Warnings: Child abuse and abandonment, troubling unchildlike behavior, poverty, trope of 'always a different sex' is in effect

One – The Nephilim and the Benefactor

As a toddler, Kuga Yumi had gotten a puppy.

His fur was soft and lustrous and she had cared for him with an intensity unusual for children of her age. But Kuga Yumi was not like other children. She was slow to smile, when she did it unnerved and dazzled all the same. She stacked her blocks close together, stacked them like barriers. She fussed at the temperature of her arms. She was the little heiress of GIGO, a company which had saved the internet as they all knew it.

As a toddler, that puppy changed her.

That puppy brought out a little human girl. A girl who ran in the grass and ruined her stockings and walked him daily. Even if it was temporary, a little girl was able to break out of porcelain for a few hours every day. If it weren't for that, the pale girl would have spent so little time outdoors, and that would be just unhealthy.

Perhaps it was because of that that when that one rare snowy day arrived, young Yumi was in the right place at the right time. Her dog was on his leash, trotting slowly ahead as to not disturb his small, much more fragile human nor jostle her umbrella. Behind them was the ever present young man, dressed in civilian clothes. Yumi laughed on the inside sometimes. The guards seemed like less of a civilian than she did, and she was dressed in the cleanest, sharpest clothes her father's money could buy that the girl could put on without any fuss from a servant. Because to have servants for that much was just silly, she had a wicked stepmother for that.

As she passed by an alley, Shiro made a sudden turn, his nose pointed towards a small lump covered in snow. Well, small was relative, but it was small compared to the nearest dumpster. Despite the not-so-subtle throat coughs her guard made, Yumi moved just a bit closer, close enough to see eyes. Eyes that are so gray that in the snowy wind they seem just a tad bit white. They stared at her, right at her. Now that she listened, she could hear harsh, short breath. The person looked away quickly.

Shiro barked and the person jumped, shifting the snow off of them. This revealed matted, long hair, so dirty the color was indistinguishable from the grey bricks. What was left of the rags threatened to fall off.

Yumi watched this, her small, gloved fingers giving the leash a gentle yank. Shiro coughed and came back, whining at her foot. Obediently, she scratched behind one flopping ear, still looking at the person who had begun to crawl away. They made more hissing breaths, head slowly turning to the side.

In the span of one breath to the next, the little heiress spoke. "Kyoma-san, pick her up."

Her guard stared at her. The good thing about the little mistress was that she was rarely fickle. When her decisions were made, they were a true decision, which meant less whining, as was what tended to be the case with the other little master of the family. Still, that child, if that was a child, was obscenely filthy and from the state of them, not long for this world. It would be a waste of time, and break the little girl's heart, if anything really could. So, he at least had to try and persuade her. "We are far from your apartments, young miss," he began. "And the hospital may decide to refuse them with their lack of funds."

"Then we will just have to be quick and persuasive." The firmness of her words did not surprise him, though it was a bit amusing. "Will it not be easier to look after me if I am confined to one place?"

The man let out a snort, and the little thing on the ground flinched. "I suppose that is true, young miss. Your father has taught you well." In reality, he could not refuse her and they both knew it. Her father would be the one to give her the punishment, if one was even remotely merited. "If you will step back, young miss. I may have to be a bit rough."

As the man moved closer, the huddled form made to leap away. However, the reflexes of a dying child were nothing compared to a fully trained man, no matter how much they squirmed. "Little miss, calling the car might be prudent."

Yumi frowned. "Of course, you're right."

Kyoma thanked both the company and intelligent humans for the child safe cell phone.

This wretch had better do the same as well if it lived, for the sake of the young miss' generosity.

Taiga became aware more sluggishly than usual. Perhaps this was due to the soft thing she was laying on. Her limbs felt deliciously heavy and it was tempting to sink right back into sleep. Then, however, her stomach began to hurt and yawn again. She wanted to scowl. She had thought, had hoped, her body would have given up on food as it had on heat, and just provided the nourishment from thin air.

