My name is Susanne Ray. I became a super hero because of a mistake caused by a super villain. His name was Nathan, Nathan King. Now he calls himself “The Fire Hazard.” He’s a maniac who’s obsessed with finishing me off once and for all. Nathan was my mom’s arch rival. His inventions were top class. Mom worked with chemicals. Nathan was in a slump so he snuck into my house to steal something from my mom. I caught him in the act and chased him down to the basement. I had him cornered then he knocked over a few chemicals causing a chemical reaction between the mixture. There was smoke everywhere. I fainted. I woke up not knowing that my own enemy had given me the greatest gift I ever could have received. Powers beyond my wildest dreams. And with those great powers I became…
Mercury


I discovered my powers at school one day. My friend Ariel and I were eating lunch and she started singing this song we both liked so I snapped my fingers and my hand caught fire. She threw her water at my hand before anyone saw it. I didn’t talk much about it after that until a few nights later. I was at her house for dinner and I got curious. I excused myself from the table and went up on the roof. I tried doing it again but my hand wouldn’t light. Ariel came out and she startled me. I slipped and fell and as soon as I was up in the air I caught fire again. Only, instead of my hand my whole body was on fire and I was flying.

I had superpowers. Over the next couple of weeks Ariel and I paid very close attention in our science courses. We even spoke to two of the resident geniuses in school. Katt and Alana. “I need you two to make me a fireproof outfit that changes color with extreme heat. Something sort of like this.” I showed them a rather good drawing I made in a fashion design class. On one side it was my school’s uniform. On the other side was what it should look like after exposed to extreme heat. “We can do that but there’s one question. What temperature should it react to?” Katt said. “The temperature of fire.” I said. “I also need it to be able to change back.” “You can count on us.” Alana said.

Sure enough I was a hero by the next week. Most heroes start out fighting the small fries. Thug robbing stores, gang wars, stuff like that. But my first appearance was to fight the man that created me, Nathan. It all went down at the school carnival. Ariel, her younger sister Alexis, her older brother Todd, and I were a group. Todd won prizes for all of us. Then I saw this big fireball flying through the sky. I looked Ariel dead in the eye with my you know what to do look. She nodded and distracted her siblings. I ditched them and hid behind the Ferris Wheel. Then I fired up and flew off. At first I didn’t know it was Nathan. He was wearing this metal helmet. “You want to go? Fine. Let’s race.” He said. Then he sped up. I flew as fast as I could. I reached out and grabbed his leg. We were over the city. He turned around and stopped paying attention to where he was going. Next thing I know we’re both coming down like meteors on the hard New York City streets.

“You got my powers right? You can fly, you’re fireproof, you can use fire as a weapon, but can you pick up a bus?” Then he picked up a Greyhound and hurled it at me. I ducked and accidentally threw a fireball at the fire hydrant behind him. Water was sent flying into the street. It didn’t do anything to me but to him it was like acid.

He got up and fire started seeping out the eye holes in his helmet. Then his whole head caught fire. “You’re going to pay for that.” Then he erupted. He started to walk toward me but I thought fast. I saw a fire truck coming down the street. I got in front of it and the driver slammed the brakes. I snatched a hose from the truck and started hooking it up to the hydrant behind me. Then he jumped over the fire truck and got ready to give me one clean blow to the head. But I quickly turned around and shot water at him like a cannon.

He landed on the other side of the street and I approached him. But before I could pick him up I was attacked by news crews and paparazzi. I mean, questions were coming from all directions. I couldn’t shake them. So I scared them. I shot a fireball at one person’s camera. Everyone backed off but when I turned around he was gone.

Over the course of a week I ran into him numerous times. Eventually the world had names for us. Mercury and Fire Hazard. I had become really popular. I saved a bus filled with kids from that lunatic as well as Prescott Industries. I didn’t understand why he’d attack that place but I stopped him. But the big deal was when he attacked the Brooklyn Bridge.

One night I was watching the news when I saw the live report of Fire Hazard at large in the Manhattan area. I dropped the remote, fired up, and flew out the window. I was in Manhattan for a couple of minutes when I heard screams. “He’s going to blow up the bridge!” Said someone in a crowd of screaming people. I turned around and on a screen was Fire Hazard surrounded by dozens of flipped cars. “Mercury. Come out, come out where ever you are. Or would you rather I blow up the bridge? A lot of people could use your help right now.”

I took off for the bridge knowing it was some kind of trap. When I got there Fire Hazard was standing on a car laughing maniacally. “Misery, misery, misery that’s what being a hero will get you. That’s why only morons are heroes. You never know when some lunatic will come along with the sadistic choice. Suffer the innocent people. Or let die the ones you love.” Then he picked up a car. In it was mom, Ariel, Alexis, and Todd. “That’s right Mercury. I know who you are. It’s your choice so choose. Keep in mind that if you go to save them I’m going to blow this bridge sky high. Those who don’t die in the flames will fall into the water below. Trapped in those cars.” Then he threw the car.

I used all the speed I had. I pushed Fire Hazard off of the bridge and into the waters below. Then I circled around and used slightly enhanced strength I had to carry the car back to the bridge. I pulled everyone out of the car and flipped all the cars back onto their wheels. Then there was a geyser from the river. It was Fire Hazard. He didn’t die. But he was yelling so loud I couldn’t hear myself think. “Just for that they’re all going to die!” He said. “I turned around and saw the looks on everyone’s faces. Then something came over me. “If you so much as lay one finger on them, I’ll kill you myself.” Then he rushed me. He pushed me off the bridge but unlike him I had the sense to fly. Then he picked up a truck and threw it at me. After that he blasted it with fire and it exploded. I got out of the way and back to the bridge where Fire Hazard had Todd and Alexis help up in the air.

He was laughing. Then I blacked out. My friends were about to be killed by a maniac. I grabbed Alexis and Todd and put them down. Then I punched him over and over but I kept hitting his helmet. Then I punched him in the stomach. He fell to the ground. Then I punched the helmet more. Until it cracked. Then it broke open but I didn’t realize who it was. I was in such a rage that I couldn’t think straight. But before I delivered that blow that would probably kill him, Ariel, Alexis, Todd, and Mom grabbed my arm. “Mercury! Mercury, look at what you’re doing!” Mom said. I stopped and saw the pitiful sight before me. It was Nathan. He had a black eye, a bloody nose, and it looked like a tooth might have been missing. I let my rage take over. Then everyone let go of my arm. “Go. Get out of this town, get out of this city, and get out of this country. Before I change my mind about that last punch.”

Then it started to rain. The rain hit me and turned into steam but it hit him and it caused pain. It was like being shot thousands of times to him. “I’ll be back. You can count on it. And next time, I won’t lose. Bye for now Mercury.” Then he flew away. He was ignoring the pain. That night I was on every news channel. “In other news. It looks like the seemingly endless war between Mercury and Fire Hazard has come to an end. Earlier tonight Mercury and Fire Hazard had what looks like the final battle at the Brooklyn Bridge. Folks you had to be there to believe it. Mercury absolutely thrashed Fire Hazard after saving hundreds of lives. Mercury where ever you are, the whole city of Manhattan thanks you.” That was one of the reports. It looks like that made me an official hero. Now I’m actually quite popular and I’m going to stay that way. I’m a hero. I’m Mercury.