light of hope and love. (UwU)"

I rolled my eyes, unable to suppress a chuckle. "You watch too many movies, Kia. This is real life, and it isn't easy. I took off to find some clothes, not knowing which to wear as I rummaged through my closet since Razer doesn't have other clothes, it was the only thing that I owned in the room: "Plus, the Interceptor crew (what we call ourselves) are focused on our mission to protect the universe from the Red Lanterns, not on anything related to romance." I can hear Kia finally compose herself before wiping away a fake tear with a sad sound, "Alright, alright, I'll try to contain my excitement. She continues: "But you must admit, it's a pretty interesting turn of events."

"Yeah, it is," I admitted, smiling genuinely. "Razer might have a rough exterior, but he's been through a lot, and he's a good person... well, a good alien, I should say. And Aya, too, is an advanced AI with a lot of heart that I consider her my third best friend!"

Kia leaned in, her expression turning serious, "Just make sure you're careful out there, okay? Space adventures might sound cool, but they're also dangerous. She stares at me, "Remember to tell your uncle about your heart condition. Otherwise, there won't be a next time." I stayed silent by averting my gaze away from my best friend, who sighed: "And as for the Razer guy, no matter how much of serious guy he seems, remember that he's still a stranger from another world."

I appreciated Kia's concern since we secretly met as kids: "I know, Kia. I'll be cautious. I told her: "Uncle Hal and the rest of the team are looking out for me too. Even when they all don't know about IT." "At least Aya knows, so that's good. She smiles again, "Sleeping with a hot alien guy like Razer must have kept you awake all night~. Anyhow, keep me updated on all the juicy space drama!" Kia winked playfully. I shook my head, still blushing but grateful for my friend's support. "You're impossible, Kia." "Hey, someone has to keep your feet on the ground while you're out among the stars," She replied with a grin. As we continued chatting about my adventures in space, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement, worry, and interest about what the future might bring: "Okay, my final question... I lifted the outfits from my closet and displayed them on the bed, "Which do I wear? Red leather jacket with a white top?" 

It was the last question I hesitantly asked, which Kia hummed in agreement, "It has been chosen. Oh, gotta go, Codelight out!" Ending this call. I hummed in agreement: 'She's right. It seems perfect.' I smiled and changed into a red leather jacket, white sleeveless shirt, demi jeans, and black boots.

Exiting my shared room, I found Razer in the dining area, cutting what appeared to be raw zebra steak, "Hello, Razer," I greeted him. "Good afternoon, Cassandra," He replied before returning to his food; I had already headed to the kitchen to grab some food. I got a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal and poured milk over it. I savored every bite and enjoyed the meal. As I ate, I realized that Razer was staring unamusingly at my cereal, which got me curious if he had ever tried any cereal; Of course, it's uneasy for an edgy Red Lantern to stare, so I turned to make eye contact with him and politely asked: "Do you have a question?" "..." He averts my eyes while I see a glimpse of him blushing and decides to give him peace, "O-Okay then..." Awkward silence stood between us since making a conversation was never an option since I was starting to get accustomed to my new quiet environment in space; Normally, I would start a conversation to leave the tension out with Kia.

 But in this case, Kia is not here to talk or chat; with a quiet sigh, I get a flashback of Kia's teasing words about my inability to sleep next to Razer. I didn't want to mention another incident where he accidentally walked in on me changing, so I enjoyed a peaceful meal with Razer. He didn't seem bothered and politely ate his meat. Then Kilowog entered the room and pushed Razer by 'accident' on his way to the table, making him glare at him; not wanting to intervene, I continued eating: "Ahh. Grub time!" Kilowog said as he dug into his bowl of alien worms called Grubs, I did not know if I was weirded out or disgusted, but I didn't say anything and resumed eating my cereal. 

Until Razer stared at Kilowog's eating habits, 'I have a bad feeling that this isn't going to end well.' I thought to myself before I stared at him, who was looking at Razer; If I wasn't scared of the tension back then, I am now. He (Kilowog) wiped the grey smear off his buffy chin and said: "You got a problem, poozer?" "Only that I dislike clumsy 7-foot pigs." Razer taunts him, and suddenly the fight breaks out, sending their food on the ground while I was quick enough to save my cereal from ruining the table; when Hal entered the room. "Hey, hey, hey, hey! Kilowog breaks it up. You, too, Razer. What did I say about killing each other?" Hal shouted as he held Kilowog while I pulled Razer away from the 7-foot pig, "Come on, Hal, we're just fooling around, Right?" Kilowog glared at Razer menacingly, who glared back with no remorse.

Then I noticed Razer was glaring at me, "Let go of me before I will kill you myself." "How about no," I spoke seriously, causing the red lantern to blink nervously. Eventually, I released his arms, and he glared at Kilowog, who was unhappy about Razer's threat to harm me for intervening. 'Darn Aya, if you record this, I'll be happier.' I mentally thought.

