Before the Storm

Comments are greatly appreciated.

Before The Storm

by Ann Douglas

(ann_douglas@hotmail.com)

The following is a work of erotic fiction and includes scenes of sexual activity. It includes characters that are copyrighted by Marvel Comics. This story is intended for the non-commercial enjoyment of fans and should be considered a parody . No copyright infringement is intended and no profit will be made from the distribution of this story.

Part One

Lifting her head, looking once more at her surroundings, Madeline Joyce could almost imagine she was in a movie. One of those horror films put out by Universal Studios, but a movie nevertheless. Unfortunately, the reality of her situation was all too real and more terrifying that any Hollywood screenwriter could've imagined.

The medieval castle she was trapped in wasn't on some studio back lot, but deep in the heart of National Socialist Germany. Nor was it Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi that roamed the walls of the ancient edifice, but members of the Super-Axis as well as a regiment of Hitler's elite Schutzstaffel, known to the world as the dreaded SS.

Her gaze shifted from the various scientific devices that filled the large hall, some that seemed far beyond the limits of 1940's technology, to the heavy steel table she was strapped onto. Gone was the familiar red, white and blue stretch suit she wore as Miss America, replaced while she had been unconscious by the type of short gown you might find in a hospital. This garment, however, was so translucent as to make her most intimate areas visible through it.

There was nothing immaterial about the metal bands that held her on the table; bindings of such strength as to resist the limits of her electrically enhanced strength. Not that she hadn't tried numerous times to break out of them since she had first opened her eyes twenty-four hours before.

Ending what would be try number thirteen, Madeline dropped her head back on the table, her near-naked body covered with the sweat of her effort. Her eyes closed again as she tried to regroup her strength. In her mind, she reviewed the events that had led her here.

She found it hard to realize that it had only been two days before that she had been taking a walk along the London docks. It was long after dark, but the woman who had fought alongside both the Invaders and the Liberty Legion felt no fear from the underworld elements that still practiced their nefarious trades in a city and world at war.

The dark hulking form that had unexpectedly appeared out of the shadows was far more formidable than the run of the mill ruffian she might've expected. Lost in the thoughts that had prompted her late night stroll, Madeline had been taken totally by surprise. The fight had been brief, with darkness overtaking her within seconds. When she finally regained consciousness, she had been here in this chamber of the damned.

The reason for her high-risk capture was made clear soon enough. Even before the start of the war, the Nazi Government had the creation of their own mystery men to match those of the Allied Nations a top priority. The Red Skull had been one such attempt, Baron Zemo another. Still these had just been ordinary men given bizarre identities to further their murderous rampages. Neither was more than human.

An effort to duplicate the United States' super-soldier serum had begun even before America's Project Rebirth had its first successful test. A success that turned out to be the only one when the intervention of a Nazi agent led to the death of the serum's creator. Still, the one had been Captain America, who had proven his worth to the war effort a hundred times over.

In the years since, other agents had limited success in obtaining aspects of the original formula. A few times they had attempted to capture Captain America himself to learn his secrets, only to learn that catching the celebrated hero and keeping him were two different things.

Finally, taking a different, and what they considered perhaps an easier track, Nazi Intelligence had decided to concentrate on some of the lesser heroes in an attempt to unlock their secrets. Picking someone on the periphery, they had started with Miss America, reasoning that she would be an easy conquest.

An appraisal that, so far, the auburn-tressed heroine had done little to disprove. True, they had so far learned few of the secrets they sought, but Madeline had no illusions as to the lengths they might go to find those answers. Even if they had to search for them during a post-mortem.

The truth was, even if she was inclined to share that knowledge, Madeline had little idea as to the how and why she had developed the powers she had. It had only been a little more than a year before that she had made a late night visit to the lighthouse that her Uncle had converted to an electrical power plant. A thunderstorm had been raging outside that night, one that sent a lightning strike almost into the building itself. It had been close enough to cause a tremendous power surge in the equipment, trapping the young woman in the middle of a deadly electrical field.

She awoke from a death-like coma a week later, having survived what the doctors and engineers had described as enough current to kill a thousand men, but evidently not this single woman. When she rose from her hospital bed, Madeline discovered that the incident had left her with the ability to actually fly, as well as enhanced strength and vitality. Having always considered herself an adventurer, even before the transformation, it didn't take her long to adopt the identity of Miss America and set out to help fight her country's enemies.

That those powers might somehow now benefit those same enemies was almost too much for the twenty-two year old to bear. Still weak from her last attempt, Madeline tried one more ultimately fruitless effort to free herself. A draining effort that caused her to lose consciousness once more.

-=-=-=-

Sometime later, the noise of guards coming to attention in the hall beyond the massive wooden doors told the captive heroine that her tormentors were returning. A flood of light filled the room as the portals swung open and three members of the Super-Axis, flanked by four black suited members of the SS, stepped inside.

The two women who led the group couldn't have been more dissimilar. The taller of the two stood six foot three, with raven black hair that was braided and tied back in a bun. She weighed almost two hundred pounds, all of it muscle. Dressed in a leather bathing suit-like, outfit, complimented by high black boots and assorted leather straps on her arms, Frieda Ratsel had taken on the name Krieger Frau - Warrior Woman. Previously an expert in interrogation for the Gestapo, the agent had used a variant of the super-soldier formula that she had obtained on herself.

More than half a foot shorter, the second woman wasn't German at all, but Japanese. Only the Kempei Tai, the military secret police of her homeland, knew her real name but she was known on three continents as Lady Lotus. Unlike the militaristic garb of everyone else in the small party, the willowy Asian wore a low cut, seductive indigo evening gown that stretched down to her ankles and split up the side to show off her legs. Long black hair framed her face, the most striking feature of which were a pair of hypnotic brown eyes.

The third member of the trio dwarfed both women in size, if not in height. Two hundred and forty-five pounds, the crew cut blond wore a blue body suit with a yellow belt, boots and gloves. On the center of his chest rested a large black swastika in a red circle. The first survivor of the Nazi's attempt at creating a super-soldier, Wilhelm Lohmer was indeed the Ubermensch - the Master Man. Actually physically stronger than his American counterpart, Master Man lacked Captain America's fighting skills and was further hampered by the need for occasional reapplication of his particular version of the formula.

"This soft-hearted approach of yours is a waste of time," Warrior Woman said to Lady Lotus in her native German, unaware that it was a language Madeline understood as well. "Give her to me and I will show you how to conduct a proper interrogation. It will not take me long to gain the information we seek."

As if to underscore what she thought a proper interrogation entailed, the leather clad woman gestured at the smaller Japanese woman with the long bullwhip she always carried. A gesture that the Asian casually ignored.

"Nevertheless, it is how we will continue," Lady Lotus replied, using what she considered a barbaric tongue. "I would remind you that my control of this operation has the approval of Reichsfuhrer Himmler himself." she added, putting an end to the discussion.

"Bah," Warrior Woman said as she made another defiant gesture, then stormed back out of the room, considering the decision by the head of the SS to put this non-Aryan she-devil in charge to be just one more example of idiotic male domination of the party. A condition she hoped to change one day soon.

"And do you have a problem with my methods as well?" the Japanese woman asked as she turned to face Master Man.

"No, of course not," the Nazi Superman said, a noticeable hesitation in his voice.

Lady Lotus continued to stare into Lohmer's eyes, causing the powerful soldier to feel an unaccustomed weakness deep inside him. It was a frailty that he hadn't felt since the days when he was just the smallest man in his local party organization. He felt as if long minutes had passed as she held him in her gaze, but he knew that must've been his imagination. Finally, she turned her attention away from him and to the woman that was the object of their mission.

"And how are you enjoying our hospitality?" Lady Lotus asked, switching to English as she applied a slight pressure to the side of the table, bringing it up to a standing position.

"Why don't you change places with me for a few hours on here and find out for yourself," Madeline said as she looked down into the face of the shorter woman. She tried to keep her tone calm and not exhibit any of the emotions that had been building up within her. Or the weakness she felt after being confined without food or water for two days. There were limits to even her vitality.

"I see that you still need some more time to consider your situation," Lady Lotus said as she reached up and ran her fingers along the side of Madeline's face. "We will talk again in a few hours."

To the surprise of both Miss America and the Germans, the Japanese woman abruptly turned and headed for the door. They had expected her to at least threaten the prisoner if she didn't reveal the information they sought.

Lady Lotus indicated for the security guards to follow her, but Master Man remained behind as the SS troopers fell in line behind the Japanese woman. He had been the one to capture the American, yet he had been treated no differently than when he had suffered defeat at the hands of the Invaders. Once again he wondered if he would ever receive the honors and respect he deserved as the embodiment of the superior Aryan race.

