Emiko stared out at the rain, a low whine beginning at the back of her throat. She had set off to hunt a monster and had managed to take it out by herself, but now she was in an unfamiliar area of City Z. The only part that she really knew was the ghost town. The rain kept her from being able to track her way back to the apartment, the smells nearly impossible for her to pick up.

The girl had found a hiding place at least. She was sitting in an alley between two buildings, curled up in a cardboard box and waiting for the rain to stop. The sound of thunder made her flinch, curling up into a tighter ball. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she buried her face in her knees. I just wanted to make Noriko-neechan proud of me and I got lost. I didn't do good at all. I'm just going to get in her way, but I don't have anyone else…

"Excuse me. Are you alright?"

She lifted her face, wiping at her nose with her sleeve. A man was crouched down in front of the box. He doesn't look older than Neechan. Why's he wearing such weird clothes? Emiko sniffed and frowned up at him. "I got lost," she finally admitted once she decided he smelled alright.

"You're lost?" he repeated. She nodded. "Do you know where you live? Do you know your phone number?"

"I don't have a phone!" she growled. "I'm the great Emiko from Grey Corporation, Bloodhound Division, dog number three, youngest hound! My big sister…is in an old apartment building somewhere." Rubbing at her eyes, she frowned. "Did you need something?"

A little taken aback by her sudden sharp tone, he appeared slightly confused. "I came to see if you were alright. I'm a hero. The people in that shop over there saw you and were worried about you so they called me to help you."

Emiko looked past him at the café, where a few waitresses were watching. "I don't need anyone's help! As soon as this rain is gone, I'll find my way home on my own! The great Emiko doesn't need help from a stupid hero!"

"Are you sure that you don't want me to help you get home?"

She stuck out her tongue and shook her head, her floppy canine ears swaying. "I can do it myself! I'm the strongest dog!"

When he got up to leave, she felt a sadness set in. Watching him walk away, she began to whimper quietly. I have to be tough! The Grey lady said so! If I'm not tough, the big guy will tear me apart like the others! Emiko closed her eyes, heaving a sigh as she felt the cardboard box start to leak. Rain dripped onto her head, running down her long ears and making small puddles below.

"Um…was it Emiko-san?"

Her dark eyes snapped open and she glared up at the man for a moment before her gaze fixed upon the object in his hands. It looked like some sort of jacket, but the material was shiny. It was pink with little flowers printed all over it in soft, pastel colors. "Wh-what do you want?" she growled, trying to sound tough. She kept staring at the jacket, her heart racing. It's cute! It's really, really cute! What is that thing?!

He heard her tail wagging behind her in the box, thumping against the cardboard. "I brought you a raincoat. I don't know if this is your size, but it should keep you dry until you can get home. Do you want it?" The coat was immediately seized and she struggled to put it on, not wanting to leave the safety of the box. "Those nice people in the café wanted to give you something, too. Do you want to come with me and we'll get it for you?"

Emiko's gaze narrowed, but her tail still wagged with excitement. "What is it?" She wanted to hide her delight at receiving the coat, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. The cute pattern was making her want to smile.

"Food." He saw her eyes light up immediately and soon she had his hand in hers, towing him across the street to the café. A smile settled on his face as he followed her and he was glad to see her willingly join him.

The waitresses fawned over the girl the second she came in out of the rain. Someone brought out a clean towel to dry her hair for her while the other two set about getting her something warm to eat. It surprised her, but she was even more surprised when they called her cute. "I'm cute?" she repeated, speaking through a mouthful of food.

"You're adorable! I'm so glad you came in, too! You could've caught a cold out there!" one woman exclaimed.

"Mumen Rider, you're staying for a while, right? You can order something, if you want. It's free of charge since our boss is out."

He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling. "No, I'll pay. It's only fair. I'll cover hers, too." His eye was drawn to the two empty plates stacked next to the third serving that Emiko was devouring. "Ah. So you said that your sister lives in an old apartment? Would your sister be Murasaki Noriko?"

Emiko nodded and smiled. "She's the best! She's really strong and she was the only one that could ever stand a chance against the big guy! She even saved Emiko from getting torn apart once!"

Horror crossed the women's faces and Mumen Rider's smile fell. "Um…sorry?"

"It's okay, it's okay! After that, Emiko got even stronger so she could protect the others like Neechan!"

