Mata Hari By Dreadnaught The original femme-fatale is as strong as she is sexy. In 1914 the two armed camps of Europe descended into war. The combat quickly degenerated into static warfare, with neither side on the Western Front able to gain any sort of advantage. Both sides sought a method to gain an upper hand in vain as the death and destruction stretched itself out for interminable years. The General smiled to himself as he sat sipping his wine in the small French cafe. It was very easy for him to forget that here, in the outskirts of Paris, the lines of the trenches were scarcely a hundred miles away. From time to time he would think of the poor Tommies in the trenches, fighting every day to survive in those horrible conditions. But he tried not to think like that, for he found it hard enough just to cope with the battle reports and the stress that went on back at Headquarters. He had to think of the greater good of maintaining the small section of the trenches his HQ was responsible for, and try not to get too upset at the thought of the individual lives of the men under his command. Perhaps it was for the best that he didn't think of that. After all, this war, this world war, had been going on for over a year now. Men were fighting and dying here in France, in Eastern Europe, in Africa, all for the same cause. From time to time, there would be questions raised about exactly what that cause was, but those dissenting voices were quickly silenced by the louder cries of patriotism, duty, and honour. And at times when he thought of the boys at the front, he wondered if he should listen to the voices. But no. He had a responsibility to Britain and its ally, France, to keep the Germans at bay. It was not a duty he took lightly. The Krauts would be beaten in time, he was certain of that. He just had to keep his lines intact for when that day came. And meanwhile, there was nothing wrong with taking a few moments for relaxation and pleasure. "Have you ever been to this cafe before, sir?" Colonel Eastman asked. The General looked at his aide across the table. It was almost like looking back ten years to his younger self. The same cropped haircut, bushy moustache, and formal fatigues. Adding about ten pounds and a gray streak to Eastman's hair would give a very accurate image of the General. He looked around the small, smoky private room. The cafe was very French, in the most complimentary sort of way. The cafes in Paris all had an atmosphere that was unmistakable, and he quite enjoyed it. "No, I had never heard of it before tonight, except for the odd rumours floating about HQ." Eastman grinned, his moustache moving up noticeably at the tips. "And what would those rumours be, sir?" The General guffawed. "Come Glen, you've heard them yourself. I hardly need to repeat them for you." "Yes, sir… I had no complaints when you accepted the owner's offer of free drinks for the evening." "I noticed that! Quite decent of the chap, really. Plus the 'intriguing surprise' he mentioned interested me greatly." "Me too." Eastman sipped at the glass of port he was nursing. A gentleman in a formal outfit entered from the main cafe and approached the front of the raised platform at the front of the room. The 'stage' was well lit, the only part of the room that really was. A deep red velvet curtain hid the back of the platform from the rest of the room. "Gentlemen, I trust you are enjoying your evening," the man said with a noticeable French accent. "Indeed we are, sir," the General replied, raising his glass in salute. "Excellent! I am the owner of this establishment. My name is Francois, and if you require anything, please let me know. I have made sure you are my only customers tonight, so you shall receive my full attention." "Well, I believe my bodyguard could use a draught," the General answered. "Ah, the sergeant? Yes, he will be taken care of, General. He's out by the bar as we speak." "Excellent." "Now, I do believe I promised you a pleasant surprise, did I not, gentlemen? Allow me to present her to you. I trust she will keep you most entertained. She is known as Mata Hari." The owner quickly moved off towards the door, while behind the curtain some scratchy recorded music began to play. The curtain parted slightly as a female figure emerged. The Colonel proceeded to choke on his port. "Oh my, oh my, scandalous…” The General murmured as both men's attentions were riveted to the woman on stage. Indeed, the flagrant manner which the young woman was clad was very scandalous. A sleeveless dark blue dress, made of the finest silk, clung to her very shapely curves, emphasizing her full breasts and narrow waist, not to mention revealing the top of a rather considerable cleavage. The dress ended just above her knees, but the long slit in the side of the skirt made any efforts to hide her long, bare, perfect legs unfeasible, so she made no such effort. A pair of very fine, elegant black high heels were strapped to her feet. The rather blatant flaunting of her considerable feminine charms was made even more alluring by the coquettish gesture she made of hiding her face behind a large, feathery fan, revealing only an abundance of curled blonde hair and an irresistible pair of deep blue, flirtatious eyes. She proceeded to strut about the stage in a very slow, exaggerated manner, her every step dazzling the two military men with her provocative grace. As she would reach one end of the platform, she would slyly pirouette on her toes and reveal an enticing expanse of luscious thigh. One hand unsubtly ran up and down her gorgeous curves, the other flicking the fan back and forth in front of her face, her eyes fluttering and beaming. "Oh dear oh dear…" The General was practically drooling. The dancer had turned her back to the audience, her hips slowly gyrating, the silk of her dress stretched tightly and smoothly over her derriere. "I hadn't quite expected… uh… such an… impressive show," Eastman gulped as he stared at the girl. "Nor I… Oh!" On stage Mata had turned back around and performed an ostentatious but very effective high kick, her foot coming up as high as her head, completely mesmerizing the two men as they visibly argued between their high morals and the undeniably arousing display she was giving them, and she was winning easily. Her leg came down from the kick and she immediately went into a graceful pirouette as the music crackled in the background. The lithe, beguiling dancer stepped slowly towards the steps down from the stage, taking each of the three steps very deliberately as she moved towards the slack-jawed men. Their gazes lingered lustily on her splendid female curves, running from the tips of her toes to the top of her blonde curls as she strode sexily towards them. "Oh my… ohh," The General panted as Mata walked up, the fan still teasingly covering her face. She raised a long leg and rested her foot comfortably on the