Chapter Text
The tape wielding vigilante had never been more scared in his life. Not as a child fleeing from the complex that was shutting down and his life was to be terminated. Not even when facing down the first super villain where he had to avoid the claws of the super powered man and the bullets of the police. No, this was something far worse.
The sky red from the smoke and fire of a burning city. A huge fleet of ships menacingly flying overhead shooting lasers to the roaring of heroes. Dodging a blast from a smaller vessel he shot a piece of tape onto it and hid the wince of pain from his injured arm as he was yanked roughly into the sky.
Swinging up to the windshield he hit it hard with a glass breaker, shattering it and allowing him to jump into the unmanned seat. The ship was still shooting at anything that moved. Dragging his claws through some wires he forcefully took control of it and turned its blasters the others soaring through the air. Movement down below caught his eye and he noticed two heroes he had only just started to call his friends waving him down.
Angling the craft downward he came in for a ungraceful landing, jumping out of the ship to meet a boy only a few years older than him with silver hair falling out of a messy ponytail, mask ripped in half, and dark clothing torn with his hands up showing he no longer had his gloves. The other hero was a girl the same age as they boy. She looked just as rough, her white and blue suit torn with pieces of armor missing, shocking white hair dirtied with ash and blood. They both looked as exhausted as he felt.
“Cellophane there’s too many! We’re not going to win like this we have to do something different. Shatter is already down.” The white haired girl stated, motioning to her companion who had a hasty bandage wrapped around his leg which looked broken and was bleeding heavily. She was right of course there were just too many little ships flying through the air and robots causing havoc on the ground. Despite the commission of heroes all here they were horribly outnumbered. Cellophane winced as he wiped blood from a cut on his head, the blood sticky on his mask.
“I know, I know we’re not getting anywhere and all communications with the others are down.” He pulled the girl down by her arm so he could get a better look at the gash on her head. Ignoring the cracking of his skin as he made medical tape to stop the bleeding.
Shatter groaned from where he was leaning heavily against an upturned chunk of sidewalk “You just got control of a ship, Blizzard maybe if you take a look at it we can figure out how to shut them all down?” Blizzard nodded, pulling away from the younger kid with a quiet thanks.
“Cellophane was there anyone piloting the ship?”
“No, it was running on some kind of auto pilot.” He stated watching her use her ice to lift herself into the small ship. He ducked down as an explosion sounded not far from them, ending up next to Shatter who wrapped his arm around the younger hero, holding him close as debris showered them. His free hand held up every chunk of stone that touched all five of his fingers breaking into dust around them.
“Fuck” Shatter hissed and scratched at his skin, his power already long over used.
“What the hell is Dr. Brainstorm thinking?! I know he’s insane but this is overkill even for him.” Shatter complained yanking his hand away before he could scratch open more wounds.
“Maybe he’s finally lost it, you think he’s just not taking a rejection well?” Cellophane grinned, earning him a light shove from the 17 year old.
“You shit now’s not the time for your jokes.” but it had its intended effect making the silver haired teen smile despite the situation. A huge blast of lightning from the other side of the battle field had Cellophane on his feet and taking in the destroyed city. It was chaos.
Dr. Brainstorm was one of the few super powered people with a sort of intelligence power. He had created what looked like a fleet of alien space ships and an army of robots. One huge craft hovered in the center of the fleet every so often shooting at the ground or doors opening letting out even more smaller ones or robots to ravage the land.
Heroes from all over the planet had come to assist with this battle. The maybe 40 members of the hero commission all here fighting against the overwhelming numbers. For once Cellophane was happy that the heroes had chosen to create a group to provide one another with backup.
Lava erupted from another area of the city in flames burning up another three ships only to be replaced with ten more. This was insanity.
“Guys, this is bad! Brainwave somehow made a super weapon that targets anyone without the gene giving them powers. And it’s on count down. We have 7 minutes before it goes off!” Blizard’s call had him snapping right back.
Cellophane’s jaw dropped “That’ll leave only like 200 people on the entire planet. Has he totally lost it?!” and with such a short time, they had to do something now.
“Where’s the weapon?” Shatter asked trying and failing to stand up.
“The Mother Ship, and it seems like all the ships and robots are answering to one signal that’s coming from there! If we take shut down the weapon and take out the signal, we could finally end this!” His head whipped around to Blizzard whose head was sticking out of the vessel he’d taken control of. He jumped down from his spot on the concrete and walked closer to the older girl.
“Then that’s where I’ll go, think I can fly the fighter jet up to the big ship without being shot down?” Both teens looked at him wide eyed before the white hared girl glared at him.
“Hell no we’re not letting you go alone. Not again Cellophane.”
“We’re coming too.” Shatter was insistent. Cellophane grit his teeth and shook his head.