"This ship is too small for this nonsense. I want you to shake hands. Hal told them: "It's an earth custom to show there are no hard feelings. Come on, shake hands." We all sat on the table while I sat next to Razer, across from Kilowog and away from Uncle Hal, waiting for their anger toward one another to end. Unfortunately and unexpectedly, the only thing they shook was their fist toward one another, and I almost choked on my cereal a bit before I started to laugh so hard that my Uncle Hal said, "Not like that." 

I laughed so hard that I fell onto the couch and hit the table on my bed accident, making me wince at the pain; when Razer asked if I was alright, I nodded, blushing. Unbeknownst to me, Razer blushed in embarrassment.: "Cass, it may be funny, but it isn't a joke." "Haha, I know... I wipe the tears, "It's priceless." Suddenly, Aya's robotic eye comes to view: "Attention! Incoming distress call." Aya informed us before displaying the message of a different species 

 "This is Captain Goray of the container ship Truvedon. I've struck a pinhole, and I'm unable to proceed. One of my engines has failed, and the other is at full power, but it's just slowing the inevitable. I need help!" Captain Goray sent a plea in his message while waiting for a response. Though eager to reply, I hesitated as I was not a lantern but a hacker in the field.

"Aya, hold the transmission, Kilowog spoke. Aya paused the holographic image, and it disappeared. Then, Kilowog turned to my uncle Hal, "Could be a trap, Hal. He explains, "We get there, disabled ship opens up, and the red start pouring out." I sat down with my legs crossed and thought: "If those Red Lanterns sadists were, no offense to Razer. I raise my hand in defense as Razer rolls his eyes like he does not care about my insult, which I feel guilty about, and continue: "Will we hear blaster sounds in the message?" 

Razer then spoke, "Hal Jordan's relative is correct. He glanced at me before he returned to talk and assure Uncle Hal and Kilowog, "There are no Red Lanterns in this sector. It is not a trap." "How do you know?" Kilowog asked. "I was in charge of setting the traps," Hal calls Goray and tells him to stay put while they rescue him. After everyone entered the stations, I quickly retrieved my computer and returned to sit beside Razer. There were no other available chairs. Kia's earlier words caused me to blush, but I brushed it off by connecting my laptop to the ship. This allowed me to better comprehend Aya's tracking system and update her with Earth knowledge, making the process faster.'Why does fate put me in this chair?' Already decided, when Kilowog called me, I turned my seat with my computer on my lap and responded, "Yes, Kilo?" "What are you doing with a small computer?" 

Kilowog, making a confused look that I could tell that he wanted to know why I had a computer, to which I explained to him that I wanted to help Aya; He barked out laughing, "Cass, Aya is an AI who can do anything to help" "She is correct, 

the others get to their stations while Aya (in the Interceptor's control) flies towards our destination when Uncle Hal speaks, "I've got two questions. A: how far are we from that pinhole?" He asked. 

"1.8 Terraquads and closing," Aya answered.

"Which brings me to B: what's a pinhole." Uncle Hal asked since he didn't know what a pinhole was; I also got confused and asked, "A black hole that takes everything and anyone in it to disappear?" I jokingly suggested, "More or less, Razer explains: "It's a microscopic black hole at the center of a whirlpool of energy. The closer that ship gets to the pinhole, the stronger gravity becomes." He clarified. "In other words, the ship will be crushed into a cube in a matter of seconds," Kilowog concludes before finally, we found the spaceship needing our help; as soon as Aya approached the pinhole, the gravitational pull intensified. After considering this information, I responded thoughtfully, "I see." 

We all got closer until my uncle told Aya to stop: "That's close enough, Aya. He says, "We don't want to get pulled in too. Deploy the tractor beam." Aya attempted to use the tractor beam to capture the Trubidan, but the gravitational force caused it to descend toward the pinhole: "Anomalous Gravitational readings are affecting my instruments. Unable to compensate," Aya announced. 

"Captain, do you have any tow cables?" Hal asked through the comlink. 

"Deploy them now," Goray spoke through the connection. As he did, the gravity again caused an issue as the tow cables were pulled towards the pinhole. "Um... heh...heh. I miss." Anxiety flew inside my stomach, I swallowed up with my hands, beginning to sweat, but I dried them with my jeans so no one would suspect a thing; except Aya. Who wrote a message in numbers in my hacking system: "{-3119191144181- (code translation: Cassandra)"

Sooner than later, Aya started writing faster in numbers that I carefully read without no problem, "{25152118 - 2292011219 - 81225 - 715145 - 12141518131121225 - 8978 - 112518 - 208114 - 1211920 - 209135 - 119 - 23525 - 119 - 251521 - 13125 - 311212 - 1325 - 11424952025 - 61518 - 3116201914 - 7151818125'19 - 12965}" (your vitals have gone abnormally higher than last time, as well as you may call anxiety for Captain Gorray's life.)