But it didn't and the pain grew so fast and so sharp that Taiga had to open her eyes as she groaned for it to stop. Immediately after, she closed her eyes again, the light of the room too sharp for her after all that time seeing pure white snow.

Once everything dulled (It never went away. It could only grow dull), Taiga opened her eyes to… a hospital room.

There was a word for this. Aside from fear anyway. She didn't want to think of it, however. She wanted to know where she was so she could leave, so she could escape the adult who inevitably would promise things they wouldn't end up able to keep.

It smelled in here, of fake clean things and medicine, and that smell was enough to make her try and move. Immediately however, gloved hands gently pushed her back down.

"I wouldn't do that," chided a quiet voice. "You still need that IV."

Taiga rolled her head forward and now that her vision was much less blurry, she could see a young woman with dark hair staring down at her. Taiga wanted to scream. All she managed was a croak.

Thankfully, that seemed to be enough. "Thank goodness you have woken up. You're very lucky, little one. If that girl and her dog hadn't seen you and done something, you would have frozen to death."

Taiga very much had to doubt that. Starved to death, maybe, but she doubted frostbite would kill her. A girl…?

It took her a moment to remember the blank face of a child, staring at her and clutching the leash of a dog. Speaking and then-

That girl and her follower person… had rescued her. Why? For what? She couldn't pay them back, couldn't do anything. It was pointless! She would just be thrown back out there and die once she was suitably healed. What was that even for?

The woman -doctor, she realized- seemed to see her disbelief. "That child is quite the eccentric one. I'm her personal physician you see. She doesn't do things without a reason, even if that reason may baffle the rest of us."

Should she really be saying much in front of me? Taiga wondered this briefly, but really was more concerned about what was going ot happen to her. Would she stay here? Get food? Get thrown out? What?

The woman smiled. "Just one moment, I can get her and you can ask all those questions burning in your eyes! Just don't try to get up."

As soon as she turned her back, Taiga attempted to try. However, feeling how heavy her limbs were made that an immediate no-go. So once the door shut, Taiga looked at the IV instead. She narrowed her eyes at it. It would be so much faster if she could just drink it.

"And the result might kill you. I'm not sure."

Taiga stiffened up, then relaxed. "Mi," she managed to croak.

Like smoke from an air vent, a small child slid up into Taiga's vision. He toyed with a pair of glasses with one hand and the ragged clothes he had on looked better than anything Taiga herself had ever worn except for those few days of-

She was not going to think about that.

"I told you not to run away from them," Mi chided. "Someone was going to look after you."

Taiga scoffed a bit.

Mi laughed. "You're so stubborn. Looks like you got a lucky break though. This girl's definitely got her claws into you." Taiga shook her head and he raised an eyebrow. "Surely you've noticed that you end up in more trouble because you don't listen to me? It happens every time. Just trust me. You need her. And she needs you." His young voice dropped off a little, going soft. "She's going to be hurt very soon. And nothing I've ever done changes that no matter when or where."

It was perhaps the sobering look that made Taiga take pause on whatever she had been going to attempt to say. It wasn't that Mi, her somewhat constant companion in his own way, was never serious. It was just usually buried beneath this apathetic sort of playfulness that made it hard to tell if he meant half of what he said. It got to be pretty annoying. But when he got that face, it tended to be important.

She wanted to ask what he meant, the cryptic jerk, but he vanished at the sound of a knock. The door opened, pushed by small hands and-

Yes, that was her. That was that strange girl, followed by the doctor, whose dark hair had gone slightly unruly over something.

"Honestly, your mother.."

"Stepmother," the girl corrected in a mild voice, rubbing at her neck. Taiga thought through the clean smell and the remaining smells from the outside, there was a milder whiff of blood.

The woman shook her head. "And she won't let me forget it, yes I know, Yumi-chan. Honestly, still, this is a hospital. We treat injuries, we don't add to them." She sighed. "Let me bandage it now."

Yumi inclined her head. Her stare was right next to Taiga. Taiga squirmed a little, hunching up. IT was like she was being stared at anyway, how was she doing that?

