When Junyu reached the university library after class, his friends were as usual sprawled haphazardly over one of the tables in Study Area 1. Hyunwoo had his legs extended over two chairs as his palms worked over his notepad, scribbling mathematical workings over the dirty sheet, stained with ink smudges courtesy of his cheap ballpoint pen. It wasn't even his, he'd borrowed it from his first college ex-girlfriend's pencil case, and never remembered to return it. Zin, on the other hand, was leaning over her textbook, underlining equations and muttering profusely under her breath. The other two guys – Dongwoo and Woohyun were far more relaxed, flirting with girls online, tapping away at a hundred words per minute on chat apps.

"Hey, Junyu, my mum asked me to invite you over to the club for barbeque this weekend. Dad's having some clients over to play tennis and there'll be loads of free food around. Do you think you can make it?" Hyunwoo perked up.

"Can we go?" Dongwoo perked up.

"No."

"You're a great friend, you are."

"Only one friend," Hyunwoo shrugged, "and my mum's Junyu's new giant fan, so..."

He turned to find Junyu sliding into a seat next to Zin where it was the furthest from them, and sighing into his textbook. He looked tired.

"Junyu?" Hyunwoo called once, his EQ rock bottom – and ignoring his blatant depression, unhinged a stapler gun and shot at him.

"I'm studying here."

"I realized. Chill your saggy , come to the club this Saturday."

"People are going to think you're both gay," Dongwoo muttered drily.

"And bringing you two is going to make me look straight?" Hyunwoo aimed the stapler judgingly at them.

"I hate barbeque parties, especially with sweaty old people in polo shirts walking around in one."

When he'd found the ring in the couch, he had sat there, in the dark, staring at it. It was like waking up from a dream, and finding traces of it in your life. He'd turned it over and over and over, yearning it to flash red, and ring with Yongguk, or Daehyun, Himchan, or even Ririkimi's voice. Eunchae hadn't known that he'd found it – and he knew that telling her about it would just make her cry. They missed the units, missed them so, damn, much.

He had it in his pocket, and wondered if he would ever, ever in his lifetime – see them again.

*

The courthouse was suspended over a sea of silver water, swirling with sleek armed creatures with the tail of a shark and the torso of humans. They held glowing spears that glittered under the gurgling water, acid to human touch. Yongguk stood at the harbor, clad completely in a Commando's uniform, exactly a hundred gold triangles stitched into his sleeve cuffs – one for every mission completed in honour. There appeared no one there, but when he stepped onto a silver plate right at the edge of the harbor, a pair of tidents clanged together in front of him. Two silver figures melted into view in front of him, eyes glowing red as they galred menacingly at him.

Without flinching, Yongguk raised his left hand. "Commando Shishimato, of Planet Mato's Covert Militia, leader of the Warrior Units and Mastermind of Project 27."

"Password?"

"B124AP224, 252, P27."

Their tridents slinked apart and they vanished as quickly as they arrived. The silver plate instantly expanded, and there a walkway stretched oout from the harbor to the courthouse doors. He followed it.

When he returned to the ship two hours later, the other units were standing guard around the ship, its tentacles wriggling furiously by its side like a calamari. Zelo was at the door, armed heavily like the others. He turned when a branch crunched and saw Yongguk approaching them.

"Well? How did the trial go?" Himchan asked, lowering his weapon. But his heart quickened when he saw Yongguk's expression. His face was haggard, tired. He made for the ship, but Zelo barred his way.

"If you are truly our Commando, what is the password?"

"Let me by."

"Password."

"It's over."

"What?" Daehyun leapt up, almost dropping his rifle, "what do you mean?"

"They're all gone."

"Yongguk?"

"28 hours," Yongguk said it like a gasp, and Zelo grabbed him by the arm.

"What's the password?"

"What... what, they can't do this." Youngjae staggered against the ship.

"Commando, what is the password."

"Gone. Gone."

"Password!" Zelo suddenly screamed and grabbed Yongguk, slamming him against the ship and pressing the tip of the rifle at his neck, "say it! SAY IT!"

"Zelo!" Jongup yelled, and attempted to grab him by the arm, but Zelo whipped around and held the rifle at Yongguk's head, "come any closer and I'll blow his systems out. BACK OFF!"

"Gone," Yongguk's eyes started to close and they could see his energy fade.

"WHAT." Zelo suddenly slammed the rifle across his face, "IS THE PASSWORD?"

They knew why he was angry. They all felt it.

Yongguk closed his eyes.

"They will be dead by morning."