“No, you can’t even walk right now Shatter one wrong move up there and we’re all dead.” He did not want to get into this argument again.
“Then at least let Blizzard go with you.” The older boy thankfully conceded.
“What about you? You’ll be stuck here.” The girl looked at her companion worried.
“I’ll be fine, I’ve got cover and I can stay quiet you two go. We don’t have time to argue, you two get up there and take out that weapon!” He ordered and ducked as Blizzard shot a blast of ice at an approaching robot, taking it down. Cellophane nodded and vaulted up into the small ship.
“Fine, you stay alive and that’s an order” She glared at him and the silver haired boy chuckled, hunkering down more against the concrete while Cellophane pulled Blizzard up into the ship.
“I will, go finish this.” He waved them off, Cellophane taking the controls and getting the ship off the ground shooting towards the massive aircraft. Blizzard shot ice at any ship that tried to intercept them while he dodged the blasts from both friend and foe.
They had 6 minutes left when they landed in the hanger of the ship. Cellophane didn’t even wait for them to hit the ground fully before he grabbed his companion around the waist and yanked them out of the cock pit with his tape. They hit the ground running.
Behind them the vessel they stole crashed into the ground with minimal damage and better yet it was now blocking the other ships in the hanger from leaving, and there were hundreds of them. Cellophane sprinted through the corridors while Blizzard skated by his side creating a path of ice and completely ignoring how it started to freeze her body.
Hallway after hallway they raced, each door only revealed more robots, ships, or even mini factories to build them. How Brianstorm got all the material for this invasion Cellophane didn’t want to know. The longer they ran without finding anyway to stop the doomsday device the more he felt like he was going to puke. He didn’t know if his heart pounding so fast it felt like it was going to explode was from fear or the sheer amount of effort it was taking to keep moving.
They had only 3 minutes left when finally they came to a huge doorway. Immediately Blizzard went to press the button to open the doorway
“Let’s hope this door isn’t another hanger” Cellophane earned a glare for that.
“Don’t even joke about that.” The door slid open with a hiss and on the other side of it was a massive room. Huge wires with glowing teal spirals led to a towering calendrical tube. At chest height there was a glass cylinder about as big around as Cellophane was wide. In the center of it was a brightly glowing blue and white orb, it sent off waves of crackling energy. Like a heartbeat all the machinery around them burned brighter with each pulse.
“This must be the engine! Quick help me look for a shut off!” Blizzard exclaimed and shot off towards it spiraling around the whole room. Cellophane circled the base of the core, finding no sign of anything, not even an access panel in the metal. Jumping into a fighting stance as laughter rang through the room.
“You’re too late heroes, soon my weapon will go off, killing every human without powers. Today you may hate me but in time you will praise my name. After all I am freeing everyone like us all from those who shun and kill us for existing! Surly you Cellophane would understand more than anyone.”
Dr. Brainstorm’s words made the 14 year old hero pause in disbelief. How could the mad man ever think that he would understand killing everyone. The man’s next words made him feel sicker than he already did.
“After all you were the first super powered being to stand up to defend people. You nearly give your life to them day after day and yet even now when the Commission of heroes are welcomed and praised for following your shadow and yet people still want you dead. You have done nothing but give and it’s still not enough. Surly you would wish to live in a world where the powerless can no longer hurt you. Where you are actually praised for inspiring others to be heroes. Why, it was your own words that inspired me! You once said you were wished for a world of peace between its people. Their hatred and anger will never stop, not as long as metas exist. This is the only way, deep down you know I am right.”
Brainstorm’s words were like blades to Cellophane’s heart. He had said that, he wanted a world where people like him could be free to simply exist as they are. He knew that Brianstorm was right. But he was also wrong. There would always be hatred, even now Shatter was faced with great scorn from other super powered people because of how easy it would be for him to kill someone, but killing everyone without powers is not what he wanted it wouldn’t create the world he fought so hard for.
“You’ve lost it. He’s just stalling us, Cellophane we need to shut down his weapon now!” Shaken out of his head at Blizzard’s voice he followed behind as she raced out of the room, but… He couldn’t bring himself to step out the door.
2 minutes. They had only two minutes left before over 99% of the human population was wiped from existence. They didn’t have time to look for the off switch and knowing Dr. Brainstorm there was no off button. Cellophane turned his head and dark eyes landed back on the small glowing orb. That thing was powering the entire ship and everything outside. If he took it out, he could save everyone.
Blizzard turned back around to see the younger boy that she had helped her learn that her ice wasn’t a curse. Standing still with his head down. His yellow white and black suit tattered and blood stained it.
“Cellophane come on we’re running out of time!” She yelled. His head snapped up to her and grey met black.