Even his beloved, Frieda, who had been pronounced his wife by no less a personage than Adolf Hitler himself, never gave him his due. In all the time they had been married, she had never once let him exercise his conjugal rights. In fact, she had told him point blank that if he ever so much as touched her, she would break his arm. Despite her smaller build, smaller being a relative term, Wilhelm Lohmer had no doubt that she would carry out that threat.

To add even further insult and disrespect, Frieda also made no attempt to hide any of her indiscretions with others. The Warrior Woman's hatred for men didn't extend to the bedroom and her own pleasures, as long as she was the one in charge. Only a few weeks before, stories had reached Wilhelm of a wild night of sexplay during which she had worn out six stormtroopers. The men still talked of her insatiable sexual appetite, but not of course to his face.

The thought of Frieda cavorting with numerous men, letting them touch the body he had been denied sent both a surge of anger and deep longing through the large man. It had been a long time since he'd enjoyed the company of a woman. A condition he had been forced to endure as weak Wilhelm Lohmer, but shouldn't have to face as Master Man.

His eyes lingered on the body of the American woman, bound only a few feet in front of him. The fullness of her body was clearly evident beneath her thin wrap, the dark pink of her nipples as well as the auburn fullness between her legs. Didn't the spoils belong to the victor? Why shouldn't he satisfy his needs with the woman he had captured? It had been the right of the conqueror for a thousand years.

Master Man took a step closer to Miss America, a simple motion that sent a pleasing feeling through his loins. He could feel the softness of her skin in his imagination, the warm embrace of her sex. He reached out to touch her breast, then unexpectedly froze in place, his hand only scant inches from its goal.

He stood there for a moment, silent and unmoving. Then, much to Madeline's relief and confusion, Master Man turned and quickly exited the room.

"What just happened?" Madeline asked herself, trying to explain the German's strange actions to herself.

At first, she was sure he was about to force himself on her. The lust in his eyes was that evident. Rape had been a possibility she had acknowledged the day she had first put on her costume. Women, in uniform or costume, ran a risk in capture that men rarely considered.

While she hadn't been a virgin since before her accident, Madeline found herself filled with a cold, paralyzing fear at the prospect. A sensation that surprised her since she felt herself mentally prepared for both death and some things one might consider worse.

-=-=-=-=-

Madeline had no way to measure the passage of time, but she knew it had been the better part of a day since Lady Lotus had departed, promising to return. The sky outside of the large window on the opposite wall had grown dark over the last few hours as a lightning storm developed overhead. A storm that reminded her very much of the night she had gotten her powers. An event she now had cause to regret.

Her arms hung heavy as she felt her strength failing, bringing her down to a level she hadn't felt since before becoming Miss America. It wouldn't be long, Madeline now began to worry, before she was totally drained. After that , the real questioning would begin? She now understood Lady Lotus' strategy. Leaving her there just to contemplate her fate had done more to weaken her than any physical assault.

Even more, she could feel it becoming harder to focus. Her thoughts seemed more erratic, memories more vague. It was as if she had already fought a major battle, and lost.

So low had her resources dropped, Madeline didn't realize that she was no longer alone in the large chamber until the new arrival was practically on top of her. Through tired eyes, Miss America saw that Master Man was back and the lust that had previously filled his eyes had returned as well. That was if it had ever left.

The Aryan Ubermensch didn't say a word as he repeated his actions of hours earlier. This time he didn't hesitate as Madeline felt a gloved hand press against her breast. The touch was rough and coarse, sending a violent panic throughout Madeline. Suddenly she felt as if she were a frightened little girl again, facing her monsters in the dark.

Her fear fueled a surge of strength, and in desperation Miss American pulled at her restraints. But if she had been unable to budge them at full power, there was little chance that she could break them now.

Mindless terror filled the helpless woman as she felt Master Man's other hand down between her legs. Her heart began to race uncontrollably and the American was finding it hard to breath. She wanted to scream, but as she opened her mouth, no sound was forthcoming.

Instead, another voice cut through the air, one Madeline heard in both her ears and in her thoughts. A voice that caused the man pressing against her to freeze in his tracks as suddenly as he had before.

"What do you think you are doing?" Lady Lotus had called out in English, then switching to German as she ordered her soldiers forward to pull Master Man off Madeline.

The tall, powerfully built super-soldier offered no resistance, despite the fact that he could've easily overpowered the SS contingent. A blank look filled his face, as if he wasn't even aware what was happening.

"Get him out of my sight," the Japanese woman ordered, her voice filled with unconcealed loathing. "Take him out and let him patrol the perimeter with his precious Krieger Frau."

The mention of his beloved brought a smile to the Superman's face as the guards quickly ushered him out of the room to comply with the order. By the time he was out the door, all thought of Miss America had faded from his mind.

Once Master Man was gone, Lady Lotus turned to the remainder of her SS Guard and ordered them to leave as well. She waited until the doors closed behind them, then stepped back over to Madeline.

Even with the absence of her attacker, Madeline was having trouble regaining her calm. The tremors that filled her refused to subside, her heart still raced and her breaths came in short gasps.

"You can relax now," Lady Lotus said in the softest of voices, "no one is going to hurt you."

As she spoke, the slim Japanese woman gently reached out and once more stroked the side of Madeline's face. The simple touch brought a level of calm that the American had been unable to achieve on her own. Lady Lotus continued to speak quiet words of comfort, even as her hands moved to other parts of the captive woman's body.

Madeline's mind swirled in confusion as she felt Lady Lotus' hands glide across the same places that Master Man had so roughly abused. This time the touch was one of pleasure, rather than pain, causing a strange contentment to fill her.

"No one is going to hurt you," Lady Lotus assured her as the fingers of one hand danced across Madeline's barely covered breasts, while the other spread out across her equally exposed mound. "I'm here to protect you now." she added as two of her fingers slipped past the folds of the captive woman's pussy and began to gently stroke her inner walls.

Waves of bliss washed across Madeline's body, crashing against equally strong waves of confusion. This was wrong, she tried to tell herself, the Japanese woman was the enemy, not a friend. Yet another part of her cried out that nothing that felt so good could not be right. Voices collided in her mind, conflicting voices that she wasn't sure were all her own.

The warm sensations that flooded her continued as Lady Lotus pressed their bodies together, the scent of her perfume filling Madeline as surely as her fingers filled her sex. In had taken no time at all for the skilled Asian to discover all of her secret spots, triggering responses in Miss America's body that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

"I can take you far away from these barbarians," Lady Lotus whispered in a voice that resounded in Madeline's thoughts. "Someplace where we can be together and safe. All I need is for you to help me complete my mission. I don't want to see you hurt. You are far too beautiful for that. You deserve someone to love you. I love you."

The voices echoed in Madeline's mind, mixing with her own confused thoughts. The pleasures and sense of peace that Lotus was bringing to her body, coupled with her weakened condition, made it difficult for her to maintain her last walls of resistance.

"Please let me help you," the voices continued. "I am your friend, your one true love. Lovers have no need for secrets between each other. Share them with me, and then we can be together always."

Madeline suddenly felt the press of the Japanese woman's lips against her own. The softness and passion of them, joined by the fervor of her tongue as it pressed into her mouth, caused the last barrier of defiance to crumble. Surrendering to her desires, the American opened her body and her mind to the Axis agent.

A broad smile filled Lady Lotus' face as she felt Madeline respond to her ministrations. In that moment she knew she had won and that the information her government had ordered her to assist the Germans in getting was now hers for the taking. But there would be time enough for that later, she told herself. For now, she would see to her own pleasure and totally reduce the American, whom she considered as much a barbarian as the Germans, to a helpless slave. Still, she was a beautiful woman, something the Japanese woman always had an appreciation for.

Kissing Madeline once more, Lady Lotus lowered her mouth down to the valley between the American's large breasts. She kissed the soft flesh found there, moving her way to the hard pink nipples that capped each rounded globe. A loud gasp escaped Madeline's lips as she felt the wet embrace of Lady Lotus' mouth against her flesh.

In no time at all, what had begun as a small fire between Madeline's legs, blossomed into a blazing conflagration. Tremors again began to rock her body, but this time they were born of delight not fear. Every aspect of her being concentrated on the sensations ripping through her, until they abruptly exploded with a ferocity that the American wouldn't have imagined possible in her weakened condition.

"Hai!" the Japanese woman screamed into the mental link she had established, as the bond allowed her to share Madeline's orgasm. She knew that after this joining of their minds and hearts, there was nothing that the American would not do to please her.

"Oh God," Madeline gasped as her body collapsed beneath the riptides that surged through her. Torrents that washed away even the small bits of energy she had been able to rebuild. If there was a place beyond exhaustion, she had finally reached it.