General's lap, very close to his now quite engorged manhood. He almost seemed about to pass out as she enticingly ran a hand up the length of her alluring lower limb, making sure both men had a distinct view up the rather flimsy skirt. Then just as the General overcame his aroused paralysis and reached a trembling hand up to touch the silky smooth female skin, it was gone. The shoe that had rested so near his now aching erection was back on the floor, slowly propelling the dancer back to the stage with long, graceful strides. "Sir, are you… all right?" Eastman was valiantly struggling with his own male impulses. "Wha..? Oh, of course, Colonel." Neither man had taken their eyes off the beautiful woman. As she reached the front of the stage, she turned to face them, her body seeming to flow with grace and suppleness and she slowly ground her hips in time with the gritty music. Both men stared and suppressed low moans as Mata began to finish up her sensual dance, her every move exciting her audience even further. She kicked a leg up just enough to part the slit in her skirt and pirouetted, then stepped back to the stage and sat just as the music ended, crossing her legs in a very open manner. It took a couple of moments for the men to realize the show had finished. The music had ended and the recording had begun to click repeatedly on the final groove of the record before the General suddenly snapped back to reality. Both men began to applaud and cheer wildly. "Encore, encore!" Mata stood and curtsied graciously. "Merci, gentlemen, you are too kind." Her rich female voice was virtually free of any accent and held the attentions of the men by itself. Still keeping the fan before her face, she strode back to the two men. "Nonsense, my dear, that was a very impressive… uh…" The General's voice trailed off to silence as she stood over him and finally revealed her face, putting the fan on their table. She was the most beautiful girl the General had ever seen, her lovely, refined, sculpted face smiling down at him, her blonde hair just curling around her face in a gentle way. "Thank you, I am glad you appreciate it, sir." She giggled as she looked down into the two men's laps. "And you so obviously did." Both men gasped and blustered, much to her amusement. "Tell me, General," Mata smiled, "Could you.." She leaned down and whispered the remainder of her sentence into his ear. His reaction was immediate. "Colonel, would you excuse us for a few minutes? The lady requires attention." The Colonel mastered his reaction of disappointment rapidly. "Yes, sir." He stood and saluted. "I shall be keeping the sergeant company." He turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. Mata smiled. "Ah, isn't it much better in private, General?" She moved over to him and sat slowly down on his lap, placing her arms around him as she crossed her long, seductive legs which had entranced him so. The General did not hesitate in placing his own arms around her, but still felt obligated to voice at least a token resistance. "Uh, ahem… young lady, you are aware I am married, are you not?" The dancer beamed a dazzling smile. "Yes, General, I know much about you. You are quite famous to me, you know. Still, we are alone, are we not? The walls do not have ears in this cafe." "Yes, yes, I imagine you're right," he acknowledged, and began moving towards her, seeking to kiss those full, red lips. She laughed and pressed two fingers to his lips. "Come, General, let us savour the moment. We have all the time we desire." She followed his eyes as they left hers and ran down her body once more. She lifted the leg she had crossed on top and turned the ankle slowly, rotating the sleek, shiny black pump covering her foot in a beckoning manner. "You find my legs attractive, no?" The General moaned softly. "Ohh… Oh dear Lord, yes." He finally worked up the courage and placed a shaking hand on the smooth, sexy skin of her leg. He began to caress it, moving his hand steadily upwards.. "Oh my, General!" Mata squealed delightedly, putting her hand over his. "I can feel underneath me that my legs have you very excited!" She grinned and stroked his face with her other hand while keeping his hand from going any higher on her leg. "Still, I am a lady. We must do this properly." "Hmm? How do you mean?" She gently stood and extricated herself from his grasp, then sat once again in a nearby chair. Crossing her legs once more, she made sure they were very visible by opening the slit of her skirt, then she began rotating her ankle seductively. "You may start at my feet and work your way up, General." "Ohhhh my…" he sighed, taking her signal and kneeling at her feet, taking her proffered leg and caressing it with both hands. He gently massaged his way slowly up her shapely calf. Mata smiled down at the man. "Yes, General, feel every inch of it. Is it not the loveliest thing you have ever touched?" She had subtly uncrossed her legs as he made his way upwards to her knee. "Oh my dear, yes… you are the most perfect woman on this earth." He progressed onto her thigh, his bulging erection pressing against her foot. She pressed lightly down on it, eliciting a joyous moan. "You may kiss it," she permitted, and he quickly shifted position and brought his moist lips to the sweet female skin. She snickered uncontrollably for a second. "Your moustache tickles!" He continued to moan lightly for another moment. "Mmmmm.… aaaacck!" He suddenly gasped as something thick and strong suddenly closed on the other side of his neck. He looked up to see the dancer had locked both her lovely legs around his neck in a tight scissors. She continued to smile down at him. "We have some matters to discuss, General." "What are you… aaaah!" His head spun as she suddenly clamped down on his throat, virtually engulfing his head in her legs. He hadn't really appreciated how well-muscled her legs were until now, he had been so lost in their undeniable femininity. He tried in vain to pry his head loose, to split her legs open and free himself, but his best efforts had no effect whatsoever as he gasped for air through his constricted throat. "My legs are much stronger than you seem to think. You will not be able to free yourself." Mata again flexed the impressive muscles and the General's hands flopped off them as he wheezed and gasped. "A dancer requires strong legs for her profession, don't you think?" As the grip of her legs slacked somewhat, he drew a quick breath and opened his mouth to shout for help. The sound never emerged as the legs squashed the shout from his gullet. Spots appeared before his eyes as she powered the scissors. "Do not be foolish, General! I only need to squeeze a little bit harder and you will be unconscious in mere seconds. Harder than that and I will break your neck!" He gasped in some air as she loosened the hold somewhat, his head clearing noticeably. Once he was able to articulate