She had been portraying herself as a student at the community college when they found her.

She still didn't know how they knew what she was, but they did, and now she was their captive. Well, almost. When they caught her, she was standing with four others. Whatever they had used to locate her couldn't pinpoint her exactly. And now the five of them were shackled to the wall by their hands, ankles, and neck.

She pretended not to know what they were talking about when they asked pointed questions. She tried to appear like a normal human that had just been kidnaped.

"It doesn't matter, right now," said the man who had had them kidnaped. "We have time. I still have to gather the others."

The oldest man in the group, a teacher named Mr. White, started asking questions once he was gone. The other three proclaimed their innocence, then turned it around on him. "Maybe you're the one they want. You're just hiding it from us, making us think it is one of us."

They started fighting as she hid her face under her hair. She was a loner, always quite and accepting of what happens to her, so they never suspected it was her. While they quarreled among each other, she worked at her bonds. Twisting and turning, pulling and straining, she slowly weakened the metal with her superb strength. Secured as she was, her hands were touching each other. She allowed her nails to grow and thicken into claws and she picked at the locks. There was no doubt in her mind that she could escape.

Then they brought in another person.

It took four people to carry him in. He struggled and fought with all he had. They had him in a burlap sack tied on one end, and still he gave it all he had. They tied the sack to a chain hanging from the ceiling. And still he fought. One man held his hand to the sack to steady it from his struggles. "You killed two of my buddies. It's time for revenge."

He pulled a long wooden cane from outside the door and swung it at the bag. A loud sickening thump sounded when wood hit flesh. After several more swings and hits, the bag was motionless.

Laughing, the man wiped sweat from his brow and they left the room.

"Are you still alive in there?" Mr. White asked.

There was no response.

After a while, when nothing happened, one of the other girls said, "Is it just me, or does that outline of that bag look weird? Like there is something else in there besides a human body?"

The others agreed and they spent some time trying to guess what was in there. Then their host returned. He was almost giddy with excitement as he entered with two guards and the four men who had brought in the bag. Each man except their captor had a steel pipe in their hands, ready to defend themselves.

"Open it," their captor demanded. One man pulled put a knife and sliced through the cloth of the sack. The first thing to appear through the rip was strands of long pure white hair. Then, as the rip grew in size, the head to which the hair belonged appeared, followed by the body of an... an angel. He fell to the floor, the feathers of his wings still clinging to the sack. "Ah! He is as beautiful as I had heard." Quickly, the men clasped shackles about his neck, wings, wrists, and ankles. He too, was tied to the wall.

When his neck chain was hooked to the wall, the hair fell away from his face. Their jailer all but ogled the man's beauty. Then he clapped his hands with glee. "Two down, two to go!" He turned to the five of them. "Well, Dragon, now that I have the Pegasus, do you want to reveal yourself?"

She didn't say a thing, nor did the others with her. The man's face curved in disfavor. "So be it. You will not stay hidden long, but for now, I have no time for this. I must keep on the look out for the other two." He left, his guards following.

As soon as he was out of the room, the Pegasus' eyes snapped open. He struggled against the bonds briefly. His wings tried to stretch out, but couldn't. His muscles flexed as he tired to break free. After satisfying himself that he was well and truly secure, he ceased his futile struggles.

He turned his attention to the other people in the room. He looked each one over carefully, eyeing their clothes and hair styles. After studying each person carefully, he spoke. "Americans?" he asked in a light British accent.

"Yes," answered Mr. White. "What are you?"

The man raised a brow. "Pegasus. Although, I go by the name of Nephilim. One of you is the Dragon?"

"So he says."

"You have not told him which one? That is good. Dragon, do not speak the longer you hold out, the more chance you have of escaping."

Almost an hour later, guards came in with food and hand fed each person without unshackling them. After they left, one of the girls started to cry. "I want to go home."

Night was falling, she knew. There were no windows in their cell, but hours had passed and she knew that darkness had covered the land. Flexing her wrist, she bent the steel shackle. She allowed a small smile to touch her lips at the victory.

Then the drug began to take effect.

Her head lulled to the side as her lids slid closed. She forced her eyes open and glanced about at the others. The humans were all asleep now, and the Pegasus' eyes were half closed. Then she succumbed to sleep.