"You sleep now my pet," Lady Lotus said as Madeline's eyes reflected her fatigue. "Rest and when you awaken, we shall have a talk long overdue."

"Yes, mistress," Madeline meekly replied, reflecting the commands that had been implanted within her subconscious without her even noticing it.

Stepping back from her now willing subject, Lady Lotus flashed a smile of triumph. To her, the outcome had never been in doubt. The interfering German bitch would indeed have broken the American's body, but never her spirit. Brute force was all she understood, like most of her mongrel race. Never would the German woman have understood the subtleties of her plan. Of how, after breaking down the American's strength, she had placed her in a position of peril at the hands of the loutish Master Man. Only to be saved by one whom she would now see as her rescuer and lover.

It had been simplicity itself to place the compelling suggestion in the mind of the Ubermensch to act out his role, playing on his own failings and weakness. Amplifying the fears of the American to the point where she could be broken proved more difficult due to her stronger strength of will, but Lady Lotus never had any doubt that she would be able to do it. Now, not only would the Japanese agent complete her mission, but she would also be left with the bonus of having the famous Miss America as her servant.

The thought of the American heroine as her virtual slave, attending to her every wish and desire pleased Lady Lotus to no end. She was already looking forward to the nights she would spend with the auburn haired beauty between her legs, bringing her mistress the pleasures that she so richly deserved.

A sudden sharp sound from beyond the thick castle walls interrupted Lady Lotus' moment of triumph. At first, she thought it was just the sound of the storm crashing against the battlements. Then, as it repeated a second, third, and finally a fourth time in a matter of seconds, she realized it was the sound of automatic weapons fire.

"What is happening?" she said to the empty air in her native Japanese.

The possibilities flashed through her mind. It could be a raid by the underground, rare but not unheard of in a country where despite the presence of the Gestapo, people still fought against their government. Or it could be a commando raid, something that happened more and more frequently as the Allies made ready to invade Hitler's Fortress Europe.

"But why this castle?" the Japanese operative asked herself, thinking that as far as anyone knew, it was abandoned.

The answer to her question came a short heartbeat later, and it proved to be far worse than she had imagined. The large window through which Miss America had watched the building storm abruptly exploded inward, sending a shower of glass across the room. With it came a blue-garbed body that crashed onto the hard stone floor with a resounding thud.

Master Man sluggishly lifted his head, then gave into the pain filling his body and collapsed. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, outlining an even more powerful figure now standing in the jagged opening.

As tall as both Warrior Woman and her unwanted husband, the black haired man was clad only in a pair of green swimming trunks and a gold belt. If she were to look closely, Lady Lotus would've noticed a sharp point to the tip of his ears and tiny wings at his ankles that amazingly allowed him to fly. The hard, wind-driven rain splashed harmlessly off his skin, befitting one more at home in the ocean's depths. His name was Namor, the Axis agent knew all too well, and he was Prince of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. More importantly to her right now, the Sub Mariner, as he was also known, was a charter member of the Invaders. They had come for one they considered their own, and not all the forces of the Reich would stand in their way.

The doors to the room crashed open at the moment, as a dozen armed storm troopers rushed inside, led by the Valkyrie-like Warrior Woman. The soldiers immediately opened fire on the Invader, only to watch their bullets have no more effect against his skin than the rain.

Pivoting in mid-air, Namor dove down at the still firing soldiers, scattering a half score in one sweep before reversing himself and barreling down the hall to head off any other reinforcements. Lady Lotus was surprised that his first response hadn't been to see to Miss America's safety. Then, as she looked up again at the shattered window, the Japanese woman was reminded that the Atlantian had not come alone.

Even before the Sub Mariner had left the room, a second figure appeared inside the chamber. To the uninitiated, it looked like the man who had taken Namor's place was on fire and only seconds away from death. In reality, he was the master of the flames and known to the world as the Human Torch, even if he was the world's first artificial life form and not quite human.

The tallest Invader at six foot three, the Torch had such absolute control over his powers that he was able to glide down to a still bound Madeline and shut down the flames around his hands as not to burn her. Enough residual heat remained for him to be able to quickly melt her free, dropping the now soft metal to the ground.

Of all the Invaders, this was the one Lady Lotus feared most as she had once used her psi-powers to enslave him, making him believe he had loved her. When he had been freed from her dominance, the android had sworn revenge on the Japanese agent. Her only chance was to try and control his artificial mind as she had done before.

"Jim-San," she called out, using the name the Torch had created as a human identity to catch his attention and make eye contact.

Automatically, the flaming hero turned in her direction and a renewed sense of triumph filled her as their eyes made contact. Concentrating her abilities into a single effort, she reached deep into his mind. All she needed was a few seconds and she would have an awesome weapon at her disposal once again.

"Not this time," the Torch said angrily as his entire body erupted into a burst of white light as he mentally increased the intensity of his flames.

The searing wave of heat hit Lady Lotus head on, blinding her and breaking her contact with the android's mind. Blisters erupted on her skin as she suffered second-degree flash burns and collapsed on the floor in pain. Having once been turned against his friends while under her control, the Invader wasn't inclined to be gentle when faced with that prospect again.

In the seconds it had taken the Torch to subdue Lady Lotus, Madeline had awakened and, no longer held in place by the bindings, began to fall to the floor. She only fell a few inches when a tall, blond haired woman in a red and yellow bodysuit caught her. A woman that hadn't been there a second before.

"Easy, Madeline," the woman known as Spitfire said reassuringly. "We have you now."

"Jacqueline?" Madeline said in a confused voice, only beginning to understand that her friends had come for her.

Daughter of the original Union Jack, the British hero of the First World War, Jacqueline Falsworth had gained blinding speed from the combination of a transfusion from the Human Torch and the bite of the vampire, Baron Blood. She continued what had become a family tradition, her brother being first the Mighty Destroyer and then the second Union Jack. Her code name had come from the famous fighter plane.

"You're safe," Jacqueline said, pulling a sheet from one of the nearby tables and wrapping it around her friend's near-naked form. "We're taking you home."

"Home," Madeline repeated as she looked down at the unconscious body of Lady Lotus. A small feeling of regret filled her, partially fueled by the after effects of the Japanese woman's control.

"Time to go people," a powerful voice carried over the sounds of battle. "We've got a Panzer division just down the road that just went on alert."

The voice belonged to the acknowledged leader of the Invaders. Dressed in a red. white and blue costume known the world over, Steve Rogers was quite possibly the most perfect human being in the world. Rebuilt by the American super-soldier formula, he was everything a man was capable of being.

"No, it's time for you to die!" Warrior Woman yelled out as she reached out and struck Captain America with her whip, only to have it bounce harmlessly off the chain mail of his shirt.

"Not today, Nazi," the star spangled hero replied as he whirled about and sent his shield hurling into the midsection of his female German counterpart.

Made of an almost indestructible metal, the round shield, which had become almost a living part of the American, rebounded off its target and bounced again off the far wall to return to the Captain.

"Like I said, it's time to go," he repeated as the Nazi Superwoman crumbled to the ground, dropping not far from where her already unconscious husband had fallen.

One by one, the Invaders left the now shattered castle, with Namor clearing a path for Jacqueline as she carried a now unconscious Miss America and the Torch heading down the road to leave a few firebreaks to delay the Panzers. Captain America was the last to leave, but not before pausing to deliver a message to those guards still alive and conscious.

"Tell your Fuhrer that we'll be back," he called out in impeccable German, "and the next time, we'll be bringing lots of friends."

As he raced across the barren ground to where they had left the Atlantian airship that could outrace anything the Luftwaffe put in the air, Steve Rogers considered the impact of his parting words. He knew the invasion of Europe by the Allies was only a few months away. The next time they returned to these troubled shores, they would indeed not be alone.

Part Two

Two weeks after the rescue mission and once again donning the mantle of Miss America, Madeline found herself at a meeting of the Invaders, held in their secret headquarters inside the Big Ben clock tower. In addition to the team that gone into Germany the previous month, they had been joined by Union Jack II and Bucky and Toro, the teen sidekicks of Captain America and the Human Torch.

"Well, that just about covers any urgent business," Steve Rogers said as he shuffled the small pile of papers in front of him. "Unless anyone has anything else, I think we can call it a morning."

Captain America paused a moment as he looked around the table at each of the Invaders, giving them the chance to add anything if they wanted. As meetings went, this one had gone pretty well, considering that with the divergent personalities involved, many gatherings turned into arguments.

"I have a question," Namor said, the tone of his voice showing that he was obviously angry at something.