Reading Aya's number-coding message made me relax and smile before I typed back a reply in number code: "==1251== (Code translation: Aya)" Hesitant at first but complied to respond once more, "==9 - 11141523 - 1251, - 22120 - 920'19 - 496693211220 - 2015 - 3151420181512 - 920 - 238514 - 1520851819 - 1185 - 1181521144.==" (I know Aya, but it's difficult to control it when others are around.)

Aya then typed: "{- 61918 - 161591420...-}." (Fair point...)

Walking out of the control room, I got up with my computer being disconnected from the controls of the ship, and I saw Razer standing next to Kilowog while I was behind them listening in on their conversation: "Anomalous gravity always puts a bug in my britches." Said Kilowog. 

"If you don't think you're up to the task..." Razer taunts him. 

"Just try and keep up, punk. Kilowog continues: "Green Lanterns train variable gravity. Let's see how you fly way 1000 kilos, then 6000, then 2000." As everyone was getting ready to leave, Aya's robotic eye started to inquire: "This is a dangerous undertaking; why are we risking three lives to save one?" Aya asked. 

"A green lantern protects innocent life even at the risk of its own; it's what we do," Hal left without noticing that I was coming along and going to the Interceptor ship. "Oh..." Just as I was getting ready to join the team on their journey, Kilowog halted me. "And where do you think you're headed, miss?" he asked. I replied, "I'm coming with you guys." I flashed a friendly grin at the group, but Kilowog disagreed with a firm shake of his head. "I'm sorry, but that's not gonna happen." He stated.

I'm feeling a mix of disbelief, sadness, and disappointment all at once, "Excuse me?" "Cass, I know how much you want to help as you did at the Spider Guild prison. Hal continues: "But Kilowog is correct. It won't happen. If you were a lantern, I would grant you to come, but the risk of losing a family member is a no-no, plus you're a woman." This made my silver eyes widen in shock. I instantly got pissed, and my patience ran down the drain when he said that. I started to scold him: "Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I'm useless, I can hack anything. I glare at the men/alien men before saying, "And with the help of Aya or not, I'm unstoppable, and so on; one of these days, I will become a lantern. When I do, you will all regret saying I am useless."

When my speech ended, I watched Kilowog pat my back hard enough for me to fall but regain my balance before my anger was replaced by Razer's tall stature, facing and staring directly at me, "Hal Jordan and Kilowog were right. Razer spoke up and said, "You would have made a good Lantern, but it's safer for you to stay on the ship. You saved me when we were in prison, and I'm grateful for that. Please stay safe with Aya. Can you do that?" I felt my heart race with joy before I slowly nodded in agreement when I decided to kiss Razer on his cheek, "I will... j-just be careful." My words made him blush, and he quickly left with Kilowog and Hal.

I rushed towards the main hangar to watch Kilowog, Uncle Hal, and Razer flying down to help Captain Gorray, 'Omg, what did I do? Ugh, I feel like the protagonist of a scifi romance' I thought before I called Aya: "Aya, connect the speakers and the sound outside with my headset." "Certainly." With access, I turn on the microphone and headset in one so I can hear them as I start to get into Discord and play 'Call for Duty' with MasterGrid and her brothers: "Hey, wanna see a real pinhole?" "Si/Yes!" All at once, they agreed, and that's when I began showing a video screen of Green Lanterns and a Red Lantern flying toward the ship. 

(Narrator's POV): Meanwhile...

"Quite...a downdraft.!" Gravity had already taken hold, producing a grunt from Razer, while Kilowog shouted, "That's downdraw. You don't make it over the gravity whirlpool. You're dark matter." They attached the cables to the cargo ship, but when Razer fell behind before entering the vessel, Kilowog ignored his distress; Hal saw that and then helped Razer immediately and proceeded to pull. "Alright, AYA, let's haul this baby out!" Hal ordered. 

A few minutes later, nothing happened: "Warning. Aya starts, "The gravitational pull is too intense. The cable cannot withstand this strain." Hal uses his power ring to call Cassandra, causing the three lanterns to widen their eyes in surprise when he calls her: "Hey, Cassie!" "%Yes, green?%" Without the lanterns knowing that his niece comlink him through her headset microphone, "Can you manually balance the cables from separating our ship for a while?" Hal Jordan asked as Cassandra replied, "%I can do that. She continues, "How much time do you need to help with the Captain's cargo?%." Hal ordered, "As much as possible, Aya, guide Cassie through it." "Of course," Aya responded and hung up the call.