---

For a long time, she hovered between being asleep and awake. The steel band around her neck cut into her flesh, forcing her away from oblivion. Cracking one eye open, she tested the other bonds. Still, one was bent away from her flesh. She began working on the other.

The Pegasus woke and tested his bonds for a moment, but gave up when the door was flung open. The room was filled with guards. They walked into the room backwards, each holding a bayonet.

In the center of the group, a man wearing a straitjacket stumbled in when pushed from behind. He snarled, revealing fangs dripping with saliva. He snapped at any who dared get too close. His thin striped tail whipped around sharply. The poked him with the bayonets, pushing him further into the room. He spun about on the balls of his feet, trying to keep all of the men in his sight. The cloth of the straitjacket was being shredded by his claws and the bayonets.

In the end, there were far too many of them. They cornered him and hooked him to the wall alongside the rest. With his neck tied to the wall, they wrapped him about his chest, bonding his arms to his sides.

No longer able to fight with his teeth and arms, he used his feet. He kicked out, his foot connecting with one man's chin. After much struggling, the men shackled his feet to the wall. Quickly, they filed out of the cell. Panting, the russet haired man finally looked around the cell. His tail had finally stopped snapping about angrily.

"Who are you?" he asked, upon seeing the Pegasus.

"I am the Pegasus. Who are you?"

The man spit out a mouthful of blood. "I am the Liger. I didn't know there were such things as a Pegasus."

"I didn't know Ligers existed either. Or Dragons."

"Dragons?"

"One of them," he motioned with his chin, "is a Dragon."

"Which one?"

"I think it is better we don't know."

The Liger sneered. "I think we should know."

"No, the man who had us captured doesn't know. The longer he doesn't know, the better off we are."

"For how long?"

Mr. White spoke up. "He said there were four of you."

Nephilim glanced at the human. "Yes, but I wonder. We didn't know of each other. How did he know? And who is the fourth one?"

The Dragon studied the Liger. He had long dark red hair, almost black. His eyes were an eerie yellow. They seemed to glow from within. On his face, four dark stripes trailed over his cheeks, barely visible upon his darkly tanned skin. Compared to the Pegasus, he was dark where Nephilim was light. They were complete opposites. Nephilim's light blue eyes hid all his emotions, the Liger's eyes revealed all his inner thoughts.

"Liger, what is your name?"

"I am called Hijime."

There was nothing to do but wait. They knew that the man who had ordered them captured would come to see his newest acquisition. As darkness fell once again, he appeared at the door.

Nephilim lowered his eyes, feigning sleep. The Liger sneered at the man that stood just out of reach, not that he could reach him if he were.

"Well, you're not what I expected. You're half wild." He grinned. "You truly are a beautiful creature." Then he left.

Hijime glowered at the door. "Why did he gather us here?"

Hours later, the guards returned with the fourth man. They dragged his unconscious from into the room and quickly tied him to the wall. He was younger than the others. He wore the robes of a Bedouin tribesman. His head lulled to one side as their captor gloated over them. "You all are so beautiful. All right, now is the time to find the Dragon." He turned to the college students, pulling out a wickedly curved blade. "Lets begin, shall we? Given how beautiful these three are," he walked down the line of people. "You and you could not be the Dragon." He sighed, "You are all so plain." The Dragon watched the fourth creature. He had begun to wake up. He looked around himself in confusion. She smiled when she noticed he too had a tail. His had a small patch of fur at the tip, like a lion's. Their captor approached one of the girls. He pressed the knife to her throat. "Show yourself, Dragon." The fourth captive's eyes lit upon the man holding a knife to the girl's throat. A low rumbling growl came from his throat.

The Dragon turned to their captor. The girl who had the blade at her throat started sobbing. "If you don't want me to kill her, Dragon, reveal yourself."

"Damn you," Nephilim said through clenched teeth, "they are only children."

The Dragon sighed. Now was the time. She pulled at the weakened bonds, breaking them. Quickly, she reached up and grasped the steel bond about her neck, busting it. The ones at her feet were a simple matter.