"Fire away, Namor," the blond haired leader said, wondering what might've set off the volatile amphibian this time.

"I would like to know how long we are going to let ourselves be subjected to the ridicule of the so-called press," Namor said, obviously making reference to something he had read in the newspaper in his hand.

"I wasn't aware that we were being ridiculed," the Captain replied, thinking that Namor often took umbrage at things that no one else gave a second thought to.

"I find that surprising as you are one of the two parties that some reporter's comments have been directed at," Namor went on, still holding the paper tightly in his fists.

"What exactly are you referring to?" The Human Torch asked, wondering how anyone could find anything negative to say about Captain America. You might as well try to degrade the flag itself, so closely did he live up to the ideas it represented.

"This," the fleet footed Invader said as he tossed the paper on the table, open to the article that had bothered him so.

All eyes tried to read what had been written in the tabloid, but only the few on the right side of the table could make it out. Captain America was one of them and what it said caused a broad smile on his face.

"Namor, this is a gossip column," he said, trying not to laugh.

"It is a column of lies," Namor retorted.

"What's it say?" Bucky asked his senior partner as he wasn't in a position to read it himself.

"It suggests that there is something immoral between the Captain and our guest, Miss America," Namor answered.

"What?" Miss America said, entering the conversation at the mention of her name.

"It merely suggests that there might be a romantic link between us," Rogers quickly clarified, not wanting Madeline to think it was anything worse. We've seen this sort of thing before, it's nothing to even pay attention to."

"Unless it's true," Toro said under his breath, but loud enough for the sharp ears of most of those around the table to pick up.

"Which it's not!" Captain America said in a strong voice of command, causing the junior Torch to blush in embarrassment.

A month before, Miss America had joined the Invaders on a temporary basis at the request of the War Department's Press Office back in Washington. It had been brought to their attention that the only female Invader, Spitfire, was a British subject. It would be a great idea, they reasoned, to have an American as well. Someone millions of American women could identify with.

With her sudden appearance in their ranks, coupled with her sharing with Rogers a red, white and blue image, the rumors had begun to generate almost from day one. That Madeline was his girlfriend, come to England to be with him, was the least offensive of the stories. The Captain had simply ignored such gossip, never thinking that anyone would give it much credence in the first place.

The younger Invader had obviously thought otherwise. Truth be told, Cap's own partner, Bucky had also entertained a few thoughts in that direction. That Madeline was beautiful was obvious, even to anyone who had only seen her in the costume and skullcap that left only her face uncovered. What she might look like out of that costume was also a question he'd considered. What teenage boy could look at that body and not think such thoughts, especially given the quite impressive bust that strained against her form fitting uniform.

"I hadn't realized that anyone took this seriously," Captain America said, more as a sop to Namor's ego than anything else. "In light of it, perhaps we should change the line up for the personal appearances we have scheduled for this afternoon. Instead of Madeline and I appearing at the Ladies Auxiliary in Dartford, it might be better if Jacqueline goes with her instead. I'll take Spitfire's place at the parachute factory up over in Maidenhead. Any objection?"

The two female Invaders looked to each other, then back at the Captain. With Miss America the newest Invader, they had been making it a point to have her appear with one of the other members, rather than the solo appearances the rest made. That way the photos that went out on the wire services would clearly identify her as one of the Invaders rather than one of the lesser groups she had previously been associated with.

"No problem here," Spitfire quickly replied, thinking it would give her and Madeline a chance to talk afterward. Something they had little time to do in the two weeks since they returned from Germany.

Miss America didn't say a word, a silence the Captain took as acquiesce. Considering the matter settled, he brought the meeting to a close, reminding his fellow Invaders how much these personal appearances meant both to the people who attended these events, as well as the people who only got to see newsreels of them in the movie theaters or read about them in the papers and news magazines.

With that reminder in mind, the Invaders split into small groups that would spread out across the British Isles. Namor would use his airship to drop off those without the ability to fly, while the Torch and Toro would get to their destinations under their own power. The destination now assigned to Spitfire and Miss America was in London itself, within easy driving distance.

-=-=-=-=-

Aside from a not small measure of disappointment from the mostly female lunch time crowd at the absence of Captain America, the appearance of the two Invaders at Dartford was an unqualified success. After the standard speech the Ministry of War had supplied, highlighted by a few details that the crowd could identify with, Miss America and Spitfire agreed to pose for some photographs and answer a few questions.

Most of the questions were pretty routine, the sort of thing reporters usually asked. Then, just as they were bringing the impromptu press conference to a close, one of the female reporters asked the question that had led to the change in the appearance schedule in the first place. Madeline was sure that if Captain America had been here as originally planned, no one would've had the nerve to actually ask it.

"There's been a lot of rumors about a relationship between you and Captain America," the woman said, much to the surprise of some of her colleagues. "Would you care to comment on them?"

Thankfully, the question had been so much on Madeline's mind over the last few hours that she had an answer ready to go. Even so, Spitfire could almost feel Miss America tense up before answering.

"Of course I have the greatest admiration for Captain America, as I'm was sure that everyone here does," she replied, making it as short and to the point as she could, "but any relationship between the two of us is purely professional."

The answer didn't seem to satisfy the reporter who quickly asked a follow up question. This time, it was directed to both heroines, inquiring if either of them found it possible to have a love life out of costume.

This time is was Jacqueline who stepped forward to answer. With a knowing smile that had charmed the Press many times before, she simply ignored the question totally and said, "Thank you all for coming."

The rest of the reporters gave them a round of applause as Miss America and Spitfire took a long moment to wave goodbye to the people who were standing behind the press. Then, they stepped behind the large backdrop that had been hung at the rear of the makeshift stage and disappeared from sight.

With a speed that none of the reporters, or anyone else who might care to follow, could match, the two women moved a few blocks to a building that served as a USO center. After entering through an open second floor window, they found a deserted room and changed into more non-descript clothing.

Jacqueline had been a member of a volunteer Civil Defense unit back when she first became Spitfire. Since that time, Winston Churchill himself had commissioned her an officer in the Women's Royal Naval Service. It was into that Navy blue suit that she now changed.

Madeline wasn't actually in the American military, but the Army-Air Force had supplied her with a cover identity that she could use when out of uniform, assigning her on paper at least to the Eighth Air Force. Being able to fly without the use of a plane seemed to qualify her to wear it if nothing else did.

In a city filled with representatives of the armies of a half dozen nations, there was no better way for them to simply blend in as they walked down the stairs and into the USO Center. The two young ladies drew a great deal of attention from the men that filled the large ballroom. Attention not unusual for women that looked like they did. Declining a few offers to dance or otherwise spend some time with the men in uniform, they quickly made their way to the street. Madeline seemed to just want to get past the crowd and out into the open, while Jacqueline obviously enjoyed the surge of interest.

"Would it really have hurt to dance with a few of them?" Jacqueline asked Madeline once they had reached the open sidewalk and walked down the block a ways.

"I'm really not that comfortable around a lot of men," the American replied in a subdued tone.

"Well they're no Captain America," Jacqueline joked, "but some were pretty cute."

"I hope you aren't going to start with that now," Madeline said defensively.

"It was a joke," Jacqueline said, wondering why her friend was taking it so seriously. "Look, we're been on the go almost non-stop for the last few weeks. Why don't we find a nice restaurant, have an early dinner and relax?"

"Okay," came the reply.

Jacqueline remembered that there was a marvelous restaurant only a few blocks way that her brother and she used to go to before the war. It was close enough to walk to, leaving her car parked where they had left it. The owner, John Carlson, remembered the daughter of Lord Falsworth and quickly led the two of them to his best table. It was situated in a backyard garden that afforded them a small measure of privacy so they could talk without being overheard.

"Madeline, is something bothering you?" Jacqueline asked after the restaurant owner had walked away to see to their order. It occurred to her that appearances to the contrary, the American hadn't fully recovered from her ordeal.

"Why would you think that?" Madeline asked in turn.

"Well, the way that you seem to respond when anyone brings up the subject of you and Cap for one thing," the British woman answered.

"For the last time, there's absolutely nothing between me and Captain America," Madeline said with an unexpected irritation in her tone.

"No one has said that there was," Jacqueline responded, "but the way you answered even that simple question from a friend makes me wonder what else is wrong.

"I guess I'm just tired, that's all," Madeline said as the food arrived, bringing a temporarily halt to their conversation.

The food was as good as Jacqueline remembered it being, which was surprising since she knew that even the restaurants had to deal with rationing. Still, the resourceful old man had seen his business through the worst of times and would undoubtedly see it prosper again after this war was finally over.

"Is there kind of friction between you and Cap?" Jacqueline asked halfway through the meal, thinking that maybe a problem in that area was causing Madeline's anger.