"Look's like we'll have to get the captain ourselves," Hal said as they got into the ship via the airlock; Razer went ahead, not caring about being helped by Hal, who was discussing the 7-foot alien pig Green Lantern about giving Razer a hand: "You could've given him a hand." He argues only for Kilowog to argue back at his friend, "I don't need a recruit on my six, especially a Red Lantern," Then someone called from below the ladder, "Down here!" Making the argument come to an end as Hal told Kilowog: "Deal with it," 

The lanterns stumbled upon Goray in distress while Hal was in an argument. They were greatly relieved to have arrived in time to save the Captain: "I'm in half power and now have a way to pull myself out!" "Exactly what are you hauling?" He (Hal Jordan) asked before he walked closely to the incubation chamber, only to be stopped by Captain Goray: "Leave them with the refrigeration out, and they're going to spoil anyway." Goray explains, leaving Kilowog shocked: "Spoil? it's a matter of time until they hatch!" Exclaimed the 7-foot Green Lantern pig. 

"Hatched?" Goray appeared to be utterly confused by raising an eyebrow at the eggs. To clarify things, Hal decided to take the egg out and scan the creature outside, "I can't tell what kind of creatures they are inside." 

"Who cares? Only vermin and insects hatch from eggs." Razer coldly stated arms crossed over his Red Lantern crest without care for the creatures.

"I Hatched from an egg," Pointing to himself, Kilowog said sternly.

"My point exactly," Razer glared. Kilowog growled in response to the comment. Before they both could start a fight, Hal could luckily break it up: "Ease up." "%Aya told me that these Trubadon's logs are Spegnarians, Cassandra comlinks, "%They are incredibly rare species since their planet was destroyed by volcanic activity.%" Informed by this new information from Hal Jordan's niece and Aya, he asked Goray about the eggs: "So these eggs are some kind of last-ditch colony?"  "I suppose so, The Captain scratches the back of his neck, "I was paid major shipping lanes," Goray spoke. "Well, you sure did that. Hal stops scanning and puts them back in the refrigerator machine: "Change of plans; we will rescue every lifeform here." 

Hal ordered. "It's a waste of time." Razer said, "He's right. The starboard engine's dead." Goray agrees. "Then we'll restart it. We'll get the civilian clear," Hal said while assisting Goray. "You're leaving me with him?" Kilowog glared at Razer and voiced his complaint.

Hal turned to them: "You two need some bonding time." Once he left with the civilian, Kilowog and Razer glanced at one another before looking away with frustrated faces.

In the Interceptor...

Cassandra, on the other hand, takes off her headset before she comes to the exit, where she meets her uncle Hal, happy that he is safe; she hugs him, and he returns the gesture before introducing her to Captain Goray: "Goray, this is my niece. Hal continues, "Cassandra." "Nice to meet you, Captain Goray." She smiles before shaking her hand with his gloved ones: "It is. Goray nods, "I wish I could chat more, but I'm afraid to say that your uncle and I are busy." Understanding the Captain's worry about the hatchlings, Hal explained to her what the plan was, meaning she was in charge of taking care of the ship and keeping the eggs safe: 

"I heard of your green Lanterns, and I know you're brave and all, but you're crazy to go back," Goray said. "Brave, crazy, it's a fine line." Said Hal.

"More like the crazy and troublemaker one, too." She earns a stern glare from her uncle, who then brings Cassandra with him, "Hey Cassie, wanna come help out?" He offered, "Oh yes, sir!" She got her computer bag and followed in pursuit to go as they went walking to the exit when it was interrupted by Aya, who spoke: "Green Lantern Hal Jordan, I have several suggestions to conserve energy until the inoperative engine is repaired-" 

"Yeah, that's great, Aya. Hal cuts off her words, "Just keep us out of the crush zone for as long as possible." He ordered, along with keeping the Interceptor out of gravity, but before Cassandra could leave, she heard Aya say: "He must not have heard me." Aya said to herself, "It's okay, Aya. Getting the Attention on the robotic eye, "The next time he ignores your warnings, I punch his stomach. See you later." "Do not overdo your health, Cassandra. I am, as you call it, worried about you." The female human weakly smiles before she jumps down to meet with her uncle and Captain Goray.

Meanwhile, Razer and Kilowog, who were en route to the engine room when pointed over to the left side of the ship, "The engine room's this way," Kilowog spoke. 

"This way, That's the main powerline." Razer gestured to the right and directed Kilowog's Attention to the power line; he was skeptical of Razer's knowledge about the cargo ship. As the seven insisted it was not a dangerous death trap like the red lantern ride made of scrap wire, Kilowog also instructed Razer to stay ahead of him: "As if you know how the cargo ship works. It's not some red lantern death ride made of led foil and scrap wire. and stay in front of me!" Kilowog lit up to Razer, which flashes to his eyes. Razer covered them, and flew away from him before he landed on one of the cargo holds, which left Kilowog to walk alone.

While walking towards the engine room, Kilowog forces himself to make a conversation and asks: "How's that phony ring holding up?" "Without a red lantern battery, eventually its charge will die," Razer explained. "Sooner, the better," Kilowog muttered himself before keeping an eye on him, "But for now, as long as I feel rage, it's as strong as yours." As he (Razer) finished explaining how his ring can be charged by rage, the ship suddenly started shaking when a cargo container fell by, nearly killing Kilowog; Angered by this, not knowing it was not Razer, he picked up the cargo container and swung.