She landed on her hands and knees, snarling at their captor. She slowly approached him, her thick pointed and scaly tail showing itself, curving into the air like a snake. Her wings unfolded from her back, ripping the cloth of her tee-shirt. She stalked the man toward the door, looking every inch the Dragon she was.

The man walked backwards out the door. "You are truly amazing," he whispered before retreating out the door, locking it behind him. She pounced, too late. Her thick claws stabbed into the door, holding her off the ground for a long moment. Snarling, she pulled her claws out and stood.

Turning to face the room, she noticed all eyes were on her. She stood in silence.

"Well," Hijime said after a moment, "you're not the one I had my money on." She snarled at him. "Oh, feisty." She stalked over to him and sliced her claws before his face. He flinched away but smiled when he realized that his neck was free of its restraints. She quickly freed the rest.

"You're a Dragon?" one of the students asked.

"Obviously."

Pegasus touched a hand to his throat as he was freed. "Now, how to get out of here."

The Dragon freed the new comer. "Who are you?"

"I am the Sphinx."

Together, the two youngest mythical creatures went to the door. Over the door, a tiny vent was the only other opening into the room. Using their claws, the two climbed up the wall and ripped open the vent.

"It is too tiny for anyone to fit through," Nephilim said from under them. Ignoring him, the Dragon first fitted her arms through the hole, then her head. There was nobody in the hall. Not even a guard.

She started to pull her body through, her wings folded back into her skin, hiding from sight once again. The width of her hips stalled her movements. Nephilim spread his wings and lifted into the air. On of his hands touched the ceiling, preventing his head from hitting. He wrapped his free arm around her legs, holding her perpendicular so she could slide through easier. The Sphinx helped by pressing on her back, pushing her through.

Seconds later, she slipped through. Then the door was opened from outside. As Hijime passed her, he grinned at her, "Nicely done."

The Sphinx was all ready half way down the hall, clinging to the wall. Nephilim directed the humans to follow him as he followed the Sphinx's path. The Dragon and Liger passed the group, scouting ahead.

The Dragon scaled the walls, walking along the ceiling. The Liger hunched low, dashing along in a crouch, his tail and hair flying out behind him. Before any guards knew what hit them, they were either killed suddenly from above or below.

Before any of the human's could see the dead bodies, the Dragon dragged off the corpse. Then they came to a dead end.

"How did this happen?" the Liger growled, spinning on his toes to retraced his path. The Dragon fell from the ceiling, but before she touched the ground, her wings spread out. She glided past the Liger and came face to face with the Sphinx.

"We are lost." The Sphinx sniffed the air. His body followed his nose.

"Follow me." He took off at a sprint, running upright and sure in his steps. Liger passed the Dragon, growling angrily. Then the Pegasus caught up with her. "Have you found a way out?"

"The Sphinx will."

---

Some time later, the group of humans led by a Dragon caught up with the Sphinx. He was sitting upon a pedestal, waiting. Glancing about, Nephilim asked, "Where is the Liger?" The Sphinx pointed down a darkened hall. Every few moments a light would pop on, only to die out just as suddenly. "Wait here, humans," he said and took off after the Liger.

The Sphinx and the Dragon watched him go. Then the Sphinx stood. "This is the way out," he said, motioning to a door. "Stay near the walls and you will not be noticed in your escape." Then he sprinted down the hall, also, the Dragon hot on his heels. Mr. White grasped her by her shoulder before she got too far away.

"You should come with us."

"No, I have to do this."

"You are my responsibility. You must come with us."

She spun about, grasping his wrist. Her claws easily wrapped around his larger wrist. She stared pointedly at it for but a second. Then she raised her eyes to his. "You do not understand. Go, now. Leave this to me." Throwing his hand off her, she dashed down the hall.

She had to do this. Something within her was telling her that her destiny was down this hall.

---

The first person she found was the Sphinx. He was sitting on the floor, knees drawn up and his elbows touching the floor between his feet. His pit black gaze was intent upon something she could not see from her position. A low rumbling came from his chest and his upper lip trembled with his growl. His tail twitched irritably.

Still along the wall, the Dragon inched closer to the door the Sphinx was staring into. She inched up, around the doorframe, keeping out of sight of whomever was inside.