"None at all," Madeline answered, this time in a calmer voice.

"Or is it that you want there to be something between the two of you?" Jacqueline inquired, changing her thought.

"There was a time when I thought I might have wanted that," the American said, a reply that her British counterpart thought might be closer to the core of her problem. "I mean, what woman wouldn't be interested in a man like that."

Jacqueline had to agree with that assessment, remembering her own initial infatuation with the American Icon.

"But, as I'm sure you know as well as well I do," Madeline continued, "Cap is married to the Flag and to suggest that he would be unfaithful to that would be as ridiculous as to say that President Roosevelt, or even General Eisenhower, would be unfaithful to their wives."

"More's the pity," Jacqueline mused as the memory of her own fantasies about Steve Rogers caused a rush inside of her. "Just think of the kind of lover he'd be."

"Actually," Madeline said, "I'm pretty sure that Steve's a virgin."

"You're kidding," Jacqueline said in disbelief.

"Well I can't be totally sure," Madeline replied, "but from what I know about Project Rebirth, Steve was the original 98 pound weakling before the super-soldier serum. I don't think he had any girlfriends."

They finished with their dinners and were about to order a dessert to go with their coffee when Madeline asked Jacqueline if she could talk to her about something. Jacqueline assured her that she could talk to her about anything.

"It's rather personal," Madeline added.

"What I said still goes," Jacqueline insisted. "Whatever you want to say goes no further than the two of us."

"You might even find it offensive," the auburn haired woman added.

"Whatever it is, I'm not going to be offended," Jacqueline insisted even stronger.

Madeline hesitated a few long heartbeats, causing a pause that Jacqueline didn't think it would be a good idea to break. Whatever was bothering her teammate, she would get to it on her own good time.

"What I said before, about me and Cap really wasn't true," Madeline admitted with some reluctance.

"There is something between the two of you?" Jacqueline said in surprise.

"No," Madeline corrected. "What I mean is that I've never felt even the slightest attraction to him at all."

"Well there's nothing wrong with that," the blond said, wondering why Madeline thought that admission so distasteful. "Perfect and gorgeous as he might be, not every woman has to go to pieces over Captain America. And since he's made it abundantly clear that he's not interested in a relationship with anyone, well then you're probably better off than the rest of us who can only lust and dream about him."

"You don't understand," Madeline said. "Any normal woman would at least have some interest in Steve Rogers, even if they knew there wasn't the slightest chance of anything coming of it."

"I think you're overreacting," Jacqueline interjected.

"And it's not just Cap," Madeline went on, ignoring the blonde's remark. "Over the last few years, even before my accident, I've lost what little interest in men that I originally had. Look at the rest of the Invaders. I tried to justify not feeling anything about the Torch, telling myself that he's not really human. And the Sub Mariner, well Namor is Namor. I told myself that I couldn't imagine him being interested in any surface woman."

Jacqueline knew her fellow Invaders a little better than Miss America. The Torch had once told her that when he had first tried to make war on the surface world, Namor had been held in check by a New York City Policewoman that he was enamored of. But now wasn't the time to mention something like that.

"Madeline, I really think you're making way too much of all this," Jacqueline repeated, seeing that the woman across from her was again becoming agitated. "You probably just haven't found your type yet."

"Oh I've found my type," the woman in the Army Air Force uniform said, having held back what she wanted to say for too long to stop now. "I've known my type since I was thirteen but I've done everything I could think of to deny it. Even including losing my virginity before my eighteenth birthday and having several affairs in college."

Jacqueline sat silently, letting Madeline get it all out.

"When Lady Lotus had me last month, I actually enjoyed it," Madeline continued. "Not the aspects of being a prisoner, but having her touch me. Of having her tell me she loved me."

"She's a telepath," Jacqueline assured her. "She can put false thoughts in your mind and make you think anything. She made the Torch think he was in love with her and even turned him against us."

"Jacqueline, the whole incident has made me realize what I can't deny anymore." Madeline said as she said the words that she wanted to for years. "I'm attracted to women, and always have been."

Stillness filled the air as both women looked at each other. Madeline was sure that now that she had bared her most terrible secret, Jacqueline's face would display the disgust that she most assuredly felt, perhaps even leaving in disgust. Instead, the blond merely smiled.

"So, is that so bad?" she asked in the softest of tones.

"Is that so bad?" Madeline repeated, her tone anything but soft. "It makes me some kind of freak."

"So says the woman who can fly to one who can outrun a locomotive," Jacqueline quipped.

"It's not the same thing," Madeline replied, not seeing the humor in the situation.

"You think you're the only one who has ever felt that way?" Jacqueline asks.

That answer gave Madeline pause.

"Obviously, the schools is the States must be a lot different than the ones here in England," Jacqueline said. "At least the ones I went to."

"You?" Madeline asked, seeing where the conversation was going.

"I've been having sex with other girls since I was 14," Jacqueline smiled, choosing her words carefully as to leave no doubt as to what she meant. "It was the odd girl who hadn't at least tried it once."

Madeline has heard stories about some of the upper class British schools, but they had always been about some of the male students. She never imagined that they held true for the female ones as well.

"Look, this isn't really the best place to discuss something like this," Jacqueline said. "I know a place about an hour's drive east of here, out by the Channel, that's a lot more private."

Filled with a profound sense of relief over the knowledge that she wasn't alone in her feelings, Madeline quickly agreed. Jacqueline left a few coins on the table to cover their dinner and the two of them got up to leave.

-=-=-=-

In the last year, traffic had been made twice as bad by the large number of military vehicles that filled the streets and it took almost twice that time to reach their destination. An eternity to one who could fly. When they finally pulled up into a carefully manicured garden, Madeline found themselves in front of a large building that reminded her of one of the many gentlemen's clubs that had been pointed out to her when she had first come to London.

As they walked up the flower-lined path to the front entrance, Madeline remarked on the resemblance. A comment that made Jacqueline laugh since, she explained, the edifice in front of them was pretty much a very similar place, and just as old. Reaching the front porch, she pointed out a small plaque by the door that read - Lady Jane's - established 1887. Before Madeline could ask about what it meant, the large metal trimmed door opened from the inside.

The interior of the building was as expensively decorated as the outside grounds. The furnishings all dated from Victorian times, most of it priceless antiques that reflected the elegance of an earlier age. An age of innocence, that in reality was not quite so.

"Miss Jacqueline!" a dark haired girl who had met them at the door exclaimed when she recognized the familiar face. "It's been so long since we've seen you here."

"Hello Daphne," Jacqueline replied with a smile as they stepped inside. "It's nice to see you again.

Daphne Ward was a short, plump, round-faced nineteen year old with an infectious smile and a large bust barely contained by the traditional maid's uniform she wore. Normally, she tried to always maintain the proper decorum, but felt herself on the verge of throwing her arms around the new arrival.

Jacqueline felt no compunction about breaking traditions, and seeing the younger woman holding back, threw her own arms around Daphne's stout form. As she hugged her, the daughter of Lord Falsworth gave the serving girl an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

"This is my friend, Madeline," Jacqueline said as she indicated the woman who had entered with her.

"Hello," the young woman said as she slipped out of their embrace. "A friend of Miss Jacqueline is always welcome."

"Is Lady Penelope in residence today?" Jacqueline asked as Daphne closed the door behind them.

"Yes Ma'am," Daphne said. "I know she will be equally happy to see you. Shall I go and find her for you?"

"No, thank you," Jacqueline said, "I'm sure I'll have no trouble finding her myself. I know you have a lot of other guests to take care of."

The girl gave the older woman one last smile, then hurried off to take care of her duties.

And of those guests Jacqueline mentioned, there appeared to be many. Scattered across the open rooms of the first floor, Madeline estimated were over a hundred people. Given the size of the nineteenth century house, that number could easily triple. Even more remarkable was that they were all women.

Women of every possible size and shape, ranging in age from their early twenties to even a few in their late seventies. Many of them were in military uniforms, something not really uncommon in wartime London, but interesting nevertheless.

"What does the plaque outside mean?" Madeline asked as she remembered wondering about it.

"Well the club had to be called something," Jacqueline said as she searched the crowds as they passed through several rooms. "And something not too obvious. It was originally called something else, but they changed it to Lady Jane's a few decades ago."

"Who was Lady Jane?" Madeline asked.

"She was the daughter of Professor Archimedes Porter, one of your countrymen actually, who went off to Africa around the turn of the century. The story goes, if you can believe it, that she met some sort of ape-man over there and stayed to be his wife. The rest of the tale is even more unbelievable, people claim that this ape man was really an English Lord."