his thoughts, he asked, "Wh… what do you want??" Her lovely smile returned. "I will get to the point. I want to know the combination to the safe in your office, General." His mind reeled. "What do you… you're a German spy!" "Yes. We need to get the plans for the trenches you keep in your vault, and who better than I to steal them? When I have the combination, I shall simply break into your office during the night. Much less noisy than trying to crack the safe open, wouldn't you say?" "You won't get anything from me, you whore!" The General gasped and gagged as the sexy vice around his throat again clamped down. "Come, you were unable to resist my legs before. What makes you think you can now?" His hands pounded in vain at her muscles, which showed no sign of loosening. "General, if I wish, I can keep you here for the rest of the night, giving you the most intense pain. Or, I can knock you out whenever I wish, and you will find yourself in a German prisoner camp. You are mine, General. You cannot free yourself!" "Uuuuugghh.." He wheezed, his hands beginning to droop as her legs crushed his neck mercilessly. He knew she was right, he had no way to fight his way out of her powerful scissors hold. "If you give me the combination, I will knock you out and go steal the documents I need. As simple as that, General, your pain will be over, and you will remain free." "Nnnnooo.." His gasping became more feeble. "It is your choice. I can maintain this hold for hours, you know. Men always seem to underestimate a woman's strength, but I think dance and the proper training has made me as strong as any man, wouldn't you say?" A sudden tensing of her immensely strong legs brought blackness to his eyes for a second. "Most likely I am stronger than most men. It is amazing how much strength a woman can pack in her muscles and still be ladylike." His ears were filled with the sound of rushing blood as she maintained the grip, and his lack of breath made him unable to answer her tauntings. "Don't worry, General, I will not let you pass out, not yet. I will keep you awake for every ounce of pain I intend to give you." Mata tightened her leggy grasp for an instant and the General tried in vain to scream in agony, but he didn't have the strength. The pounding of the blood in his ears was quickly joined by another, less painful rapping, which he soon realized came from the door. "General!" The Colonel's voice called. "It's urgent, General!" More knocking ensued. Mata briefly looked annoyed as the knocking continued, then she turned and smiled down at her helpless male victim once more. "I am going to have to knock you out for a few moments, General, while I deal with this intrusion. Perhaps after a short nap you will be more inclined to be cooperative." The General had no time to struggle or cry out before the sexy blonde dancer tensed the powerful muscles in her long legs. He quickly went limp in her scissors, and she let him slump to the floor, then quickly stood and lifted him bodily to sit in the chair she had been in. The knocking continued frantically as she adjusted her silk dress and went to open the door. Mata opened the door and put on a nervous face. "Quickly, Colonel, the General has fainted!" "What??" The Colonel rushed into the room and saw his superior dozing in the chair. "How long has he been like this?" "Just a few seconds." Eastman dashed over to the General and bent over him, not noticing Mata closing and locking the door behind him. "General, General, wake up!" he demanded, slapping the General's face lightly. The General began to stir weakly and groan. "He's coming round," The Colonel said. "Miss, we need to get him out of here, get him to a doctor… aaagh!" He was interrupted as an arm seized him in a headlock from behind. A female arm! It wrapped itself tightly around his neck as he felt another pressing behind him. What in the blazes? "I think we shall do no such thing, Colonel. You should not have interrupted my interrogation. Ah well, two men at once is not such a challenge." That was the girl's voice! He gagged and gasped as her arms crushed his throat. He quickly reached up to try to free himself from her hold, only to find both his hands could not budge her strong arms. How was that possible?? No woman imaginable could be that strong! "It is good to feel a man's helpless struggles… would you fight me, Colonel? Fight a woman?" He couldn't believe what his senses were telling him. The dancer's arms had him powerless in her crushing headlock, and they were tightening. She had easily pulled him away from the General and was pushing him towards the stage. Between the shock and the crushing power around his throat, he couldn't manage to utter more than a strained wheeze. "Ah, but of course, it is ungallant to hit a woman, is it not? Well, I doubt you will be able to hit me, so your honour shall remain intact, I am sure." Suddenly, the arms around his neck released him, shoving him forward against the stage. His arms flailed out and kept him from falling on his face as he staggered. Catching his breath as quickly as he could, he reeled on his astonishing female attacker. "Now just what the… uuunnnphh!" In the blink of an eye, he whirled around and watched the beautiful young girl cock her right fist. Unbelievable, this girl was throwing a punch at him! He couldn't react fast enough to stop her, but even still, he thought he could take the punch. This was just a woman, after all. Paf! Mata's right hook spun the Colonel around and lifted him face- first onto the stage with a cry of pain. He lay stunned for several seconds, partly due to the amazing power behind the girl's punch and partly due to the shock of the situation he was in. Yes, that was a girl who had just decked him. It hadn't quite sunk in yet. Mata heard a gasp behind her. Spinning quickly, she saw the sergeant at the door, his rifle in his hands. He looked almost like he had seen a ghost. He'd no doubt witnessed her punch floor the Colonel. The sergeant had been assigned to guard the General this evening. He was a young man in his mid-twenties, but he had been in the army since the start of the war. He'd seen a lot of things since he had volunteered for service, but this… he was in utter shock. Colonel Eastman was not getting up in any hurry. How could a girl have hit him that hard?? "J… just what is going on??" The sergeant demanded, bringing his rifle up in trembling hands. "I thought I had locked that door," the dancer sighed. She smiled seductively, advancing on the man with her slow, deliberately sexy walk. "What do you think is going on, Sergeant?" He shook visibly as she came closer. "I… I saw you hit the Colonel… but that can't be.." Her steps were long, designed to show a maximum amount of leg through her slit skirt. She grinned as she knew the effect she was having on him, staring at the seductive woman. "Why not? Because women cannot