"I hope you're good at Maakila." Kilowog growls before he swings the cargo at Razer, who jumps backward from the impact, "It wasn't me! He shouted: "This ship is falling to pieces, and I'm sick of your self-righteous braying, you fat green oaf!" At this moment, the two lanterns began attacking one other; Razer and Kilowog ran at each other when one held a spear, and the other had on his hammer. Before they could end it in death. Cassandra jumps down in between by landing in front of them, 

"You kids, stop that now, or I'm turning this ship right around." Hal said, following his niece by landing on the ground with stern looks, "Isn't that exactly what we're trying to do?" Razer asked. "Try something like that again, and I'm blowing my ring charge on you, pinhole or no pinhole!" Kilowog threatened as Razer glared back. "I'm not afraid to die." While Hal Jordan tells him he should live longer, both parties are ready to fight again, only for someone to lose her patience: "ENOUGH!" Cassandra angrily yells at them, making everyone freeze at her until the ship starts shaking again, "Look, we got hatchlings that are about to break their shells soon, we have a cargo ship getting dragged into the pinhole, and you both are acting like children who are trying to see who is the better lantern. She sighs in frustration and continues: 

"So stop dicking around, and let's save the eggs before I punch both your skulls with a hammer myself!" Suddenly, the ship shook even worse, "Cass is right because now let's focus on not dying before something terrible happens." Hal agrees and tells them to focus on the task at hand. While Goray relaxes in the interceptor main hangar, suddenly, the power goes out: "Hello? Can you hear me? He gets scared, "Start the engine now, or both ships are going in!" The captain comlinks through the Green Lantern's ring: "Goray, why is the computer offline? Aya, are you there? AYA! What happened to her?" Hal asks through the ring. No response came from the AI, which worsens Goray by freaking out in fear, "I don't care! We're out of time!" Panicked, he tries to leave, but the grappling line parts and the interceptor ship rock harder, knocking Goray unconscious as the cargo ship falls into a pinhole. 

"The cables will break if he doesn't stop doing that!!" Cassandra yelled before hooking her computer bag behind her back and steadying herself from the shakiness of the cargo ship: "Wait, Captain, ease off that winch!!" Kilowog's attempt to stop the Captain from helping had failed as the others felt it toward the ship's rear end; Cassandra tried to keep herself from falling without help.  But everything in the cargo ship falls off the shelves like dominos. It starts to make everyone widen their eyes in fear but hold it in, and that's not all; while the cargo continues to fall, one of them hits Cassandra on the head: "CASSIE!" Hal Jordan tries to get her, but before he can save her from death, Razer goes straight to her; he sees a flashback of losing someone he cared about kicking in, shakes it off as he rapidly flies by, wrapping his arms around her protectively and saving her from the impact: "We're going in! That pinhole is overpowering the ship's autograv! Hold on!" 

Kilowog said with a grunt when Hal sighed in relief that Razer had just saved Cassandra but before he could thank the Red Lantern, he changed as he (Hal) used his power ring by trying to push a few items away so no one could get smashed, but as soon as he got hit, Kilowog broke their fall just in time while Hal stopped the equipment from crashing on them. Relieved, he said: "There, it's braced for now.  Is everyone okay?" He then sees his niece in Razer's arms, worried about her, and Razer responds, "We're fine for now, but a cargo unexpectedly hit Cassandra unconscious. While holding bridal style, he continues: "But we're on the lip, almost in the crushed zone. Let's get out of here!" 

"Not without those eggs," Hal argued as Kilowog began to leave the ship: "Where are you going?" Hal Asked. "To buy us some time," Kilowog answered and left the ship, then flew outside the ship, wrapped the cargo ship, and created an energy jet-back to blast himself out of the gravitational field and hold the ship in position. 

"I'll keep you out of the hole as long as possible. Fix the engine. And Jordan, watch your back, and Cass too." Said Kilowog through Hal's ring. Knowing the circumstances of the pinhole coming closer, Hal flies on top before Razer, who still carries Cassandra in his arms, also starts to fly to the top. The Red Lantern tells him away from being squashed: "This is hopeless! Kilowog is a fool! He'll die out there!" "He... won't, Razer. Cassandra flickers her silver eyes slowly to wake up, making Razer jump but compose himself before he listens, "Because I have hope in him, just like I did for you." Razer was out of words, and he felt his heart start pounding louder again, that he could have a heart attack at any second. 

Turning his head away from the human female, he composed himself as he continued with the mission, while Hal smiled at his niece's encouraging words and her waking up: 'What is in the name of Krastg is wrong with me?! My heart keeps beating, and I can't even take my eyes off Cassandra! I do not understand this feeling; I only had these feelings the day I fell in love with my wife... Ilana.' Razer shook it off to stop thinking about the past and keep focused on the mission he and the others were doing. Cassandra, who was also blushing at what she had just said, made her. 