"You know, there was a time that I would've said that was a crazy story," Madeline noted. "But after all that I've seen the last year or so, I don't know."

"I think I'd have to agree with you there," Jacqueline said as she continued her search. "But it seemed an innocuous name, much better suited than the previous choice."

The look on Madeline's face made it obvious that she couldn't wait to hear what name was. Jacqueline didn't disappoint her.

"Victoria's Secret," she said.

Now the look on Madeline's face turned to confusion as she thought that name made even less sense.

"Back during the reign of Queen Victoria, a few years before the club was founded," Jacqueline noted, "they brought a law for her signature that outlawed homosexuality. The language of the bill was quite specific, applying to both men and women as far as same sex relationships. The Queen, however, couldn't bring herself to believe that women were capable of any such thing. So before affixing her signature, she crossed out all references to lesbianism. So in effect, male homosexuality was a crime, but lesbianism was still perfectly legal."

"That's some story."

"There was quite a bit of support for the name, some even suggesting that old Victoria might've had an ulterior motive in striking out those passages," Jacqueline concluded, "but calmer heads prevailed and the name was finally discarded as being both too provocative and perhaps too close to the truth about the club's membership."

That truth finally hit Madeline with the force of one of the six by six army trucks that they had passed on the way here. It was enough to leave her speechless for a few seconds.

"You mean all the women here are ..." she finally said, hesitating to even say it.

"... just like you," Jacqueline completed her sentence.

Madeline took a slow, long look around the room, seeing it again in a different perspective. The American rarely forgot a name or face, and as she looked at those around her, she was amazed at how many of the people she recognized. Most of them had been introduced to her at various functions since she'd come to England. A number of which, she remembered, were conspicuously married.

Only a dozen feet away were two women she recognized as being members of Parliament. With them was a Congresswoman visiting from the States. On the other side of the room was a reporter for one of the major New York Papers, one whose column appeared in a dozen papers nationwide. There was even one older woman who Madeline remembered being introduced to at a reception as a cousin of the King.

Aside from the more famous people, the American visitor was also taken back at the number of ordinary people as well. She barely took note before of the number of young women in uniform that were scattered around the building. After all, Jacqueline and herself wore them and there were few places you could go in the city and not see uniforms.

Now on closer examination, she realized that aside from the mixture of nationalities, there was also a broad mixture of ranks as well. Something that you didn't normally see. Many of the women were enlisted personnel and they mixed with the officers as natural as could be. Some of these faces were recognizable too, a number of them being clerks and secretaries on the staff at Supreme Headquarters.

It was at that moment that Jacqueline finally found the object of her search. Or to be more specific, she found her as Lady Penelope waved to her from across the crowded room and quickly made her way to them.

The woman making her way throw the crowd, stood five foot nine with thick brown hair, done up in an elaborate styling. The low cut, and quite revealing, blue dress she wore had come from the finest shop in Paris before the war. The body that filled that dress was one that in another age, men would fight duels over. Her every movement signaled grace and dignity.

"Jacqueline, how marvelous to see you," the tall brunette said as she leaned forward and gave Jacqueline a not so chaste kiss. "I was overjoyed when Daphne told me that you had joined us this evening."

"It's nice to see you too," Jacqueline replied, the emotion in her voice quite evident.

"And who is your lovely friend?" Lady Penelope asked as she cast an appraising look at Madeline.

"This is Madeline Joyce," she said as she smiled in the younger woman's direction.

"It is a genuine pleasure to meet you, Madeline," Lady Penelope said as she took the American's hand and softly held it in her own. "The only nice thing I can say about this horrible war is that it has brought so many lovely ladies as yourself to our island home."

"Thank you," Madeline said, feeling the warmth both of Penelope's touch and her smile.

"Penelope and I went to school together," Jacqueline explained. "In fact, we were roommates. For a while, our parents thought she might marry my brother, Brian."

"Something that thankfully didn't come to pass," Penelope laughed. "No reflection on my dear Brian, of course."

"Of course," Jacqueline laughed as well.

Watching the interplay between the two, Madeline was sure that in school at least, Jacqueline and Penelope had been much more than just roommates.

"I do hope that you will be joining us for dinner," the Club Mistress said. "As you can see, we have a full house tonight, but I'm sure that we can make room for two more."

"Actually, there is something I'd like to talk to you about," Jacqueline said in a low tone. "In private." she added.

"Of course, Jacqueline," Penelope replied as she indicated a small alcove off the main room.

Telling Madeline she would be right back, Jacqueline left her to make small talk with some of the other guests and followed her old friend into the niche. Madeline watched her until she passed out of sight, then accepted a glass of wine from one of the serving girls and began to listen to a discussion going on among a group of women.

"Now what can I do for my most loved of friends," Lady Penelope asked as she turned around in the alcove. "Could I dare hope that you've come back to rescue me from my lonely nights?"

"Somehow, I find it hard to believe that you ever have a lonely night, Penelope," Jacqueline smiled.

"Perhaps," the tall brunette said, returning the smile, "but our nights were, shall we say, more than special. Memories to be cherished."

"And I do cherish them," Jacqueline replied. "But what I need right now is the use of one of the upstairs rooms for the night. I hope one is still available."

"Oh, my dear, that would be a problem," Penelope said, a touch of regret in her voice. "As I said, we have a full house tonight."

"I understand," Jacqueline said, a touch of disappointment evident in her own voice. "I thought that might be the case when I saw how many guests the club had tonight, but thought it was still worth a try."

"She is quite lovely," Penelope commented, seemingly changing the subject.

Jacqueline acknowledged her agreement with a smile and a gentle nod.

"And for such loveliness, one is compelled to find a way around such little problems," Penelope beamed. "You shall have my room, and I shall have to make the sacrifice and share one with Daphne."

"You are too generous," Jacqueline replied, thinking that not to be unappreciative, but her old friend was hardly making a sacrifice in sharing Daphne's room, and her bed. Still, her heart was in the right place.

"It is the least that I can do," Penelope answered. "You do remember where it is?"

"As if I could forget," Jacqueline said, memories of nights not that long past flashing through her mind.

"Then give me a few minutes to make the arrangements and you shall have it," she finally said before turning and exiting back into the main room.

Jacqueline waited a minute before following, letting those memories and the emotions they invoked run their course. Penelope would forever be part of her past, perhaps someday, she might be part of her future. But for now, at least tonight, Madeline was her present.

"Have you been enjoying yourself?" Jacqueline asked as she caught back up to Madeline.

"Very much," the American replied, "this place is fascinating to say the least."

"I thought you might like it," Jacqueline said as she took a glass off one of the serving trays and helped herself to a large sample of the contents.

"I'm so glad you showed it to me," Madeline smiled. "I had no idea a place like this existed."

"Perhaps there are such places in America as well," Jacqueline suggested.

"Somehow I doubt that," Madeline replied, "but maybe, someday, someone will create one."

"Well it's the here and now that we should be concerned about," the blond said, moving closer to Madeline so only she could hear what she said. "I hope I'm not being too presumptuous, but I've made arrangements for us to stay here for the night, rather than go back to Falsworth Manor. That way we could have some private time together."

Madeline was quick to understand what Jacqueline was insinuating. Here, far from the ancestral home that the Invaders still used as living quarters, they could share a privacy that their male counterparts surely wouldn't understand.

"That is if you want to," Jacqueline added. "If I'm going too far, I under..."

"Yes," Madeline interrupted, her voice filled with relief. "Oh yes, I do so want to spend the night with you, Jacqueline. I've been thinking of little else since we left the restaurant, but I wasn't sure how to say the words or ..."

"Then we don't need to say any other words," Jacqueline interrupted, reaching out and taking Madeline's hand, squeezing it tightly. Over the American's shoulder, the blond could see Penelope watching the two of them. An approving smile and a quick nod told her that the arrangements had all been taken care of.

Still holding each other's hand, and pleased that no one around them even gave that simple act of intimacy a second glance, the two women made their way across the room to the central staircase. As they began to climb it, Madeline caught sight of Penelope once more as the brunette raised her glass in a toast to the both of them.

-=-=-=-

Jacqueline could have found her way to Penelope's room in her sleep. Which when she thought about it, she just about had many times back in the days when it was Lady Cassandra, Penelope's Aunt who handled the club's affairs. Back during summer holidays, Penelope and Jacqueline alternated between spending their free time between Falsworth Manor and Lady Jane's. Thankfully, neither of their families, with the obvious exception of Aunt Cassandra of course, knew the true nature of the society.

"This is lovely," Madeline said as they stepped into the large, spacious bedroom.