fight? Such antiquated views you have, Sergeant. I am looking forward to changing them." The Sergeant raised a shaky rifle. "Stay back!" "Or what? You would shoot a girl?" Mata laughed. She was almost upon him. "Please, Miss, don't make me.." But it was too late. She reached out and grabbed the rifle. The sergeant kept his grip and tried to pull it back. The two struggled briefly over the weapon. Behind the struggle, the Colonel had groggily managed to prop himself up on the stage even as the General began shaking his head vigorously to try to clear it. Mata noticed this with a quick glance over her shoulder. She cut the struggle for the rifle off by raising a sexy leg, kicking the sergeant hard in his ribcage. He cried out and ceased his pulling on the rifle as her foot thudded into his side, but kept his grip on the gun. He quickly found himself hurtling across the room as the dancer yanked hard on the rifle, whipping the man past her towards the stage. He staggered and tripped, landing near the General. Mata briefly considered the rifle in her hands, then tossed it outside and closed the door. "I will not need a weapon, gentlemen. I shall humble you with my bare fists." She then hurried back towards the three men. The General rubbed gingerly at his throat as he came fully around, calling to the men near him. "We have to stop her, lads, she's a Jerry spy!" He tried to stand, only to find the blonde in front of him. "Welcome back, General," Mata grinned, throwing a looping backfist to the side of his mouth. "Unngh!" Her punch sent him toppling back into his chair, overbalancing backwards to the floor. She then turned back to the sergeant who was struggling to his feet. On stage, the Colonel gave a sharp yell and dived off the stage at the girl, who reacted in the blink of an eye by dodging out of his way. He fell past her onto a table, which collapsed loudly underneath him. "Your aim needs improvement, Colonel," Mata smirked. The sergeant tried in vain to back away from the dancer, but she backed him against the stage. "Put up your fists and defend yourself, Sergeant," she teased with a sly grin. He did as she instructed, only to find her knock one fist aside with one hand while the other slammed a punch into his stomach. He grunted and bent around her fist. "Still reluctant about hitting a girl, I see. You will find the girl has no doubts about hitting you." The dancer connected with a hard left to his jaw. Much to his credit, he stayed on his feet despite the pain. He stumbled and grimaced as Mata returned to her other two targets. The Colonel was still trying to shake off the effects of his flight, so she confronted the General as he stood. He dabbed at the side of his mouth, then defiantly raised his fists. "I should warn you, I was quite a pugilist in my day, and woman or not, I will defend myself!" His female opponent smirked. "Really?" she asked, then stepped inside and fired a quick jab to his chin. The General's head bobbed from the punch and he staggered slightly. "How many years ago was that? Here and now, you will lose." She slammed a fist under his shaky guard, into his kidney area. The General howled and tried to double up from the girl's solid punch. "I'm very well trained, General. My fists have sent bigger men than you three down and out." The Colonel abruptly seized her from behind, or tried to, at least. He wrapped his arms around her splendid body, only to find to his cost he failed to grab one of her arms. She quickly brought it up, striking his face with the back of her fist. Her fist smacked into his mouth, and he grunted and released her, recoiling a step away from the amazon. "Tonight does not seem to be your night, Colonel." Laughing, she spun to face him and brought a straight right crashing into his chin. "Arrrggh!" he bellowed, Mata's devastating punch sending him tumbling to the floor heavily. A chair skittered across the room as he fell against it. She pivoted as the General came at her, kicking up to her side, forcing him to run into the sole of her shoe. He groaned and doubled over around the girl's magnificent leg. "Really, General, look at what you are up against." He grunted and looked up to see the girl raise an arm and flex it, sending an impressive, tight bicep into prominence. Her arms may not be as thick as a man's, but they were definitely primed for what she was doing, he thought. Before he could have any other thoughts, her arm shot forward and took his tie. He gagged as she pulled, then found himself being pushed backwards towards the wall. The blonde grinned a sadistic smile as she choked him. "I will not fight you if you choose not to help your men, General. If you do, you will be in that much more pain when I am done with you." His attempt at a reply was cut off as she swung at him, the back of her open hand slapping his head brutally to the side. She released his tie and he slumped back against the wall slowly, coming to rest at her feet, his head reeling with that strong slap. The sergeant could not believe his eyes. This was just a woman, and yet here she was, beating three trained army men with her bare hands! The General seemed very hurt by her beatings, and the Colonel didn't seem much better off. He had to stop her, even though doing so went against every bit of moral fiber he had. He could never have hit a woman, but she wasn't going to stop hitting him until she had beaten him. He set himself straight as she approached him. He would fight. He went to meet her, bringing his fists up. "Enough! Put up your fists and fight, woman!" Mata grinned. "Much better, Sergeant. But I don't need to use my fists to defeat you." He wasn't sure what she meant until she shifted her weight to one foot. The kick was so swift and powerful he couldn't raise his hands in time to have any hope of deflecting it. The dancer's shapely leg came up and around in an arc, her foot plowing into the side of the sergeant's face at the arc's highest point. He cried in agony as her kick spun him away from her and sent him down, bouncing off the stage to the ground in a battered heap. Mata took the time to straighten and smooth out her fine silk dress as her opponents lay groaning. "Gentlemen, are you convinced of my fighting skills yet? I shall have no problems knocking you all out if you are not, I promise you." Colonel Eastman dazedly sat and rubbed his jaw tenderly, fighting his way to his feet, joined by his colleagues as they overcame their own pain. "Unnnh… no girl could do this.." he grumbled. "I assure you, this one can," Mata smiled, meeting the Colonel with a sharp kick to his ribcage. He cried in pain as she continued. "I am very female, as you noticed when I danced. I have been well trained in hand-to-hand fighting, as you are now seeing." She took him and pulled him back up to face her, then slapped him hard across his chin. Her open hand connected with a loud smack and sent the Colonel