The cargo ship enters the pinhole crush zone and begins to shrink the space with the other cargo inside the ship as Hal goes through a hole. But something moved while Razer was able to catch up with Hal. Razer and Cassandra were briefly trapped. He lets her free first as she climbs out carefully to not trip into the hole: "If it weren't for you, I would be squashed into juice." "You are lucky that I just saved you." Razer coldly comments, "And which I will say, thank you. Thank you for saving me back there when my uncle cannot." Luckily, they got out safely, carrying her once more in his arms, when a pillar started to fall on them, but Razer used his red power ring to cut the pillar in half, "Wow, I'm impressed!" 

Her compliment made him feel proud, but he hid it as he flew her up toward the cargo bay by joining her uncle; as soon as they were out, the egg chambers were empty: "You see that? The eggs are hatching." Razer said. "Let's keep moving," As they pressed on with their mission, Hal informed the rest of the team to move until they spotted the eggs being hatched already as small metallic spider-like creatures were devouring the power lines. It wasn't long before Razer exclaimed, "They're eating the power lines!" Hal tries to remove them using his power ring, but they appear immune to the green energy. "My construct doesn't even slow them down."

Razer could blast them off with his red energy: "Mine do." Razer spoke darkly as he was able to hold them off, but Cassandra immediately stopped him from hurting them: "Stop it! They're just babies, remember? So we can't hurt them." Hal then says, "Cassie's right, Razer. We cannot harm the hatchlings." This angered Razer, who later understood what Cassandra meant; they were just babies that had awakened from their sleep and required be saved from going extinct until the power ring clicked Kilowog's voice: "What's the hold up in there?" Kilowog asked while struggling to lift the ship with the cables outside the ship, while the baby spiders continued moving fast by heading towards the engines. 

"Hatchlings, they are eating through the power cables," Razer says as the walls close on them again, but this time, much worse than last time: "Don't stop unless you want to get a lot thinner," Hal said As the others fly fast while the spiders fly faster. "They're moving past us! If they start eating the engine before we get there, it's over!" Razer said in a desperate tone as they landed by the window. "We need a shortcut." Hal headed towards the door.

"It's less cluttered out here!" Cassandra said, "Yes. We'll have a nice clear plummet into a pinhole!" Razer shouted. The increasing gravitational pull prevents them from flying or creating any constructs ahead to pull themselves up, and they start climbing. "How're doing, buddy?" Hal asked as Kilowog responded with a grunt and a thumbs up. Razer loses his grip and plummets toward the pinhole. " Razer!" Hal shouted as he tried to reach him; however, Razer used his ring like a rocket and wrapped his free arm around Cassandra's waist as she blushed and held onto him by the sudden touch: "Hold on and do not look down." She answered with a nod as Hal, Cass, and Razer headed towards the engine room. 

At last, they manage to the engine room and seal the doors behind them when, all of a sudden, they encounter the same hatchlings from the cargo room: "More hatchlings, we're already outnumbered. Think of how bad it will be once the rest of the eggs open!" Hal stopped in front of the engine's door control panel, and Razer made a comment. "Look, I have no problem bringing a red lantern into the team, but I will not tolerate pessimists." 

They entered the engine room and sealed the doors behind them just in time. "They doomed us all," Razer spoke. "If we were doomed, Razer, why are we still alive?" Cass asked, earning him a 'don't-push-it' look, and cocks her hip to the side before Razer ignored her question and rolled his blue eyes: "The engine's isn't just offline, it's frozen solid! Those alien hatchlings ate through the lines that power the heaters! It would take a team of engineers to restart it before we collapse into the pinhole." Razer explained. 

"I'm a hacker AND an engineer, guys! Cassandra starts freezing and says, "I'll get the heating system working; I don't need help other than getting down there." She points down where she seemed worried as the critters tried to open it. "Razer, Cass, let's light this candle." Razer and her gave Hal a confused look: "You want us? The explosion will be spectacular," The Red Lantern said sarcastically, getting a slap on the arm from the human female, and they glared at one another: "He's right, Hal." Kilowog spoke. "If we start going in Kilowog, I want you to cut us loose," Hal informed his comrade through his ring. "Not happening! You go, we all go. And the worst part is that the captain, who can't fly straight, gets to keep the interceptor." 

Kilowog refused. "Your stubborn friend is right. I can't fix this without another five pairs of hands." Razer said, "I'm not giving up just yet. Yell about the unfairness all afterward." Hal agrees. "Then we'll go down fighting! At least my red energy makes a dent in them." Razer charged his ring while Cassandra and Hal watched the hatchlings trying to open the door until she recognized the insignia: 'Could it be...Aya?' She wondered until she saw the critters make it through the door, and she rushed over to help: "Aya, I'm here to help. Would you show me where we should go and fix the heaters?" Cassandra asked the critters, who are Aya, as they quickly opened the door and ran towards the left to fix it, "What are you doing?!" Razer shockingly asked. "They aren't speragnians, they came from the interceptor." "They're AYA," Hal said. 

