This fic takes place in about 1956. So I actually used a lunar calendar to look up when the New Moon would take place in December of 1956 for accuracy's sake. Sorry this chapter took so long, by the way. I was planning "Megalomaniac" (you can now go read chapter one of that, but people haven't been liking it too much) and was also experiencing a pretty terrible writer's block.

Chapter Fourteen – The Calm Before a Storm

The 22nd of December in Metroville was a force to be reckoned with. Sure, Agatha was on Christmas vacation, but the temperature had plummeted to a mere 28 degrees fahrenheit, and clouds continually filled up the sky. On the one hand, Agatha couldn't really use her powers, and was rather miffed at the fact that Dynaguy and The Phylange got to do everything. On the other hand, it meant that Crescentia couldn't use her powers either, so she couldn't attack her. It seriously annoyed Agatha that every time she had an idea to vanquish her "archnemisis", it turned out to be a double-edged sword. She couldn't defeat Crescentia without hurting herself in the process. Her only chance, it would appear, was to take Crescentia on during a New Moon.

Of course, this presented two problems. According to a lunar calendar from the library, the two new moons in December for 1956 were on the 2nd, which had already passed, and the 31st. Agatha could actually probably attack her anywhere between the 29th and 31st, also, because the moon was also pretty dark on those days. However, her primary problem was that the sun does not come out at night. Unless I lure Crescentia to a TANNING SALON, it's pretty hopeless. Agatha thought bitterly. Her supersuit could only store a limited amount of solar energy, and based on past experiences, she had concluded that the energy could only last for about 10 minutes on full power.

Her second problem, of course, was that she had no idea where Crescentia was. Agatha didn't even know where the Nox-Sol Jewels were, let alone Crescentia's hideout. She had to have a place to crash, of course. No supervillain could hope to cause mayhem 24 hours a day without taking a break.

And, there was this nagging thought in the back of her mind: What if she took the Nox-Sol jewels for herself? She'd be so much stronger…she wouldn't be a damsel in distress anymore. She could be totally independent…

No. I'm a super HERO. Taking the jewels would be a CRIME. Shaking her head, she quickly dispelled her thoughts on the matters at hand. Agatha decided to think about the problem of Crescentia later. She didn't have to confront Crescentia in December; it could wait. And besides, she had nine days before the 31st, over a week to think over things. And about the Sol jewel…well, she'd rather not think about that at all. Agatha made a mental note to ask Everseer about Crescentia, and got up to go to her refrigerator to get something to eat.

--

Agatha had been enjoying a nice bowl of hot chicken noodle soup when the phone rang. "Hello?" she spoke into the receiver.

"Agatha! It's Simon." Her heart immediately skipped a few beats, and Agatha reprimanded her inner self for being oh-so-junior-high. "Are you free right now?"

"Is the sun shining?" she replied, rolling her eyes. Agatha heard a laugh from the other side of the line.

"A nice, polite young woman would say 'Why yes, Gazerbeam! I'm really bored right now and would love to spend time with you!'" He replied, imitating her voice tone.

Agatha scoffed into the phone. "Since when have I accused myself of being nice or polite?" she asked him.

There was a short pause. "So anyway, back to what I was saying." Agatha smiled, realizing that he had changed the subject on purpose. "Since the sun is not shining, you must therefore be free, and you must therefore go shopping with me because I'm male and therefore have no idea what to do about things like gifts and outfits for silly dances."

How many more times can you legally use the word 'therefore' in a sentence? Agatha thought, annoyed and yet terribly amused. "Why, I'd love to go, Gazerbeam!" she pretended to gush, her voice high and squeaky.

"…quit mocking me."

--

They pulled into the parking lot of the Metroville shopping mall, and walked into the building side by side. "Any color preferences?" Agatha asked with a smirk.

"Do I look like someone who takes great stock in fashion?" he raised an eyebrow. Agatha looked him over for a minute. Simon was pretty normal-looking, as far as supers went. He had brown hair, neatly combed to one side, and usually wore sunglasses of some sort. At work, he wore suits, of course, but even when things were more casual, he tended to wear nice slacks and a button-up shirt on top of a white t-shirt.

"I guess not," she shrugged after a few moments' hesitation. She, of course, wasn't exactly a fashionista herself, but at least she cared about her appearance. Agatha spent an hour picking out her clothes, doing her hair, and applying her make-up. Sure, it was a little vain, maybe, but it was important to her.

Even though she insisted otherwise, her male counterpart forced her into Nordstrom's, assuring her that he had plenty of money just lying around. "How are bankers like bakers?" he asked.

Not realizing that it was a joke, Agatha absently replied, "What?"

"They're both rolling in the dough!" he laughed, though quickly stopped when he saw Agatha's stupefied reaction. "…let me guess…not funny?"

"Nope." She shook her head. Agatha reached past him to grab a blue dress off the rack. "This look ok?"

Simon shrugged. "I don't know, you tell me. Of course, I have to match, so try not to pick something that's…hot pink?"

Agatha giggled. "I'd look terrible in hot pink, anyway. Blue is more my colour." The dress was a light cerulean color, and strapless, with a large white sash at the waist tied into a bow at the back. Agatha left Simon to run into a dressing room to try it on. She admired herself in the mirror for a few minutes. Simple, yet elegant. "I wonder if they have something I can wear around my shoulders with this." She said, coming out of the dressing room to see herself in the full-body mirror.

"Like a scarf?" he asked from a distance.

"Yeah, I feel sort of naked wearing this by itself," she pulled her hair up into a bun to see how it would look, but decided that it drew too much attention to her neck. (which she had always believed was too long) After fooling around with her hair for another minute or two, she turned back towards the dressing room door to change.

Suddenly, she felt something cold around her neck and froze. Her neck quickly warmed up again, and she felt Simon's hands firmly on her shoulders. He turned her towards the mirror without a word. It took Agatha a moment or two to notice the necklace that Simon had put on her. It was a string of pearls, which went down to just under her collarbone. They were a beautiful, creamy white color, and Agatha knew that they must have cost a fortune. "Are you crazy?" she hissed.

"They look good on you. I don't think jewels are really your thing, you know?" he said the latter more softly, and suddenly she knew exactly what he meant. It was strange how he could always manage to figure out what was on her mind. "I think…simplicity really works for you. You should never try to go too overboard, and don't ever try to be something that you're not."

She knew right then and there that she could never steal those jewels. Not only was it wrong morally, it would ruin everything that she treasured in her life. Gazerbeam would never care for someone who ached for power so much, and all of the other supers would turn their back on her forever. She rested her cheek against the top of his hand, which was still on her shoulder. "I know. You have nothing to worry about from me."

Simon laughed. "I know I never do, just…making sure everything's ok." Agatha quickly whirled around.

"So! Let's get to picking out your suit, shall we?" she smiled, feeling a lot better than she had that morning.

"What about Christmas presents?" he asked warily.

"Oh…just buy everybody gift cards. Or give them money. What would supers do with candles and picture frames, anyway? And I'm pretty sure all the guys have enough socks and ties." Agatha laughed.

Simon shrugged. "You never know, right?"

"Christmas is in three days. We can buy them later." She sighed. Agatha was much too lazy, and the truth was, she wanted to spend time with Simon. And helping him buy gifts for other women, even if they were supers, was not something she really felt like doing.

"What if something happens before then? We should get them now while we can." He asked in reply, cautious as always.

Agatha put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "We're superheroes! What could happen?"