"Oh! Wait a minute, now. Noriko-san? She's the one that brought you here the other day, isn't she, Mumen Rider?" One waitress beamed and approached the table with a steaming mug. "She's a hero, too, right? Are you going to become a hero, Emiko-chan?"

"Hero?" She accepted the mug from the woman and sniffed at it curiously. Milk? It's really warm, too. She sipped it and grinned. It's delicious!

"Your sister's a hero," Mumen Rider explained. "It means that she saves people for a living."

Emiko nodded, but was still just a little confused. "Yeah! I want to be a hero like Neechan then! I want to help people like she does!"

"That fight the other day was pretty brutal. Remember what happened to the Demon Cyborg? It looked like half of his face was taken off! I didn't think they would survive that fight! And that cyborg with cat ears just wouldn't stay down!" The waitress shivered and shook her head. "I can't imagine fighting someone like that! It's too scary to even think about! I'd die!"

The little dog girl listened to the waitresses tell stories about monsters appearing near the café and how they were trained to deal with them. When the rain finally started to clear up, she went outside with Mumen Rider to start navigating her way home. With her hood pulled up, it hid the scent of wet dog, but she still felt a little self-conscious. No one had said anything in the café, but she had seen one of the women scrunching up her nose at the scent.

"Does Emiko smell weird?" she suddenly blurted out.

"What? Um…well you smell like a dog," he admitted. "It isn't exactly-"

"I wish I was like Neechan! She doesn't smell weird when her hair is wet!" Her thin shoulders drooped and she fidgeted with the sleeve of her raincoat.

"You know, if you cut your hair, there will be less of it to smell strange. And if you use a spray, you could probably hide the smell," he pointed out.

"Carry me, Oniichan."

Puzzled that she had called him that, he hefted her onto his back. "Are you alright, Emiko-san?"

"I saw a TV today and it had a little girl on it. She was younger than me. She went to school and she had a mom and dad and she had a big brother and she had friends…and she had a dog…and she wore cute stuff…and…and she…"

Shift P.O.V

Noriko was out for a run, but she was also casually searching the ghost town for Emiko. While she was sure that the child was smart enough to wait out the storm in shelter, she was also afraid of Kenta's sudden return. If he were to find Emiko alone, there was no telling how it might end for the child. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she started to call the child's name.

"Noriko-san!" a male voice called in reply.

She paused in the middle of a street, looking over her shoulder and then in front of her down the road. "Hn? Emiko!"

"Noriko-san!" the voice repeated. This time the voice was accompanied by footsteps moving down the pavement one street over.

She leapt up and onto the closest roof, peering down at the visitor. When she saw Mumen Rider, she had to cover her mouth with a hand to smother a laugh. He was carrying Emiko on his back and the little girl was wearing a rather cute raincoat with a floral pattern. Crouching at the edge of the roof, she gave him a little wave with her free hand.

"Noriko-san, there you are! Um…I found your sister. I don't know why she was in the middle of the shopping district, but she said that she was lost." He took a step back when she jumped down, appearing just a little anxious about her approaching him. "I hope you don't mind; I got her some food because she was out in the rain for a while. And I got her this raincoat so-"

"Hnn." She tilted her head, walking a circle around him. Her tail lifted, curling at the end as she smiled. "It's cute. Thank you…for taking care of my "little sister". You're a good guy."

He blushed faintly as she went to retrieve the child from off of his back. "Y-yeah, well…I couldn't just leave her out there. And don't worry about paying me back or anything, okay?"

"Really?" Noriko stepped toward him and saw him step back. She raised an eyebrow, but chose not to pursue him and respect his need for her to keep her distance. "Sorry…cat allergy?"

"What? N-no! I mean, I like animals! I mean, I'm sorry!" He bowed. "Okay, I need to get going. I left my bike at a store in the shopping district because I wasn't sure how far away you actually lived. Good bye!" He started off, but paused and turned back to her. "By the way, Noriko-san, you should consider having her take the hero exam."

"Hn?" She looked down at the sleeping child and then back to his retreating figure. Carrying Emiko in the direction of their building, she frowned a little. We both had pretty adventurous days, I guess. But the hero exam for you? Is that really a good idea? Once the child was settled beneath the thick blankets of the futon, Noriko took a seat in front of the little patio door. It was closed, letting her watch the rain begin to fall again from behind a barrier. A hero…hn? Fighting monsters. Fighting Kenta. Is that what she would want?