"You're both deranged!" Razer said confusedly. "Think about it. Hal explains, "Aya has been gone since before the bugs showed up; somehow, she must've put herself into these little bots and snuck on board." "But they ate the powerlines!" Razer tries to argue. "She was shutting down a non-essential system to save power," Hal explained, as they all saw AYA taking Cassandra by going into the engine, where they restarted it. The ice was melting. The engine swung into position. "Both engines are up." Razer spoke by surprise at the restart engines: "AYA! Full reverse! Cass, get out of the engine now!" Hal shouted. 

AYA did what she was told as Cassandra jumped out. Before she could get burned, her uncle caught her: "You are one heck of a niece." "And the best hacker yet!" She cheerfully smiled while the whole group exited the engine room and flew down the hallway. "Even with the engines back online, we're past the point of no return!" Razer said. 

"I live past the point of no return. Express elevator going down," Hal answered him as Razer noticed that Kilowog had passed out from the strain and was plummeting downward, taking the opportunity to help. He turned to Cassandra and Hal by telling them: "Stay here, I'll go save him." Hal nodded: "Be careful, and no fighting." She (Cass) said as Razer left her alone with her uncle when he made it close to the window. Cassandra goes to the window filled with anxiety for him and Kilowog, who struggled until he passed out. She widened her silver eyes; however, an unexpected rescue came to his aid before he could fall further down the pinhole. He was saved by Razer with his ring power ring and brought on board; relieved by this, Cassandra and Hal went to the main controls in an attempt to fly away from the pinhole but soon realized they were too close to escape. 

Cass, Razer, and Kilowog joined him and saw the pinhole approaching. Panic set in for the Interceptor team: "It's no use. Razer yells, "We don't have enough power to pull away!" "I'm not trying to pull away, and I'm gonna fly this baby right at it," Hal's calm response shocked the others and worried them: "You're going to what?!" Kilowog and Razer panicked in unison, except for Cass; she just sat down and took out her computer and her connector by connecting herself to the ship, "I'll help, too." "Then come on! He smiles as she (Cass) gets onto it by buckling her seatbelts and starts hacking the systems to help her uncle's plan: "If I can fly with the current of the pinhole, maybe I can generate enough velocity to slingshot us out of here!" 

Hal explained and plotted a course down into the pinhole, moving perpendicular to the gravity waves. Using his piloting skills, he used gravitational pull to increase the ship's speed and then used the increased velocity to escape the gravitational pull. "Yeah, baby! still got it." Hal cheered while the others groaned after a rough ride. Kilowog and Razer looked at each other in confusion as Cassandra laughed. 

Later, the lanterns repair the ship and bring the real hatchlings over the interceptor. "Well, what do ya know? So, that's my cargo." Goray smiled at the sight. One of the speragnins licked her face, making Cassandra play with them; Razer, on the other hand, was stiff and was very uncomfortable in being with the creatures but relaxed when he saw how fond Hal's niece was with them that he hid a small ghost smile. At the same time, Kilowog was enjoying their company: 

"Cargo, huh?" Kilowog laughed. 

"Look at you. A few more of these rascals are running around your tub." He handed one to Goray.

The little guy started to drool, and a big saliva trail landed on Razer's head, to the point that Cassandra snorted before she said: "I'll help you. Stay still." Uses the handkerchief to wipe the saliva off his forehead, making Razer's face turn red in humiliation at her gesture before he mumbles a 'thank you', which makes her smile at the compliment. "And to think I was going to abandon them," Goray promised to ensure their safe arrival at their destination.

Dinner time...

Later on, after a successful mission, Razer and Kilowog ended up eating together again; Cassandra returned with her potato salad as she sat down next to the red lantern: "Good evening, Razer." "Hm." He responded until they saw Kilowog coming in; waiting for the fight to begin like earlier, nothing happened. Leaving the human female astounded before watching Kilowog eating his grubs again, already knowing how he eats, Cassandra ignored the sound and ate her food in peace, the eating stopped when the alien pig looked up at Razer, who calmly eats his zebra-like raw steak and says: "You were foolishly brave today." 

Razer pointed out to Kilowog, "Yeah, we'll back at ya. Nice job saving me... Thanks." Kilowog wiped his mouth while Razer responded with a nod. Hal comes in: "And thank you, AYA, we'd all be feeling pretty cramped right now if it wasn't for you coming out of your shell like that." "Yes, like a hatchling from an egg." AYA's eye hologram appeared. "I'm not done; it was dangerous to up and leave your post. We need to set a few parameters, young lady." 