Then, without warning, the Sphinx jumped into action. He was on his feet and into the room in a flash. The Dragon dropped to the ground and followed him in. As he was busily tearing up a man's face, she quickly scanned the room. A rather large gun was on the floor, presumably belonging to the man being ripped to shreds. The Dragon passed over it and went into the next room.

The room was painted white. All of the furnishings were made of a metallic material. In the center of the room, on a table, were loads of papers. She flipped through them. They were all full of information of the four of them, mythical creatures that they were. Moments later, the Sphinx appeared beside her. Together, they surveyed the papers.

Picking up one paper and reading it, the Sphinx muttered, "I can do that?" in a awed voice. "They have everything on us. More than we, ourselves, know about ourselves." Then, "We should destroy these. If we don't, they could prove dangerous to our health."

"Agreed." The Dragon pushed him away from the table, coughing a few times. Once they were a decent distance away, she spat out a mouthful of white-hot flames. Instantly, the papers were turned into ash. After coughing a few more times, she turned to the exit. "We should find the others."

They raced down the hall again. A loud smattering of bullet shots stalled them for a moment, the Sphinx holding his hands over his pointed ears.

"We cannot stop now," the Dragon said, taking to the air once again. Her claws gripped his shoulders as she passed over him, carrying him along. They came upon a man rushing down the hall. The Dragon dropped the Sphinx upon that man and continued down the hall.

She came upon the Pegasus. He fought two guards at once, using his wings as shields and his fists like a professional pugilist. As she approached, one of the men got around his wings and was aiming a strike at the spaced between his wings. The Dragon came up behind him, spewing fire down his back before he could strike. The stench of burning flesh filled the air as the man screamed wildly, beating at his back in an effort to put out the flame. Wheezing, the Dragon pushed him out of her way with enough force into the wall to crack the stucco and ignite it.

As she pushed him out of the way, the Sphinx came from behind and leaped over both her and the Pegasus, onto the man whom he had been fighting. His claws embedded themselves in his jugular.

Sweating from the quickly spreading heat from the flames, the Pegasus panted, "Thanks. Where is the Liger?"

"Ahead, I presume."

He nodded. "Let's go. That fire is going to spread fast enough. We will have to find another way out."

Moments later, the fire alarms went off, along with the sprinklers. The Dragon smiled. "That won't stop me." She stood, facing the quickly dying flames. Taking in a deep breath, she puffed out a large wall of white flames. The sprinkler about her melted under the heat, and the walls quickly succumbed to the flames.

The Pegasus grinned then took off down the hall once again, quickly followed by the younger two creatures. They rounded a corner and stalled in their tracks.

The white walls were covered with blood. The floor was filled with body parts in various states of destruction. "Looks like that Liger is down here." The Sphinx took a running leap and jumped over the mess. The other two glided over all the gore. Down the hall, they found Hijime. He sat on the floor, leaning with his back to the wall next to a closed door, smoking a cigarette. "What took you all so long?"

Nephilim was the first to speak. "What's in there?"

"Him."

"And you waited for us," the Dragon said. "How nice of you."

"I was tempted to take him on by myself, but I thought you might like to have some of the glory, too."

While he was talking, the Sphinx had approached the door. "Or you just couldn't get inside."

"That too. The door has a steel bar securing it on the other side. He's just a coward."

"A smart coward, to catch each of us," Nephilim said.

"Out of my way," the Dragon growled as she readied to slam into the door with her shoulder. Both the Sphinx and the Pegasus dodged out of her path while the Liger put out his cigarette and stood.

Her first hit dented the door. Her second cracked it. She stumbled back, holding her shoulder, panting small puffs of white smoke. "My turn," the Sphinx said. "I just learned I could do this, might as well put it to some good use." He stood before the door, gathering his inner energy. His muscles seemed to grow in width without actually growing. He then took a punch at the center of the door. A loud cracking singled the breaking of the steel bar holding the door closed.

"Nice," the Liger said, pulling at the damaged door. He pulled it off its hinges and out of their way.

In the center of the room, their captor turned prey sat in a chair. "Ah, my pets have come to me."

"Pets?" Nephilim questioned. "We are people, not pets, you demented scoundrel." The Sphinx growled and sprang at him. The man pulled out a whip, striking him across the face. The Sphinx pulled back, touching a hand to his bloodied face.