"Yumi-chan, don't frighten your new friend."

The girl looked away at once. Now that eyes were no longer dissecting her, Taiga examined the other girl.

Mi had explained to her that the best way to get adults to feel sorry for you was to be cute. IT didn't always work, but it had saved her life a good few times.

Looking at Yumi, at her long black hair and the tilt of her head, at the clothes probably more expensive than Taiga could ever imagine, she thought she could finally understand what Mi had meant. That girl would be able to charm hearts, if she stopped wearing that blank face. Though that face kind of made her own skin crawl.

After finishing with the bandage, the nurse gave Taiga a glass of water. It and two others were gulped down greedily until she could feel her mouth again. Taiga croaked out a thanks.

"When can I take her home?" Yumi asked.

Taiga barely managed not to spit out her water as the woman rolled her eyes. "Yumi-chan, she's not a toy." Something barked from the floor, and Yumi picked up the tiny dog. Taiga flinched a little. Dogs had never harmed her before… but… "You really should have taken him home, he's unsanitary."

"That woman would have cooked him." She looked at Taiga. "Do you want to pet him?"

No, said her brain. She nodded her head yes instead and then cursed herself. It was those black eyes, like the stare of a helpless teddy bear. Seconds later, she had a mass of fluff sitting at the edge of her bed and nosing her fingers. Taiga did not flinch this time, but she did twitch at the faint sound of Mi's laughter. Some guardian angel you are.

Well, okay, he really wasn't but he might as well be.

She reached out her hand and was quickly licked on the fingers. Taiga pulled them back with a mild eep of alarm. She was supposed to sound more menacing than that. This did not stop the dog in the slightest and soon she had a lap full of white-blond fur. She stared helplessly for a moment before reaching down again.

"When can I take her home?" Yumi repeated to her physician after it looked like Taiga was fully distracted.

Tomomi made a face. "I am just not going to distract you, huh?"

Yumi stared at her unblinking.

Tomomi let out a sigh. "Your parents have to allow it, not you."

The little girl let out a noise like a snort. "Okay. I'll be back then." She walked out of the room with her head held high.

Tomomi sighed again and went to get another set of bandages. She looked at her patient and the dog tags without rust around her wrist. She looked more comfortable now at least.

She hoped Yumi had actually thought about this decision.

Yumi's pale hand touched her own with a single finger, causing Taiga to shift in alarm. The girl didn't react, not immediately, but her eyes went slowly wider. Good. She'd figure it out and give up, like that person had.

Except she didn't. She only tilted her head and said, "The car is this way."

Shiro sniffed Taiga's neck and licked it. Taiga blushed and made to follow. Then she stopped, a word bubbling out of her mouth, "Why?"

The girl kept walking. Taiga raced after her, or attempted to anyway. Her limbs still felt like jelly. She opened her mouth to ask again, wondering if she would have the voice. Or the strength. Or the clarity.

Then Yumi glanced back at her, eyes full of something, something Taiga didn't know immediately. "Why not?"

You two are really alike, Taiga, Mi whispered overhead.

Taiga's head snapped to the left and there was nothing there. She turned back. People were pointedly looking away from her. Yumi looked right at her and held out her hand.

It wasn't the first hand to be put near her face. It was the smallest, and probably the most fragile. And maybe that was why she took it.

Taiga let Yumi lead her outside, into a car that was too clean for her, with a pristine dog that was too friendly to her, and for the first time in her life, she didn't look back.

A/N: Phew. Another Decode AU from me. Even though none of us know the canon, I know this isn't it.

Challenges: Titles Set Boot Camp 23. Hellhounds, AU Set Boot Camp 9. alternate relationships! AU (eg. Kouji and Kouichi weren't twins, Tomoki was Takuya's brother etc.), gameverse boot camp prompt - steel, manga verse prompt curve, Epic Masterclass World list, #3, remix tapes, Season Rewrite Competition, Valentine's Advent 2016 Day 4., New Years Mini Advent 2017, Halloween Advent 2015 day 30, and Mega Prompts 198.