Episode fanfic title: How did the friendship begin?

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(Kia's POV): October, about a few years ago...

I was driving my brother's car after having finished drinking some kiwi juice. I saw someone running on the pavement and squinted against the street lamps to get a better look. It was a cold night, with trees shimmering green and sidewalks buzzing with life.

A girl around my age was wearing a bright red hoodie and denim jeans, moving with a kind of urgent energy as if racing against time. My curiosity was piqued: 'Was she late for something, running from someone, or perhaps both? I couldn't just sit in the car, drinking my juice while she was putting her energy into the streets.'

Turning off the engine, I grabbed my phone (in case of emergencies), and looked through the windshield as the runner and three others headed into the alley. I narrowed my eyes and got out of the car to follow. There weren't many people around, and the air was a bit nippy. I followed at a brisk pace, the sound of my footsteps muffled by the asphalt.

The alleyway was dark and narrow ahead of me, and I hesitated for a moment, wondering if they were up to something shady. I thought, but then I thought it would be better if I could help her. I didn't want to know about the dangerous situation she could have gotten herself into, it made my stomach scrunch up with worry.

I'd already made up my mind, so I stepped into the alley. The sounds of the city faded away, replaced by the echo of grunts and groans. I instantly hid behind a dumpster and used my phone reflection to see what was going on.

The girl in the red hoodie was now just a few paces ahead, her figure visible in and out of the shadows. I could see two guys attacking her. They were shouting angrily, and they had her pinned to the ground.

As I kept hearing her struggling to get out of their grasp when I accidentally stepped on broken glass, I was cursing myself for being so stupid. The second guy glanced over his shoulder as a lookout. I pressed myself against the cool brick wall before he could see me, feeling scared.

"I told you guys to leave me alone," The girl shouted.

"Well, we just happened to want to have a good time." I suddenly heard their belts unclipping from their trousers and realized that if I didn't stop them, they were about to do something I didn't want them to. 'Oh, no way in Hell, I'mma let this shit happen!'

I held my breath, then stepped out and said, "Hey, leave her alone!" My eyes showed I meant business, and my voice carried authority. The men's smirks faltered as I produced something unexpected – a fake revolver.

They were scared and ran away straight away. Once they'd gone, I went over to the girl, who was about my age, with her brown hair in a curly bob cut. What really caught my attention was her eyes, which were silver. I quickly shook it off by extending my hand to help her up. 

She was a bit reluctant at first, but she eventually took my hand as I helped her up.

"Are you okay?"

She replied, "I'm fine, thanks. I appreciate your help."

"Could you tell me why you were running from those guys?" I continued, "Maybe I can help." "Fine, but I doubt it." The girl took off her hoodie and instantly recognized her as one of my classmates in Science and Biochemistry: "They were ordered to sexually harass me because of a blonde girl named Cindy, who was a bully, to be precise-" 

I interjected and asked her, "The cheerleader Barbie?"

"That's right. She started spreading rumors that I'm a prostitute who could do anything for money. Which, by the way, I'm NOT!" She paused, then laughed and crossed her arms. "I doubt you'd believe me."

I firmly placed my hand on her arm and assured her, "I believe you." She stood there, looking stunned, and raised an eyebrow at me. "Really?" I nodded, "You think you're the only one who gets bullied by blondie girl Cindy? She was the first person to bully me with some rumors that I decided to do the ultimate revenge."

The girl's expression shifted from disbelief to interest as she leaned in slightly, her arms dropping to her sides, "What kind of revenge?"

I smirked so evilly that the best memory of my own scheming flashed through my mind, "I hacked into her browser history and all the dirty crap she did by showing it to the entire school year that her parents were called and grounded her after she got expelled," I admitted with confidence, "This made it clear that the rumors she spread could easily bounce back to her."

"Wait? That was you?!" The girl with silver eyes and mouth agape, "You're the MasterGrid!?"  

I chuckled lightly, the surprise in her voice adding an unexpected thrill to our encounter. "I prefer to think of myself as an 'internet vigilante,'" I quipped, trying to downplay the weight of the nickname. "Using my knowledge for good and all that."

She stepped back slightly, her surprise turning into admiration: "Wow! I'm a HUGE Fan of your skills! I heard rumors, but I didn't think the MasterGrid would be... well, you," she said, tilting her head slightly as if trying to reconcile the image of a digital mastermind with a kid sneaking juice in a parked car.

"Yeah, I get it," I said with a shrug, maintaining a cool demeanor, "Not exactly how you pictured a hacker, huh?" 

