The Origin of Mercury 18 by mariusball on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

The Origin of Mercury part 3

(Recap: Josh Phelps was an adventurous archaeologist who stumbled upon a hidden underground temple during one of his expeditions. There, he found a silver amulet adorned with a large iridescent opal that emanated a mesmerizing glow. When he clasped the amulet around his neck, Josh was transformed into the superhero known as Mercury, donning a form-fitting silver spandex bodysuit that highlighted his now muscular body. The iridescent jewel that once sat embedded in the amulet now rested proudly on his chest, the source of his powers. As he tests his powers, Mercury discovers he has both superspeed and superstrength. He also encounters the spirit of the amulet, who informs him that he was chosen to wield great powers and offers to train him.)

As Mercury’s training began, the spirit taught him not only how to master his speed and agility, but also prepared him to fight in hand-to-hand combat when needed. He was pushed hard, and his stamina and skills increased over time. Mercury appreciated everything he was learning, but he also sensed growing frustration. He could feel great untapped energy coursing from the iridescent opal throughout his body. When he asked the spirit about his additional powers, he was told to be patient and master the basics first.

Finally one day, the spirit informed he was ready to tap into his additional powers. Mercury was so excited! He was told he could turn the energy of the amulet into his namesake - mercury. However it was not normal mercury but mystically empowered to be more strong and versatile. He could make liquid mercury-like metal flow from his hands, and when he concentrates it could be formed into strong solid metal constructs - like metal balls, throwing blades, a shield, etc. However there is a limit - the more mercury he creates, the weaker it becomes.

The spirit instructed Mercury to concentrate on the opal’s energy and let it flow through his hands. It took awhile to master. At first, liquid mercury would just drip from his hands, but he soon learned how to control the flow and create metal constructs. The spirit even had him practice creating things blindfolded, so he could develop better control and freedom. He started with simple objects, like balls and blades. Once he could form them, he then practiced directing them towards targets. With the spirit’s continued patience and instruction, he learned to form and control more complex objects, like:
- a shield to defend himself
- a silver rope he could use as a lasso
- a metal sheath that could disarm and bind an enemy
Although he thought about creating even more complex objects, like a gun or cannon, the spirit told him some were not necessary. He could create small objects like pellets (or larger like a bowling ball) and then use the energy to project them like bullets or cannonballs. He also learned his limits. He could create a car-sized (or even house-sized) boulder, but it was too weak and would break apart into mercury droplets when it hit something.

His confidence in his powers grew over time. Eventually, the spirit declared he was ready to re-enter the outside world and begin his career as the superhero, Mercury. He promised to continue Mercury’s training whenever he was able to return to the temple. But for now, he was proud of the hard work Josh had put into his training, and was immensely confident Mercury could wield his awesome superpowers with skill and integrity to help those in need. The spirit of the amulet pointed outward to commissioned Mercury to use his powers for the greatest good!