stumbling back against a table, his face a painful grimace. The sergeant was now close behind her, so she spun around, delivering a hard blow to his solar plexus with the back of her fist as she turned. "OOOMMMP!" he yelled, lurching back away from the girl in agony. "They found I was a very skilled fighter when I was trained to be a spy. Very few men expect to be outfought by an exotic dancing girl, it seems." She turned to see the General gritting his teeth and charging at her. "Damn you!" he swore, throwing a rather amateurish punch at her lovely face. He seemed shocked as she blocked it with ease. "Excellent, General!" she beamed as she countered with a hard punch to his gut. He bent in two around the blow, gasping. "I had not expected you to be able to try throwing a punch at me." She took his jacket and pulled him back upright. "For all the good it will do you, you needn't have bothered, however." Paf! The girl's potent left hook sent the General toppling to the floor face first. The Colonel growled as Mata again approached him, and tried throwing a straight left to her head. He hit nothing as she sidestepped the blow and replied by kicking him in the stomach. The air exploded from him as he curled around her long leg. "I spent a great deal of time strengthening my body and perfecting several fighting techniques, gentlemen," she said casually, taking the Colonel by his arm and twisting it forcefully. He blurred into motion as she flipped him flat on his back. "Very few men can now resist my female charms, and even fewer can resist my fighting skills." She strode back to meet the sergeant, who was recovering from her punch. Snarling viciously, he charged towards her. The dancer quickly leaned back against a table and raised a leg, coiling it as he ran into her foot, then powering the shapely muscles and shoving hard against his chest. Her leg sent him tumbling back from her, finally winding up tripping against the stage and coming to rest on it. "Really Sergeant, trying to compete with the legs of a professional dancer is quite hopeless." Mata quickly climbed the steps onto the stage as the man tried to climb back to his feet in a hurry. Seeing her before him, he swung madly. She ducked his wild punch, then blocked a second one. Seeing her opening, she punched the sergeant hard across the jaw. He grunted loudly as her fist cracked home and sent him down against the red velvet curtain. He practically brought it with him as he dropped down to the floor. "As is arguing with the fists of a professional fighter," the amazon finished. Turning, the sexy dancing girl strode confidently out to the stage edge, where she met the enraged Colonel with a strong kick to his face as he charged the stage. He bellowed his agony as her strapped high heeled shoe flashed through his chin in an incredible display of balance and power. He fell back against a table and crashed down through it as Mata's foot finished the kick up above her head. As the Colonel lay among the broken table, stunned, she teased, "Dancing and fighting are really not that different, Colonel. Both require great strength, speed and coordination. Perhaps if you took up dance, you would put up a better fight." Laughing, she hopped gracefully down off the stage to face the General. He scowled as he brought his fist back to try a punch, only to find her throwing one much quicker than he could manage. Her punch sent his head spinning to one side and his legs buckled as he stumbled. He wound up losing his balance and toppling forward against the blonde amazon, only to find her supporting his weight with ease. "You are not the first man to fall for me, General," she laughed as he gripped her arms, for the first time really feeling the impressive female muscles they contained. They were firm and hard, awesome in their power, and the punishing fists connected to them were pulverizing him. He still had trouble really grasping that idea, but Mata quickly brought it home beyond a shadow of any lingering doubt. She pushed him back to his feet and he watched her prepare her fists. "A few good punches and I can make any man fall." Her left crashed into his face and he fell, flat on his back next to the stage. The pain this curvaceous young girl was giving him was alarming. She had already knocked him out once and now was giving him a beating with her bare fists unlike any he had ever experienced. The taste of blood in his mouth and the sensation of loose teeth made him consider staying down where she had put him. But she was a German spy, and he couldn't let her beat him and his men. He had to somehow overcome the pain and get up.. The three military men lay groggily arguing against the beatings. Mata laughed derisively at them. "Can none of you fight a woman, gentlemen? How humiliating! A member of the so-called weaker sex doing this to you! Luckily you have your pain and blood to show you how much stronger than you I truly am!" Her taunting, humiliating words made the men struggle that much harder. They fought their way to their feet as the amazon prepared for their assault. The General let his anger and embarrassment drive his battered body. "We've got to rush her, lads… surely she can't fight all of us at once." He slowly climbed to his feet as the sergeant lumbered down off the stage and the Colonel mopped the blood from his torn lips and considered the blonde fighter. She grinned evilly. "Have I not been doing that? Still, that will probably be the only way you three stand a chance. Come gentlemen, attack me. The girl has more pain to give you." The three army men hesitated, each undoubtedly concerned about the relentless pain Mata had already given each of them. Each man had several bruises on their faces and bloody mouths and noses, as well as sore ribs and stomachs. The dancer barely looked like she was expending any effort at all. Her slim, seductive body seemed capable of truly astonishing strength. It indeed began to seem like she could carry out her promise and knock them all out. But the men were no longer simply fighting her because she was a German spy. Their collective manhood was on the line as well. They couldn't let themselves be beaten physically by a mere girl with such ease. Together, they rushed at her. Mata became a blur of motion. She dealt the sergeant a tremendous backhand slap as he ran at her, and as he grunted and staggered back, she shifted her weight and lashed out to her side with her foot, stomping the Colonel's gut. "Wooommph!" he yelled, doubling up. The General's face was a mask of rage as he reached her, throwing a looping punch at her face. She saw it coming and ducked under it. She came back up and threw her own punch, a punishing jab to his nose. The General grunted and stumbled as he felt her solid fist bring blood flowing. Turning back to Colonel Eastman, who was still bent in two from her kick, she raised a fist high overhead