Hal scolded, who acted like the father figure around AYA: "Since when did you act like a dad, Uncle Hal?" Cassandra teased him as he rolled his eyes at her, "A green lantern protects an innocent life even at the risk of their own, correct?" 

"Wait. Wait a minute, a minute..." Kilowog interrupted, "AYA, you understand you're a computer, not a green lantern, right? You can't be a GL." 

"Why not?" AYA asked. 

"Well, first off, the ring's gotta pick you," Kilowog explained. 

"Why?" Aya asked again. 

"Uh, Help me out here." he faced Hal for support but shook his head and was also interested in this, "Oh no, I want to hear this." Kilowog turns to Razer. "Red?" "Leave me out of it." Making Razer smirk in amusement on the seven-foot alien pig lantern can explain how to become a Green Lantern works, and at the last resort was Hal's niece, "Cass?" "I'm curious about how YOU will explain," Cassandra smirks. 

"Look, green lanterns got to have a physical body to walk around and interact with people, not a bunch of creepy bugs." Kilowog tried to explain. "Parameter set." With the hint of having a physical form, Aya starts assembling herself and says: "A body like this?" This amazed everyone except for Kilowog, who slapped his forehead and groaned; once Aya's physical form was done, Cassandra was the first to hug her, "YES! I'M NOT THE ONLY GIRL ON THIS SHIP!" "I believe so," Aya responded without hugging back since she was confused about what a hug is.

After dinner, everyone got up to go back to their rooms except Cassandra, who cleaned up the dishes with Aya, and they began chatting about different topics as Hal, Razer, and Kilowog headed to bed. Once the chore was done, Cassandra bid goodnight to her and entered her shared room only to be welcomed by Razer's sleeping body in their shared room. It almost caused her to quietly awe him that she walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change into her pajamas.

Later on, around 1 a.m., a little light interrupts the Red Lantern from his sleep; annoyed by this, Razer turns over to turn off the light only to realize that Cassandra is not sleeping but reading a book. Confused by this, Razer asks: "What are you even doing?" "Reading..." She replies by flipping a page, making him sigh, "At this hour?" He questioned. Cassandra looked up from her book, a faint smile on her lips as she met Razer's gaze. "Couldn't sleep," she admitted, her voice soft to not disturb the peaceful silence in their shared room, "My mind was still racing from all the things that had happened to me." Razer sighed before he propped himself on one elbow, eyeing her with curiosity and confusion: "Most people would go for a glass of water or something when they can't sleep, not a book."

Cassandra chuckled lightly, setting her book down on the nightstand beside her. "I've always found reading a great way to calm my thoughts. She continues, "Okay, sometimes, and it's a good opportunity to catch up on some reading I've meant to do." Intrigued, he raised an eyebrow, already wondering what she meant by that: "And what exactly are you reading at this ungodly hour?" Razer sarcastically asked, clearly tired, but she said: "It's a psychological thriller book," Cassandra replied, her silver eyes glinting in amusement. "It's about a famous scientist who has taken a step back from work to spend more time with her family... however, she starts to lose her memories at an early age that her husband decided to help her only not to realize that there comes a price in finding the cure."

Razer's expression softened, and he seemed genuinely interested. "A cure of what?" "Memory loss disease called Alzheimer's is a brain disorder on Earth that worsens over time. Cassandra explains: "It's characterized by changes in the brain that lead to deposits of certain proteins. Alzheimer's disease causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die." This information stunned Razer, and he blinked before narrowing his eyes in suspicion, "So, the book you are reading is related to a disease that has not been cured... Sounds like something I'll like to read. Even if it's in the middle of the night." Cassandra nodded in agreement, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips, "It's a compelling story that delves into the complexities of science and human emotions. The way the author entangles the story around the struggles between the scientist and her husband with the ethical dilemmas in search of a cure is truly tempting."

Razer leaned back in his side of the bed, his weariness momentarily forgotten as he became engrossed in the conversation, his gaze shifting towards the ceiling as he mulled over her words: "It's fascinating how stories can provide a platform to explore such problematic subjects." "Exactly, Cassandra nodded. "And it's important to remember them so that we can strive for a better future." Razer did not expect someone to be intrigued by one small book, yet he observed her: "You're an interesting one, Cassandra." She chuckled a hint of playfulness in her eyes. "Coming from a Red Lantern, I'll take that as a compliment," Razer smirked, a rare glint of amusement in his eyes. "Consider yourself flattered."

Cassandra yawned, her eyes growing heavy. "Well, as much as I'm enjoying our late-night chat, I should try to give sleep another shot." Razer settled back down as well, turning his back on her as his tone returned to his cold voice yet soft at the same time, "Hmph, I suppose so... now get some sleep." Cassandra turned off the small reading light, and Razer closed his cold blue eyes. As the conversation concluded, Razer found himself intrigued by the story within the book and the depth of thought it had inspired in Cassandra. He felt renewed energy despite the late hour with a newfound appreciation for their meaningful discussions.