Penelope's room was the only one on the uppermost floor and had been the same one she had stayed in as a teenager. Given her current position, she was of course entitled to more convenient accommodations on one of the lower floors, but she had decided to keep her place of happy memories. Like the rest of the manor, the room was decorated with original Victorian era furniture

"Yes it is," Jacqueline echoed. "It's even more beautiful than I remember."

"You've been here before?" Madeline inquired.

"Well,..." Jacqueline paused.

"That's okay, I understand," Madeline said. "In fact, I envy you. I think I'd have given anything to have been able to act on those feelings that consumed me when I was younger."

"You can act on them now," Jacqueline said as she tossed her service cap onto a large chair in the corner of the room, an action that Madeline duplicated. "That's all that matters."

They looked longingly into each other's eyes, losing themselves in the liquid pools of color. Jacqueline gently ran her fingers through Madeline's curly auburn hair, leaning closer as their lips called to each other.

Their first kiss was as soft as a gentle breeze, like two butterflies brushing against your skin. The effect was intense, however, as it unlocked an abundance of emotions in each of them. Emotions that in Madeline's case, had been building for half a lifetime. Unlike her encounter with Lady Lotus, there was now no reason for her not to totally give in to those feeling. To let the fires within consume her and take her where they may. For the first time in her adult life, she felt truly free.

While this was hardly Jacqueline's first time, having had lovers of both sexes, it filled her with a sense of excitement just as intense. There was something about Madeline that had attracted her from the moment they'd met. Long before she had ever imagined that the American heroine might reciprocate such feelings. To discover that she did had been was an unexpected delight.

As they continued to kiss, Jacqueline's fingers undid the buttons of Madeline's khaki uniform jacket, sliding it off and then to the side. The American reciprocated with the Navy blue coat that was part of Jacqueline's outfit. Next came their blouses and scarves, their sense of urgency increasing as each article of clothing was removed. The uniforms for both women's services had been hastily adapted from the male versions and to both women, consisted of far too many layers. Still, it was definitely more fun getting out of them than in them, especially when you had someone to help you do it.

Finally, both were down to only their bra and panties, a point where they paused to take stock of each other. Except for stolen glances when they had changed together on other occasions, this was the first chance each had to really see the other. To take in all the beauty that their well developed forms had to offer.

Both had come into possession of their para-normal abilities in the recent past, so their acquisition had little to do with the women they were. Each of them had been highly athletic growing up, excelling at sports in school. Add to that the natural beauty that they had been born with and it was enough to take one's breath away.

Jacqueline was the shorter of the two at five foot four and a hundred and ten pounds. Appropriately enough, the Lady Speedster had a classic runner's build, a trim body with small, rounded breasts. Madeline, on the other hand, had a more robust physique, with three inches and twenty pounds over her British counterpart. Additionally, her bust was a third larger as well. Their hair, while different shades, hung to just about the same length over their shoulders.

Jacqueline reached back and undid the clasp of her plain, military issue bra, a copy in design if not size of the one Madeline wore. The American followed suit. As they had undressed, both had similar thoughts that they wished that they had worn something more personal, but seeing as they would be gone soon enough, it was a small regret.

The two white undergarments joined the rest of their military issue clothing on the chairs, leaving only their panties. Again they paused to look at each other.

As was obvious even in the unflattering uniforms, Madeline had the larger breasts, with large pink nipples that stood out like those on a baby's bottle. Jacqueline's mounds were almost smaller, mirror versions of the same.

Their arms closed around each other in a long embrace, their lips meeting once more. Their tongues darted back and forth in each other's mouths as they kissed, their hands stroking the sides of their bodies, paying special attention to the soft flesh of their breasts. For the moment, they were content to just hold each other, enjoying the press of their bodies and the warmth it generated. It was a feeling Madeline wished could go on forever.

But wishes rarely come true, and reality has the propensity to interrupt at the worse times. In this case, it took the form of a distant wailing from outside the large French doors that led from the bedroom to the small balcony beyond. It was a sound that Jacqueline knew all too well, having lived through the Blitz. It was one she would never forget.

"Air Raid!" Jacqueline said instinctively, her thoughts flashing back, as they always did at that sound, to the night her mother died under a hail of German bombs.

Breaking their embrace, the pair rushed to the window, drawing back the white lace curtains and the blackout drapes to see outside. At first, the reason for the distant siren wasn't apparent, the sky only filled with the splendor of the setting sun. Then, in the distance, a series of fast moving shapes caught their attention.

At first indefinable, they took on clearer form as they moved closer to the outskirts of the city where Lady Jane's was located. Jacqueline was the first to recognize the lead planes as she had continued her studies of enemy planes that had began in her days as a civil defense spotter during the Battle of Britain.

"My God, those are jets!" she said as she recognized the lead two planes from photographs she had seen in a top-secret briefing.

As they moved closer, she could see the features of the Arado 234, one of the secret weapons the Nazi's had sprung on the Allies in the last year. Faster than anything the USAAF or the RAF could put in the sky, the one-man bomber/reconnaissance plane had a top speed of over four hundred and fifty miles an hour. It was a sign of how desperate German Intelligence was to obtain information about the pre-invasion build up that they were risking two of the precious craft over England itself.

It was a risk that seemed to be paying off as the recon planes began to leave their pursuit behind. In less than a minute, they would pass over Lady Jane's and out over the English Channel not far beyond.

"We have to do something to stop them," Madeline said, her thoughts immediately shifting from her own erotic desires to her responsibility as an Invader.

Jacqueline was no less aware of the damage the photographs the planes had taken could do to the invasion plans, but was more conscious of the fact that they had left their costumes packed away in the trunk of her car. Still, even if they had to take action dressed, or rather undressed, as they were, it was something that had to be done.

It only took a glance between them to agree as each of them pulled on the French doors and pulled them open. Silently, they shared the thought that the pilots above were certainly about to get an eyeful.

Tossing aside any concern about modesty, the auburn haired heroine was already a few feet off the ground when the senior Invader caught sight of another set of fast moving blurs coming from the opposite direction. Reacting as quickly as her namesake, Jacqueline reached out to stop Miss America.

"Madeline, wait!" Jacqueline called out in a voice powerful enough to give the American pause.

The nearly naked flyer paused a dozen feet in the air and looked in the direction Jacqueline was pointing. As she saw what had caused her outburst, she slowly lowered herself back onto the balcony.

The second set of shadows quickly became recognizable as two flights of P-38 Lightnings. Outclassed by the jets by a difference of over a hundred miles per hour in their speed, they had the advantage of numbers and position. The Luftwaffe pilots could only continue toward them, for to turn back would lead them back into the other half of the rapidly closing circle around them.

In a portent as to what future air battles might be like, the two groups of aircraft engaged each other at a previously unheard of speed. They would each have only one chance, there wouldn't be time for another. Providence proved to be on the side of the Allied Airmen as enough of their gunfire found the German jets to cause them both to erupt in flames. Only a minute after it had begun, it was all over. The wreckage of the advanced German planes was scattered across the countryside, and with it the priceless intelligence they had given their lives to obtain.

"That was close," Jacqueline said as they stood on the balcony and watched the twin columns of smoke rise in the distance. The entire incident had taken so brief a time that most anyone else in the club below had only now begun to react.

The sight of two topless women standing out on the balcony of the building below him did not go unnoticed by one of the Lightning pilots who had been executing a barrel roll after his victory. Bringing his plane down for a closer look, he flew over the two women at a height of less than a hundred feet before taking off to rejoin the rest of his flight. He wondered if any of his buddies would ever believe him when he got back to base.

"I guess we won't be seeing any action tonight," Madeline laughed as she watched the plane once again become a speck in the distant sky.

"Oh I don't think I'd say that," Jacqueline laughed as well as she stepped behind Madeline and slid her arms around her waist and then upward to cup the underside of her breasts. "I think the night's real action is only just beginning."

"You are so wicked," Madeline said as she leaned back into Jacqueline's arms, enjoying the pleasure of her embrace as her fingers stroked her nipples.

"Come back inside and I'll show you how wicked I can be," the blond said as she gave the brunette a soft kiss.

With that, the two heroines abandoned all thought of the world beyond, stepping back into the quiet bedroom to become just two women filled with desire.

-=-=-=-=-

Now safe from prying eyes, airborne or otherwise, Madeline and Jacqueline embraced once more, picking up where they left off. The blond slid her hands down the auburn haired beauty's back, sliding her fingers under the waistband of her panties. Madeline smiled as she felt the Englishwoman squeeze the cheeks of her ass.

Slipping her own hand down between Jacqueline's legs, Madeline's fingers reached under the edge of her panties and pressed against the tightly trimmed blond bush beneath. With a soft, gentle touch, she moved her fingers in a small circle.