and brought it down in an immense blow to the back of his neck. He screamed in pain and dropped to the floor on his face. The sergeant frantically grabbed a wooden chair, lifted it overhead with difficulty and threw it at the powerful girl. She dodged the missile easily, and it bounced off a table noisily. In reward for his efforts, the sergeant received the pointed toe of a well-polished high heel in his stomach. Mata's kick blasted the wind from the man, and he curled around her foot. He was met as he stood back up straight by her right fist slamming into his chin. Her punch snapped his head to the right and made his legs buckle drunkenly, but he stayed upright. Grinning, she wound up with her left. Whack. This time the sergeant couldn't resist the amazon's strength. He fell back and bounced off the stage, landing on the floor. Mata again shifted her weight and kicked out to her side, the sole of her foot thudding into the General's chest as he charged at her. His face contorted with pain from her kick, which sent him tumbling back, toppling over and upsetting a chair as he crashed down. "Very unimpressive, gentlemen," the dancer teased. "Getting into my dress is more of a struggle than fighting you." She smiled seductively as she smoothed the fine silk of her dress down her full breasts, thin, tight waist, and the smooth, curvaceous line of her hips. "Still, you are giving my fists plenty of exercise, and I should be grateful for that." The men found they couldn't take their eyes off the sexy girl's display, despite the horrendous pain she had caused them. The three were trying to stand, continue the fight, but none of them could do so in any great hurry. The Colonel was moaning loudly as he tried to raise himself off his hands and knees. Mata waited for him, examining him with mock sympathy. "You're quite a wreck, Colonel. Is your moustache supposed to be that red? No, I guess that must be blood." Defiantly, he snarled, "Damn you, woman… uuunnh.." He battled his way to his feet and limply tried to raise his fists to face her, but she quickly knocked all the fight out of him with a kick to the side of his ribs. "Ugggh!" he moaned, his hands dropping with her foot's powerful impact. She took one of his hands in hers and began to pull. "I think it's time you said hello to the sergeant," she laughed, whipping him hard past her. He stumbled as he rushed on the course she threw him on, tripping headlong into the sergeant as he pulled himself to his feet after recovering from Mata's punches. The two men collided with a thud and cries of pain, the Colonel dropping to the floor and the sergeant being knocked back onto the stage. "Well, General?" He looked up to see the sexy form of the blonde dancer towering over him, her hands on her hips. "Do you wish to continue this futile fight? Look at your men." The General sat up groggily and saw his two men lying flat, struggling to keep from passing out. "They are both nearly unconscious now. They have no way of stopping me if I wish to knock them out. Shall I, General? Or will you give me the combination?" "Unnh… never, you.." The General's insult was drowned out by his groaning as he fought his way up. As he regained his feet Mata grinned a predatory smile. "I was hoping you would say that. I'm enjoying this fight so much, I don't want it to end just yet." The General gasped for breath and tried to summon his remaining strength. He doubled his fists together and swung wildly, aiming at the girl's beautiful face. As she danced back away from the punch, the General spun with the momentum, and as he came to face away from her, she brought a massive open hand chop down on the base of his neck. As he began to slump, she took him and bodily held him up. Her voice kept him from losing consciousness. "I wish you could have seen the looks of horror on your faces when you first realized a girl like myself was beating you up, General. I have seen that look so often. She's an attractive girl, how can she fight so well? Men always think that." He tried in vain to push her away. "How..?" he mumbled as he tried to gather his strength. "I am the perfect spy weapon, General, that is how. The perfect seductress, the perfect fighter. How could any man resist me?" The stirring behind her caught her attention. "I must attend to your men. Watch me as I defeat them, General. You will see the uselessness of resisting me." She slapped him sharply across his jaw, the relatively slight pain focussing his mind on what was going on. She then balled that hand into a fist and brought it back across his face, the backhand punch knocking him against the wall. He groaned as he slumped down the wall to a sitting position. The other two men wobbled their way back to their feet as the long- legged blonde stalked back towards them. "This is your last chance, gentlemen. If you cannot fight the girl now, she will knock you out. Do you want to surrender? It will be less painful for you." The sergeant and Colonel looked at each other and saw black eyes, bloody noses and lips, before returning their glances to the vivacious blonde in the blue silk dress. "Yes, that's right. You can choose between admitting the fact that a mere girl was too much for you to handle, or you can subject yourselves to the ultimate humiliation of having her knock you out. The choice is yours, gentlemen." The sergeant paused a moment to consider her offer. The Colonel did not. "Never, damn you!" he hissed, coming at her, swinging a punch. A well-muscled female arm came up and blocked it, and Mata threw one of her own, a crisp punch to his jaw. Her fist connected with a crack and Eastman reeled. The sergeant quickly followed his superior's lead, swinging at the blonde dancer's face. She grabbed his fist and stopped it with ease, then stepped to her side, extending his arm. The sergeant's feet left the floor as Mata kicked him solidly in the stomach. "UUUUNHH!" He sank down to one knee and gagged for air. "I do hope you can live with your choice," she smirked, as she turned back to the dazed Colonel. Her last punch had practically put him out on his feet. He stood wobbling, unable to mount anything in way of defense. "Since you appreciated my dance so much, Colonel, here is something to remember me by." She kicked him full in the side of his face. Her foot soared up and its arc drove through his cheek, blasting him round and down onto the side of a table, which tipped under his dead weight and deposited him loudly onto the floor. The amazon's kick had knocked him cold. Smiling with satisfaction, she confronted the sergeant as he lamely climbed back to his feet. "And now you, sergeant." Before he could move, a kick slammed into his ribcage. Wincing and crying with pain, he tried to bring his fists up in a futile attempt to ward her off. "Ah yes, you preferred fisticuffs. Very well then, I will indulge you." The sergeant's arms were so weak and