She laughed, the tension in the alley seemed to go away: "Not unless you got proof, of course. So, prove it." "Okidoki!" I cleared my throat and began remembering what I'd researched and learned about her, "Your name is Cassandra Katherine Jordan. 

You were 8 when you tried to run away because your parents kicked your uncle out from seeing you, only for you to be taken and experimented on by Joker and Bane: "The chemicals that they injected you, were torture yet it turned your eye color from brown to silver, then got rescued by Green Lantern and the Batman. 

"Sent to the hospital for a check-up as you found out that you had a rare condition inside your heart, which was caused by the Joker's experiments. You told the doctors that you didn't want them to tell your parents: Jim, and Sue. 

"Your Uncle Hal Jordan is the boyfriend of Carol Ferris from the Ferris Aircraft Company. Oh! And you also have a hobby of Graffiti the walls with spray cans!" As soon as I finished my full explanation of her biography, Cassandra blinked and slowly looked away.

I felt a bit guilty for sharing so much about her, so I tried to apologize, but she smiled gently in return. "You knew and never told anyone?" "Why would I tell you that?" "I have a rule." I went on, "I never reveal the privacy of innocent people." Cassie nodded, her earlier urgency replaced by a sense of camaraderie.

"After those rumors got out, I've been on edge, especially with her friends thinking they can intimidate me." She looked down the alley, her silver eyes betraying a hint of sadness, "It's frustrating." 

"I was wondering if you'd be up for teaming up?" I suggested, spotting an opportunity to make this meeting more productive, "If you're dealing with Cindy and her friends, maybe we can work together to put a stop to it. And perhaps, I can have you as my apprentice and friend!" 

Her eyes lit up, and a spark of determination ignited within her. "You mean it? Two against the world?" 

"Absolutely. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," I said, tapping my temple playfully, "And who knows? You've got the smarts and I've got the skills. 

Put them together and we'll make quite the duo." She smiled, her initial reluctance giving way to excitement. "I could definitely use a partner. I'm good at standing up for myself – you remember back in junior year, right?" "Yup, I can tell," I replied, impressed. "And that's exactly what we need. A blend of brains and codes." 

She tilted her head with a playful smile. "Is it bad that I'm not even scared of Cindy now? I feel like we can totally take her on." "We definitely can," I said, bolstered by her newfound confidence. But then I grew concerned about Cassie's well-being. "Are you sure you're okay? You're not hurt or anything?"

Cassie shakes her head and brushes herself off, straightening her jeans. "I'll be fine. Thanks to you, of course. But I'll need to be on guard from now on." "Agreed. We need to keep an eye out," I said, glancing down the alley, "For now, let's get out of this alley before those guys decide to come back."

As we walked back into the street, I turned to her but never said anything until... "So... you wanna be friends?" Cassie suddenly asked. At that moment, I accepted and we both realized we'd become something special—we instantly became friends and most importantly, like sisters.

Now but a time skip to the ending~...

A/N: I know, I know, you all are asking why I didn't write the episode like the show well, I felt like it wasn't important because of how it made me want to discontinue ANOTHER great fanfic. Since I'm growing older like the others, I think it was best to make a background story of how Kia and Cassandra met and of course, the next one is the aftermath of the Episode of Steam Lantern.

After bringing a new planet and Hal Jordan back to his dimension, Cassandra had a brilliant opportunity to make some crazy plans for her best friend and Aya.

Location: Unknown abandoned beach planet.

"We'll definitely die if we jump without power rings," Kia said, her face turning pale.

Cassandra couldn't help but smile, rolling her eyes playfully. "Oh, please, don't be like that! It's really not that high!"

Aya looked at the cliff and said, "I am sorry to say that our chances of survival are pretty much zero."

The silence was so intense, it was almost unbearable. Kia's hands were trembling as she stared down at the jagged rocks below.

"A small height?" she echoed, her voice barely a whisper. "This freaking looks like the mouth of a giant ready to swallow us whole!"

Cassandra gave a little shrug, her confidence still shining through, "Don't worry so much, sweetheart." Just think of all the times we've taken risks and come out on top, my friend! "This is just another adventure, my friend."

Aya, always the pragmatist, thought for a moment and then said, "I think adventures should be fun, not dangerous." "I think we should find another way down – one that doesn't involve falling for no reason at all!" Kia gave Aya a look that said she was really hoping she'd understand.

"You don't really think we could just... climb down?"

"No can do!" Cassandra took a little step closer to the edge, peering over as if she was trying to work out how far it was to the bottom, "We're agile, remember? A little leap of faith never hurt anyone – well, not anyone who's ever had a power ring, right?"

