One Year later
"Lookin' good Guk!" Yongguk chuckled at the ninja's comment and the mock wolf whistle from the bomber. He stood in the courtyard with Youngjae, Daehyun and Jongup in his new team leader uniform. He was the first of the group to make it to elite while the others were catching up. Jongup smiled while the couple laughed at their flustered friend. "So, what'd ya want to tell us?"
"Well, as you can tell by the uniform I'm a team leader"
"I never would have guessed." He shot the bomber a look before continuing.
"Anyway. I'm a team leader without a team" the trio tilted their heads; and in daehyun's case cocked an ear at the new leader.
"You weren't assigned?"
"Nope, I took the option to form my own...and guess who I choose?" He smiled at his friends as their eyes widened, getting what the leader was getting at.
"Us!?"
"Seriously!?" Yongguk chuckled.
"Of course, why wouldn't I want my friends as my team. I already put you guys in. We're official!" The group cheered; rushing to their new leader, hugging and messing around.
 "This is great!" 
"Yeah no way there could be a better team!" Jongup smiled though he knew one thing to make it better. But he didn't say anything; didn't want to kill the mood. "We can take team missions now! Hey wait where's your armor?" 
"Yeah you're an elite now, you get a custom armor." The group backed up, giving the leader space. When one became an elite you got a living custom armor that fit your skills and personality. Yongguk chuckled as he opened the bag he brought earlier. After a few moments they heard a faint groan come from the bag. Out came a small black rabbit with grey camouflage spots and a red gas mask. It stretched and yawned, blinking a few times before looking up at Yongguk with an annoyed face.
"Hey I was napping, training with you was tiring!" The rabbit crossed it's arms before noticing the others. "Who're these guys?" They were wide-eyed. Jongup reached out to poke it which made it flinch. It jumped out of the bag and onto Yongguk's shoulders; clinging to his owner. "Hey no touchy! Boss who are they!?"
 "Relax, guys this is ShiShimato. ShiShimato these are my friends Youngjae, Jongup and Daehyun. They're my teammates."
"Oh these are the guys!" ShiShimato looked them over before turning back to Yongguk. "You sure the green kid's old enough?"
"Hey! I'm 2300!"
"Like I said, you sure he's old enough?"
"Shishimato be nice, you're going to be working with these guys." Shishimato sighed. 
"Sorry boss..."
"And?"
"Sorry Jongup" Jongup pouted. Youngjae nudged him which brought him out of his pout.
"So Yongguk, what does it look like on you?" Shishimato and Yongguk looked at each other before grinning; well Yongguk grinned they couldn't really tell if ShiShimato was grinning because of the mask. ShiShimato jumped down next to Yongguk as he rolled up his sleeve to a gauntlet.
"ShiShi armor mode activate!" He pressed a button on the gauntlet and the two were engulfed in a bright light which blinded the others briefly. When the light subsided Yongguk stood in black and red armor with Shishimato's mask on his face and a broad sword on his hip.
"Woah...nice!"
"Impressive guk."
"Can't wait to get my own!" Yongguk chuckled.
"Well it'll be sooner then you think guys. You remember one of the rules on teams right? After our first mission you guys are up to graduate, depending on your age and how long you're in the academy is the order."
"Well we all know who's getting it first" Youngjae and Jongup looked towards Daehyun who chuckled sheepishly. 
"Alright guys, armor down" he pressed a button on his gauntlet again and split from ShiShimato. "Let's get this started. Let's take on a team mission."
"Oh right you get to pick team missions." The new team headed to the mission boards. There were more experienced teams around the boards, picking their missions. "So what first?" Daehyun looked the board over with the others. Jongups eyes shot wide at one mission. He turned pale and shook. It was an arrest mission in a city far from the academy. But that wasn't what made him react this way. It was the target's name. It couldn't be... They noticed the bruiser's reaction and looked concerned. "What's up Jongup?" He shakily pointed at the mission. The others turned to look at it, Youngjae and Yongguk's eyes widening.
"No way..." 
"I-it couldn't be..."
"What, what is it?" Daehyun pressed the mission detail button and brought the mission into bigger view. 
The mission read in big letters: "arresting mission: find and apprehend Bounty Hunter Himchan. Wanted for multiple counts of assassination under Bounty Hunter Kinz. Considered Armed and Dangerous. Sentence if brought in peacefully may be negotiated if willing to turn on Bounty Hunter Kinz. Sentence if brought in with force- Incarceration, possible execution." Jongup focused on the last word of the sentencings. 'Possible execution'!? At the very bottom of the mission details was a picture of the Himchan they all knew; the black hair shorter and he looked a bit rougher but it was their himchan. No doubt about it. It took Daehyun a minute to realize it.
"Wait this is the Himchan you guys talked about!? A bounty hunter!?" 
"He wasn't like that when we knew him...he wouldn't hurt a fly..."
"He wanted to help people, be a medic."
"S-Something must've happened! Th-There's no way he would be a killer!"