"Ooooo," Jacqueline purred in response. "Now who's being wicked?" she giggled.

Moving her own hands to the sides of Madeline's panties, Jacqueline pulled them down until they were loose enough to fall around the taller woman's ankles. Madeline stepped out of the fallen undergarment, then used her other leg to kick them aside.

Not to be outdone, the American gripped the edges of Jacqueline's panties and with a small effort, simply ripped them in half, letting the pieces fall to the floor.

"Showoff," Jacqueline grinned.

Madeline responded with further actions rather than works, slipping two fingers deep inside Jacqueline. Gently they probed her inner secrets, quickly locating her most special place.

"Oh yes," Jacqueline moaned even louder, shifting her body to let her go even deeper. "Are you sure you're never done this before?"

Madeline just smiled in reply as she kissed her again.

Jacqueline's own hands were far from idle, coming around to once more cup Madeline's large mounds. She lifted them up, dropping her head at the same time until she could kiss the deep pink areola that capped each one. Her tongue tickled the thick nipples, covering them with her wetness as her lips closed around them.

"Mmmmm," Madeline responded, her fingers still stroking the smaller woman's pearl.

Moving from left to right, and then back again, Jacqueline covered every inch of the American's mounds with her kisses. Soft touches accented by sharp flicks of her tongue. The warm glow that spread out across Madeline's chest from her affections, matched the one beginning to grow between her own legs.

"And I'm supposed to be the experienced one," Jacqueline thought as she closed her eyes to enjoy a wave of delight that passed through her.

Madeline shifted her attentions, focusing on the smaller mounds of the Englishwoman. She leaned over and kissed the tip of Jacqueline's left breast, reaching out with her tongue and running it across, and then around the edge of the pink circle. Finally, she opened her mouth wide and took the whole of it between her lips. It was so very soft, she thought, and so very sweet..

Like a babe with a bottle, Madeline began to suck on the hard nipple that was in the center of all that softness. Her tongue moved back and forth, drawing the honeyed treat deeper into her mouth.

"Oh yes," Jacqueline said as she felt the harder press of Madeline's mouth on her.

Madeline was greatly pleased with the blonde's reaction as she again ran her probing tongue around the wide areola of her other mound before engulfing it whole as well. In countless dreams she had imagined what it would be like to taste another woman's breasts. None of those fantasies could ever have been as satisfying as the reality.

Mirroring the moves that Jacqueline had demonstrated on her own body, Madeline continued her oral ministrations, coupled with the strong massaging fingers of both her hands. It was like a dream, one she never wanted to wake up from.

Wanting even more, Madeline took hold of her own mounds and rubbed them against Jacqueline's. As flesh pressed against flesh, the rising heat of their bodies doubled in intensity.

Jacqueline took the opportunity to bring her own hands and mouth back into play, exploring the reaches of Madeline's body. The auburn haired heroine responded to the renewed touch with a series of soft cries. Cries that grew in intensity until they became moans of encouragement.

Back and forth they went for the next quarter hour, taking turns exploring the other's body with hands and mouths. By the time they were done, only one mystery remained for Madeline to try.

"Let's move onto the bed," she suggested to Jacqueline.

Pretty sure what the neophyte wanted to try next, the blond tressed heroine quickly complied, climbing onto the center of the bed, spreading out across the thick white bedspread that covered it. Madeline quickly joined her, positioning herself so that her head rested comfortably between Jacqueline's outstretched legs.

Reaching out with her index finger to part the folds that guarded the entrance to Jacqueline's womanhood, Madeline took a long moment to study it. Other than looking at herself in a mirror, it was the first time she had ever seen this part of a woman up close. As she used a second finger to pave a clear path, she decided it was the most beautiful sight in the world.

Looking down from her vantage point, Jacqueline could imagine the thoughts going through Madeline's head. She remembered the first time she had been in her position, and how fascinated she herself had been. Let her take all the time she wanted, the blond told herself, she could wait.

But Madeline was much too eager, the fire within her burning too brightly, to pause for long. She pressed forward, reaching out with her tongue and, closing her eyes, savored her first taste of another woman.

It was all the twenty-two year old imagined it might be, as her tongue moved from one end to the other, the private essence that was Jacqueline flooding her senses. Moving her darting appendage to the tip of the blonde's sex, Madeline engulfed it totally, wrapping her lips around its excited length, a touch that sent tiny tremors radiating across Jacqueline's body. Vibrations that grew in intensity as Madeline continued her explorations; the lustful fires of which now blazed brightly in both of them.

Shifting her position slightly, but not enough to prevent Madeline from enjoying herself, Jacqueline was able to reach down between the American's legs and play with her mound as well. Her fingers reached deep inside Madeline, exploring her own secrets. She took a minute or two to find her most sensitive spot, then moved her fingers in such a way as to produce an oscillating vibration against that spot. It was one delightful aspect of her abilities that she'd discovered one night while pleasuring herself, and she was overjoyed to have the opportunity to now try it on someone else.

"I don't know what you're doing," Madeline called out as she paused to catch her breath, "but I love it."

Jacqueline laughed softly, letting her fingers work their magic for another few minutes. Then she told Madeline to turn in such a way that she could replace her hand with the even greater magic of her mouth.

Their bodies intertwined, they went to work on each other's sex with a vengeance. No super powers were needed here, just the lust filled heart of a woman. The erotic tides that washed across both their bodies continued to grow stronger until their breaths grew too short to speak. Not that they weren't long past the need for words.

Faster and faster they moved, locked in a race to reach orgasm. A contest that would have only winners. They could feel the finish line rising up to meet them, a solid barrier that held endless delights beyond it. Finally, they collided with it with all the force of a thunderstorm.

Both Madeline and Jacqueline could feel the other's body begin to explode, as all the pleasures a woman was capable filled them. Through it all, they held each other tightly, wanting to share with the other what each was feeling.

Thrashing her saturated mound against Madeline's open and ever enthusiastic mouth, Jacqueline was almost unable to believe that this novice was going to bring her so easily to a climax. Another powerful bodyquake gripped her body, causing her to stiffen momentarily, then she hurdled over into the abyss.

"God bless the Queen!" Jacqueline screamed, invoking the motto the club had taken as its own even before she had been born. The words were barely out of her mouth as a tidal wave of passion ripped across her shaking body.

The happiness that filled Madeline's heart at that moment was impossible for her to describe. This was the moment she had dreamed of for years. For the first time in her life she truly felt like a complete woman. There was no more vindicating act, she thought, than to bring a moment of pure joy to someone you cared about.

-=-=-=-=-

They continued to hold each other long after their bodies had calmed and the fires within began to cool. Neither wanted to be the first to let go.

"My God, Madeline," Jacqueline gasped as she finally regained control of her voice and body a short time after. "That was unbelievable."

"It was, wasn't it," Madeline grinned, unable to stop smiling.

They shared a deep kiss as, their arms still wrapped around the other, they slipped under the comforter.

A quiet again filled the room as they were content to just enjoy the other's embrace. Then, through the French doors that they had left open, the sound of song began to drift across the night air. The party on the floors below had begun to wrap up, and the ladies were signing a hope of a better tomorrow.

"Let's say goodbye with a smile, dear,

Just for a while, dear, we must part.

Don't let the parting upset you,

I'll not forget you, sweetheart.

We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when,

But I know we'll meet again, some sunny day.

Keep smiling through, just like you always do,

'Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away.

So will you please say hello to the folks that I know,

Tell them I won't be long.

They'll be happy to know that as you saw me go,

I was singing this song.

After the rain comes the rainbow,

You'll see the rain go, never fear,

We two can wait for tomorrow,

Goodbye to sorrow, my dear. " <*>

The words to the familiar song reflected the passions and hopes of those singing it, and none of them could think of the lyrics and not feel a little sad. That included the two women who listened to it from the top floor of Lady Jane's.

"It's hard to think of a time when this will all finally be over," Madeline said as she buried her head in the valley between Jacqueline's breasts.

"I know," the Englishwoman replied as she stroked the side of Madeline's face, thinking that her country had already been at war for five years, almost a quarter of her life.

"And with the Invasion only a month or so off, who knows where we'll all be when it's over," Madeline added as she hugged Jacqueline tighter.

Jacqueline stiffened momentarily at that thought. No one knew better than she did the price of war, and it was no certainty that all of them would be there when victory was finally won. But victory would come, of that they had no doubt.

For now, tonight at least, peace had come to their own small world. A peace that, even if it was only the calm before the storm, was filled with love. For more than that, neither of them could ask.

END

<*> "We'll Meet Again" (c) Hughie Charles & Ross Parker - 1941

Ann Douglas Web Page http://www.asstr.org/~Ann_Douglas/