tired by this point that Mata pushed them aside as if they were nothing, bringing her own punishing fists to bear. Thwack, a sharp left sent him stumbling back to the stage, his legs buckling. She mercilessly connected with a solid right, her punch knocking his head back as if it were mounted on a spring. He reeled and fell forward into the girl's strong arms as she laughed disdainfully at him. "I think the moral of the story is never to try to match a girl's fists against your own, wouldn't you say, Sergeant? I shall give you a good deal of time to sleep on that idea. Pleasant dreams." She pushed the barely conscious man back off of her with one hand while she wound up with the other. Paf! Mata's punch finished the man off very effectively. He was unconscious before he flopped down onto the stage. The General sat astonished, watching the sultry blonde punch and kick his subordinates into unconsciousness. His mind was a tumult of contrasting thoughts. She was a German spy, an undoubtedly gifted fighter as he had discovered to his pain, and he could not submit to her demands. But she was also, still, even after everything else, beyond a doubt, the most attractive, sexy woman he had ever laid eyes on. He struggled against that thought in vain as he fought his way back to his feet. He had to fight her off somehow, or find a means of escape, which seemed much more likely a possibility. He had time for neither, for Mata was immediately on him as he stood. She lifted a long, shapely leg, snapping a kick into the side of his face, then bent her knee and brought her foot back and kicked him again. "Unnh… OOOH!" the General bellowed, collapsing back against the wall and sliding down to a slumped sitting position on the floor. The two kicks that had floored him could have knocked him out, he knew that. But the girl wanted him awake, at least for now. Still, they did their damage. He struggled to focus his eyes when suddenly he felt something pressing on his throat. Hard. He wheezed for breath as Mata's voice reached him. "Shame, General, you shouldn't try to walk out on a girl like that," she snickered. His eyes cleared and he again found himself marveling at her amazing strength and grace, not to mention balance. She stood to his side, crushing his throat against the wall with the sole of her shoe. "Your men are now out for the night. Shall we continue our discussion uninterrupted now? I still want the combination for your safe." "Aaaaagggh… no..." The General stared at the leggy beauty before him, his hands weakly reaching up to try to free himself. One hand grasped the heel of her shoe, running over the fine leather, while the other tried to pull her leg off of him. Well, that was the intention, at least. Instead, his hand touched the smooth, silky skin, running its way up the gorgeous leg to the solid calf muscle, feeling its feminine but strong curves as it bulged menacingly. He felt her foot press harder, but despite that, he realized he had a raging, aching erection. For her, the girl who was throttling him with her foot. He couldn't stop it. Instead, the added pressure seemed to make him throb even harder. "Face facts, General. Your men are done for, knocked out by a woman! And now she has you exactly where she wants you." She began to rotate her foot around his throat, squeezing from all angles. "I can crush your windpipe as easily as I beat up your men, General. Do you want to die to a woman's foot? Give me the combination." As he sat, becoming faint from the air loss, admiring the luscious contours of her legs, caressing them weakly, he realized the true futility of holding out. The blonde dynamo could probably outfight any man in his command. She was right, she was the perfect weapon. She was seductive to him even now, as she choked the life from him. His penis ached with longing for the legs she so amply displayed for him. How could he resist? "All right," he gasped desperately. He found Mata's shoe allowing him some air as he spoke. "Right twice to 31, left to 16, right to 20.." The blonde grinned, but did not remove her foot. "Now was that so hard?" she asked, then she caught a glimpse of the throbbing tent in the General's pants. "I see something is!" she laughed. "Really, General, do you find my legs that arousing, even now?" He couldn't lie. "Yes.." he gasped, still having difficulty breathing as her foot maintained pressure on his windpipe. She smiled seductively down on him. "Then let us see how much you would respond to them." Her voice was a deep whisper as she gently removed her foot from his throat. She turned and took a graceful step, prodding his legs apart with her foot. She stood between them and began to ostentatiously open the slit in her skirt with her hands. The General moaned as his eyes were riveted to the long leg she revealed in its entirety. The dancer made a flashy, effective display of it, kicking it gently up straight before her, bending the knee, exhibiting every sexy line and curve to the helpless man, giggling as his eyes bulged and he began to drool gently as he moaned. She straightened the leg again, slowly, and lowered her foot gently down onto the General's erect penis. The second the sole of her high heel touched his tender hard-on, he spasmed uncontrollably. It was the most incredible sensation he had ever experienced. Grinning, Mata began to press down with her foot and rub his erection. The General's eyes stayed fixed on the girl and her incredible legs as he convulsed and began to cry in pleasure with her foot's touch. His cries became louder… Mata needed only a minute for her foot-job to bring the General to a loud, intense climax. She laughed as she watched him twitch uncontrollably, removing her foot to find a large wet patch staining his trousers at the crotch. "Quite a response! I'm flattered, General." He had almost passed out from experiencing the most intense orgasm of his life. He couldn't believe she had been able to induce such a reaction with her legs alone! But he'd found a great many things unbelievable about this amazing woman. He found he could think of very little else besides how incredible she was as he basked in the post- coital bliss she had given him. "You may sleep now, General," Mata purred, raising her foot again as she moved up next to him, stroking the side of his tired, battered face with the toe of her exquisite shoe. Then she quickly brought her foot back and snapped it forward again, kicking him across the jaw. The man's stifled cry seemed almost a cross between total agony and ecstasy as the dancer's final kick pitched him over onto his side and he lay still. Scarcely a minute had passed before there was a loud knock at the door. "Come in, Francois," Mata commanded. The owner of the cafe entered rather timidly, his eyes slightly agape at the wreckage of furniture here and there, the Colonel ko'd on the floor, the sergeant on the stage, and