"Not to sound like a jerk here but I don't really know him so...you know people change.."
"I agree with the ninja, sorry boss."
"No! Not Himchan! Not my Himchan!" Jongup shouted at Daehyun and the armor as tears started to form in his eyes. Youngjae went to comfort him as Yongguk turned to the ninja.
"I know you didn't mean to sound like that...but I know for a fact that Himchan would never kill on purpose. When Isi died he couldn't handle death. He would get nightmares from seeing her die. There's no way he would become a killer" 
"Sorry...hey if it's like what you say then we should be able to bring him in with no problem right?" Youngjae nodded.
"Right, he knows us. We can talk him to coming back with us. And that avoids the execution option..." Yongguk agreed, pressing the accept option and putting his hand on the identification panel. A mission accepted screen flashed before it went back to mission options. 
"Come on guys." They reported to the elite who set the mission. Yongguk, Youngjae and Jongup stared wide-eyed at who it was. Daehyun saluted.
"Captain Miri"
"Ah Dae- oh my Eu-ak...it's you kids!"
"Y-you were the elite from back then!"
"You gave me my recommendation!" Miri got up from behind her desk and to the boys. 
"You boys have grown...you took on the arrest mission?" Yongguk nodded. Surprisingly she let out a sigh of relief. "Good, I was worried if someone else took the mission they wouldn't hesitate to use force."
"So...it really is himchan."
"I'm afraid so...we ran background checks to confirm." Jongup lowered his head. "Are you sure you're ready? This is different then the mission you took before."
"We're ready, we'll bring a Himchan back." 
"Alright, Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup get your student armor. Yongguk, catch." She tossed the leader a set of keys. "Your ship, congratulations on graduating." The group saluted before leaving. Soon they were in the air, on there way to the city. 

Meanwhile in said city "HIMCHAN!!" A rather shrill shot rung out of a broken down looking ship. A dark blue matoki woman leaned on a panel as he walked in. "There you are, I have a job for you..." The pink matoki sighed, knowing the drill by now and already having a large dagger out. 
"Who am I killing this time..." 
"Now now am I recall that predictable?"
"Yes" he ducked quickly as a much larger dagger whizzed past his head. "So, what am I doing?" 
"I'm in need of a new hideout. This ship is going to pieces and I'd be discovered in no time...I want you to scope a place out for me.." She tossed him a photo of an abandon warehouse. "Go check this out on your own. But remember...do anything funny and a certain green matoki gets to meet me...don't want that do you?" Himchan shot her a glare before leaving the ship; heading to the warehouse. 

"Alright, where do you think he'll be?" The team were gathered in the main hub of the ship. Though they had a plan they had no idea where Himchan could possibly be. "Youngjae you got the map of the city?" The bomber nodded; tapping some buttons on a panel and brought up a 3D city map. "Ok, now it's probably somewhere abandon and easy to hide in...put that criteria in." Youngjae continued to type as buildings started to drop back into the map screen. "And someplace that isn't about to be demolished." The last search edition left only one building; an abandon warehouse. "Looks like this is where we start. Youngjae put in the coordinates." And with that the ship rocketed off to the location. Jongup stared out the window. Yongguk took notice of the sullen bruiser and walked over to him. "Hey Jongup, you ok?"
"O-oh...I-I'm fine Guk, really" he sorta smiles at the leader. Yongguk gave him a look before he sighed. "Forgot none of us can lie to you..."
"It's about Himchan isn't it?"
"I-I just can't believe he could even think of killing let alone actually kill...that's not the himchan we all know...that's not the Himchan I...I-I"
"You fell in love with?" Jongup turned to Yongguk; eyes wide and a slight blush on his cheeks. "You two didn't really hide your feelings well." He sat next to him. "We'll bring him back fine Jongup...we know Himchan and we know this isn't him"
"I know, we're his friends but..."
"But?"
"But what if Daehyun's right? W-what if Himchan has changed...W-what if he forgot about us..." He shrunk into a slight ball, tears starting to stream down his cheeks. "What if he forgot about me...!?" The bruiser started to sob. Yongguk put his arm around him, rubbing his back to comfort him.
"Jongup...there is no way he forgot you. I know for a fact he could never. He loves you too much."
"Then why did he stop talking to us!? Why haven't we heard of him until now!?" 
"Something probably prevented him. You think he'd want to work with a horrible bounty hunter like Kinz?!"
"Maybe he-"
"Himchan is as gay as one could consider his fur color so don't even think he's dating her." Jongup looked away. "You still love Himchan right?"
"Of course I do!"
"Then don't doubt him, believe that this isn't the real him." He gave him a warm reassuring smile. Jongup wiped his eyes; smiling.
"Thanks Yongguk..." Youngjae popped his head out of the control room. He had his helmet on and was fully armored.
"We've landed. Get ready sir." Yongguk got up.
"Come on Jongup, time to find himchan." He armored up before following Youngjae off the ship. Jongup sighed, before putting on his helmet on and heading out.