"Bad, kitten."

They stood, facing the man, each boiling in anger. "You," Nephilim finally said, the only voice of reason within the group. "Why did you bring us here?"

He tilted his head to the side. "It was my father's dream, and my own, now realized. I had sworn to have the most exotic animals in existence. Imagine my surprise when I found that your four existed. Attack me, my pets, and we shall see who is the master."

Hijime sprang into action, leaping at him, claws extended. The man stood, caught Hijime in midair with a hand to his chest. He flung the Liger out of the air into a wall. The Liger slid to the ground, clutching his ribs.

The Dragon rushed to his side. The Pegasus' wings spread out in irritation. "Damn you, you truly are a fiend."

"Aw, your words hurt me." Nephilim's fists shot out in quick, precise punches, each missing as their target danced out of the way. "Fool!" He backhanded Nephilim, sending him spinning to the ground. On the floor, Nephilim sat up, coughing out a mouthful of blood. His pale face quickly turned black and blue. This man was terrifically strong.

The man sneered at the Dragon. "Your turn, my little one."

The Dragon shot to her feet, but was pushed out of the way by the Liger. "You bastard!" He charged him, his claws extended as he slashed wildly at the man's face. The man easily danced away from his attacks.

From behind him, the Sphinx pounced from above, missing his intended target and landing on the Liger. Hijime threw the Sphinx out of his way and again jumped at his prey. The Pegasus stood again and waited for the opportune moment to attack. Once the Liger herded the man close, the Pegasus caught a hold of his jacket, ripping holes into it. Startled, the man barely dodged Hijime's slashing claws.

"Dragon!"

The Dragon vaulted to the Pegasus' side and grinned, pure white smoke trailing from her mouth. "No!" He swung his whip, aiming for the Dragon's throat. The Liger caught the woven leather threads mid-strike. Shocked, the man stared wide-eyed into the Liger's cold, laughing, yellow eyes. He returned his gaze to the Dragon.

Her chest puffed out as she took in a large breath. Then she spewed out her white flames. He screamed as the flames licked at his flesh. The Liger and the Pegasus let go of him, getting out of the way of his struggling form.

As the flames touched his flesh, they changed from the white-hot to a glowing blue, then, as they consumed him, to a bright red. The four mystical creatures watched as he was devoured and turned into ashes. Then, as the fire died out, and the ashes glowed hotly, they moved.

From the ashes, one tiny feathered wing appeared. Tiny mewling escaped the ashes. The Sphinx reached out with a paw and brushed away the soot. There, a little miniature creature with reddish wings and human body laid sobbing hungrily.

"A Phoenix," Nephilim breathed. Sphinx picked up the baby and cooed softly to it.

"What are we going to do with him?"

"I don't know."

"Well, whatever it is, we can decide later, this place it going up in flames."

The Dragon grabbed a hold of the Sphinx and flew out of the room, followed by the Pegasus carrying the Liger. They soared through the maze of halls, searching for a way out not blocked by white-hot flames. Finally they came to a window to the outside. The Pegasus threw the Liger feet first out the window, shattering the glass for the rest to follow.

Outside and away from the burning building, they rested. "Where did the humans go?"

"They're somewhere about. We can find them later."

"That," the Liger said, "is no concern of mine." He stood, brushing his sweat soaked hair out of his eyes. "You," he said, pointing to the Sphinx, "make sure that he doesn't bother me again."

"You're leaving?"

"Of course. I never wanted to be here, so why should I stay?" He turned and walked away, beginning his trek home.

"I know nothing of raising a child," the Sphinx protested"

"I will take him," the Dragon offered. He eagerly released the child into her care.

"I, too, think I will find my way home. I am gladdened to learn there are others besides myself. My name is Raijim. I... I live in Egypt. If ever you need me..."

"Thank you, Sphinx." He nodded and stalked away. The two left watched him leave in silence.

Then, with a tilt of his head, Nephilim asked, "Dragon, what is your name?"

"My name is Rebecca."

He smiled. "Come along then. Let's find those humans and get them home."

"You will not be leaving to go to your own home?"

"No, when they captured me, the destroyed my home. So I guess I'm starting over. Maybe in America..."