the General dozing at the feet of the statuesque blonde amazon. "Mon Dieu.." he muttered. "You missed a wonderful fight," the dancer told him. "But it's just as well, they would probably have pummeled you." She smiled teasingly. "Very funny," he groused as he entered, kneeling over the Colonel, inspecting the thorough job Mata had done pounding his face. "I will give you this much… I have never seen any man knock out an opponent as thoroughly as you. That was probably the loudest fight I had ever heard." "Thank you," Mata laughed. "Well, they gave me a struggle, so what could I do? Men should know better than to argue with a determined woman. Besides, fighting IS what I've been trained to do." "True… I… I just didn't think you'd be quite so.." "Brutal? You are a squeamish little man, aren't you, Francois?" Mata laughed at him as she walked up onto the stage and headed back behind the velvet curtain. "Tell me, what really bothers you, the blood on their faces or the fact that a woman could beat those men up while you would not have had a chance?" Francois kept his anger in check with difficulty. This woman was incredibly aggravating at times, with her immense self-confidence. She was right, however. She was a well-trained, experienced and gifted fighter, as the three unconscious men proved, and he was just lousy with his fists. She'd earned bragging rights, to a reasonable extent. It didn't make her taunts any easier to tolerate. His resentment was additionally complicated by the fact that, like most men who laid eyes on her, he wanted to have her, badly. Her overwhelming sexuality was just too much for a man to fend off. But a complication like that would most likely wind up with her fists punishing him, and as he looked down on the bleeding, bruised face of the English colonel, he knew that was the last thing he wanted. He sighed and brought his mind back to reality. "What are you doing?" he asked as she disappeared behind the curtain. Her dressing area was back there. "Getting presents for our British guests," Mata replied. She emerged a moment later and walked to the sergeant and knelt next to him. "I want to make sure they remember clearly what I've done to them here tonight, so I am giving them a small momento of the evening." She took one of the three sheer silk stockings she held and wrapped it carefully around the sleeping man's neck. "They will never forget that three big, strong men were beaten up by a mere dancing girl." She stood and came down the steps to the Colonel. He watched as the blonde gently lifted his head off the floor and wrapped the stocking around him. He caught a smell of her sweet, exotic perfume on the hose, the distinctive perfume she always wore. The stocking was very sheer, the finest silk, the sort the dancer loved to wear. He had to shake off an image of the stocking clinging tautly to its owner's lovely legs before the thought could overwhelm him. It was not an easy task. He stood and followed her over to the General. She knelt and wrapped the remaining stocking around his neck. "For you, General.." she whispered to the unconscious man with a chuckle. "I know you will treasure it always.." Francois stood and watched before noticing the General's stained trousers. "Ugh, it looks like the General had an accident.." he noted with revulsion. Mata stood, putting her hands on her hips and giggled. "Yes, you might say that. He couldn't really help himself." "Ugggh." Francois' groan was a cross between disgust and jealousy. "Never mind that now, what about the combination? You must have gotten it?" "Of course I did. I told you they would succumb. They are just men, after all." He did his best to ignore her teasing remark. "Well, give it to me. We have to steal those plans and get them off to our contact as soon as possible." "No, we're changing our plans. I will steal them from the English headquarters myself." "Mata, the break-in was my job. That's my specialty, remember?" "I know. But now I intend to do it. I do not want to risk you bungling it, Francois. Do you really wish to get into an argument with me?" The amazon balled one hand into a threatening fist and began to gently rub it with her other hand. He backed away a step. Despite his lusts for her, Mata had come to terrify him. He sighed and backed down. "Much better," she smiled sweetly. "Now, I shall change and within the hour I will have the plans we need." She began to head off towards her dressing room. Francois had to release some of the frustration he held within. "When they told me my partner for these capers would be a woman I was intrigued. When they told me she would be a woman who could seduce any man and fight five of them at once, I was fascinated. I should never have become a spy." Mata laughed as she breezed past him. "I agree, Francois. Men are not cut out for this sort of thing. Fortunately, I am willing to loan my services out to the highest bidder so little boys like you do not get hurt." He groaned. "Wait, what do we do with these three?" "I should think we can leave them," the amazon called as she went behind the curtain again. "They won't be waking up for hours, I assure you. And even when they do come to, what will they do? Run back to headquarters and tell everyone that a woman knocked them out so she could steal secret documents? I think not. In fact, I believe I have a very good idea what they will say.." Two days later Mata sat in another cafe in downtown Paris. She had been able to easily sneak into the British headquarters and steal the vital documents and get back out, without, as Francois had feared she may try to do, taking on the entire English army with her bare fists. She and Francois had abandoned the other cafe that very evening, leaving the three beaten men to recover in their own time. Now she was reading the local paper. One article read, "BRITISH SOLDIERS ATTACKED BY ANARCHISTS." It went on to describe the vicious beating given to the General, Colonel and sergeant as they had been going to a formal occasion two nights ago. According to the General, there were at least eight anarchists who attacked them, armed with clubs. The army men had put up a valiant struggle, but there were just too many of them. There was no mention of the missing documents. Mata's sweet, melodic laughter brought annoyed stares from the other cafe patrons, but no one dared to say anything to her. In the end, the stolen documents changed nothing. The fruitless German attack which emerged from this incident was repulsed with heavy casualties. What neither side in the bloody conflict realized was that outmoded tactics relying on sheer manpower to overwhelm the enemy could not match the firepower of new weapons of mass destruction such as the machine gun. The war would drag on until 1918 before any truly appreciable gains could be made on either side. In 1917 Mata Hari was found guilty by the French of treason and shot.