"Well, except for Lantern Hal Jordan, Kilowog, and Razer, perhaps?" Aya let out a little sigh at Cassandra. Kia swallowed hard, her throat feeling a little dry, "What if we didn't have time to turn on our power rings left behind after this? What if—"

Before she had a chance to finish her thought, Cassandra interrupted, throwing her arms wide and smiling warmly, "Then we'll just go for it!" She goes near the edge, "We've got to remember not to let fear get in the way of what we want to do. Besides, we've faced worse than a little cliff jump, and we've made it through!"

"You mean worse than death?" Aya confusingly questions, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"Exactly!" Cassandra replied with a grin, completely unfazed. "Now, who's with me?"

Kia hesitated, glancing from Cassandra to Aya, and backed away.

"A-A-Aya?" she breathed, seeking an ally in this madness.

"A leap of faith is not exactly in my computer of survival tips," Aya replied slowly, but her tone was slightly softened. "...Perhaps holding my hand would lessen your fear of heights and might help join her." 

Kia's eyes darted back and forth between her two friends. "So, let me get this straight," she said, her voice a mix of disbelief and hope. "You want me to hold hands with you, while we jump off what looks like the edge of the world? How is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Cassandra laughed, the sound bright and carefree against the somber backdrop of the cliff: "Because when you're terrified, and you're with the people who have your back, we need to leap out in order to feel less fearful at the things we hate. Plus, together we can conquer anything!"

Aya's pragmatic demeanor shifted slightly as she observed Cassandra's enthusiasm, an eyebrow raised skeptically but with the hint of a smile. "You do realize that friends can also help you make better decisions, right?" she said lightly, then paused, her eyes softening, "But maybe a little camaraderie wouldn't hurt."

Kia swallowed again, feeling the heat of anxiety creeps up her neck: "Camaraderie, huh? So, you two are suggesting we all jump off this cliff together? Because that's what it sounds like to me." "Exactly!" Cassandra clapped her hands together, practically bouncing with excitement. "On the count of three! One... two..."

"Aya, wait a minute, are you really going to do this?" Kia gave her a worried look, hoping she'd change her mind at the last minute.

Aya took a moment to think it over, her eyes fixed on the churning waters far below. "I'm still looking at the risk, but as you said, 'What the hell', right?" Kia opened her eyes wide in shock, but before she and Aya could react, they were suddenly addressed by Jordan's niece.

"Three!" Cassandra let out a cry of delight and leaped off the ledge before either of her colleagues had a chance to react.

Kia felt her heart beating faster. 

"Cassie!" she cried before another thought could cross her mind, and she felt Aya grip her hand tightly.

She felt a surge of determination. "We can't leave her on her own!"

And just like that, they both rushed towards the edge and jumped.

The air rushed past them in a wild rush, and for a second, it felt like they were flying – not plummeting. They felt a sense of freedom, and the rush of exhilaration filled their lungs and fueled their laughter.

As they got closer to the ground, Aya felt her heart beating fast. She remembered that the beating was her heartbeat. She squeezed Kia's hand tighter, aware that their power rings were still far away, and that every moment was a test of faith. She calmly told Kia, "For the record, this is much... amusing as expected!" Her voice was barely audible over the wind.

Kia started feeling a surge of adrenaline as they entered the last part of their descent.

"Now!" Cassandra's voice cut through the chaos as she activated her ring, a beautiful emerald light enveloping her from below. It transformed her hologram into a surfboard, ready to ride the waves from the waterfall!

Aya and Kia were so quick to follow suit, almost as if they'd done it a thousand times before! The only difference was that Aya used her levitation abilities, while Kia used her ring to create a similar holographic surfboard to Cassie's. They soared through the air, and just in time, the power enveloped them in a protective barrier!

With a flash of light, they touched down softly, rolling forward on a sandy beach. At first, it was silent, but then the two human teens burst into laughter, overcome with disbelief and relief. "Okay, I give in," they said, grinning from ear to ear. Kia gasped, trying to catch her breath. "That was..."

"Amazing?" Cassandra finished for her, her eyes twinkling with delight. "See? Just like I said, take a leap of faith!" Aya lands on the sand, not caring much about sand entering her white boots, and stares blankly. "You two are completely out of your minds," she says with a hearty laugh.

"Maybe," Kia said, her voice a little shaky but full of newfound confidence. "But maybe a little insanity is exactly what we needed!"

The three of them lay down on the sand together, still buzzing from the excitement of the day, and gazed out at the horizon where the sun was just beginning to rise over the water, painting the sky in the most beautiful shades of pink and orange.