“Get out of here while you still can. Take care of everyone for me yea?” His words sent a chill down her spine, he couldn’t- he wouldn’t-!
Frozen in place she felt as if she was watching in slow motion as his claws smashed into the lock. The door slammed shut between them.
“CELLOPHANE!” She didn’t even realize she had started moving. Blizzard slammed into the door as tears streamed down her face. Banging her ice coated fists into the metal she screamed.
“CELLOPHANE WE CAN FIND ANOTHER WAY!” Ice burst from her hands covering the door as she tried to get to the first hero, her hero. It was no use. She didn’t know if he could even hear her anymore.
The door slammed in his face and immediately Cellophane turned back towards the engine. He ignored the banging on the steel door and pulled his glass breaker from his belt. He was never more grateful he never went anywhere without it. Rearing back, he slammed the tip of it into the thick glass and it shattered, falling to the ground in a glittery ring.
Instantly a pulse of energy nearly pushed him off his feet but he held strong. Shooting out a strand of tape he tried to pull it out, it didn’t even get close. A pulse of energy forcing it away. It fully dawned on him what he was about to do. He already wasn’t expecting to get out of here alive. He was supposed to turn 15 in two months. He had always hoped he would live long enough to see the world he fought for become a reality. It was not meant to be. A soft smile settled on his face, at least this way everyone else would make it out alive.
Steeling his nerve, he reached into the core, digging his fingers into the squishy substance and fought every instinct to let go as agony shot up his arms, taking over his whole body. His feet slid backwards from the force as some sort of liquid lightning shot into and all around him. A scream echoed through his head he couldn’t tell where it was coming from.
Every nerve felt like it was being torn apart but he refused to let go. Suddenly the stood suspended. The core pulsed weakly in his hands, shrinking to almost nothing. Then there was only white.
Blizzard saw bolts of cyan lightning crackling from under the door, lights above her flickering and burning so bright they were blinding. Her heart dropped, vision blurring as a scream of agony Cellophane’s throat, muted by the crackling and the steel door. She had never heard him scream like that.
1 minute left. Cellophane’s last words rang in her head and she reluctantly broke away from the door, reluctantly taking a few steps, wanting to burn that smiling face into memory before turning around and sprinting back towards the hanger. Making it back with 30 seconds to spare she vaulted into the ship they had stolen and took off. Setting it to fly as fast as possible away from the mother ship. Crackling in her ear signaled the coms were finally working again.
“What is going on up there? The big ship is shooting lighting everywh-.”
“Get away it’s about to blow!” Blizzard interrupted the super strength hero, giving everyone just 10 seconds to get as far away as possible.
The explosion was deafening, all she could see was bright white as the smaller ship shook and was forced forward with the shock wave. As fast as it started it was over, she landed roughly as the vessel fell like its stings were cut. The ship bounced and skidded to a stop not far from where Shatter was hunkered down.
Blizzard stumbled out of the crash and stood speechless as other fighter jets and robots all fell to the ground lifeless around her. Light spots dancing in her vision a, something that was maybe voices was impossible to deceiver through the ringing in her ears for a few minutes as she stumbled back to Shatter. After what felt like forever, she finally found the concrete slab that was thankfully undamaged, her hearing finally starting to return as she walked around to see Shatter’s worried face light up.
“Blizzard! You’re ok! You guys did it! We won we- where’s-where’s Cellophane.” His joy lowering as he looked around for someone who - who wasn’t ever going to come back. Everything caught up to her with that question and she didn’t even try to stop the tears from falling. The cheering in her ear over the coms wasn’t helping. Almost desperately she yanked the ear piece off and tossed it.
“No… he can’t be…” Shatter’s quiet voice just made her cry harder and she found herself falling into his arms burring her face into his chest unable to choak back a sob.
“H-he locked me out I couldn’t get t-through.” She managed to gasp out through her sobs and her friend held on tighter.
Shatter held onto his friend as she fell apart, his own vision blurred as his own tears threatened to fall. The com in his ear was coming to life with all sorts of voices relieved, cheering and happy. After a long grueling battle, it was over. Oh god, Cellophane wouldn’t get to see it.
“Did everyone make it?” The voice belonged to the shield hero Everguard and Shatter took a deep breath in preparation.
“Not everyone.” The coms went dead as his words washed over everyone. One of the founders of the commission Ghost spoke up.
“Shatter? Kid who- don’t tell me Blizzard is…”
“There was a weapon, it was going to kill over 99% of the human population. Cellophane he- he caused the ship to explode he stayed behind-” His throat constircting making it hard to speak but he had to finish.
“He-he sacrificed himself to save everyone.”
His words rang clear through the whole battle field, no one said a word but the message was clear.
Cellophane, the first hero, was gone.
300 Years later, a green haired boy by the name of Izuku Midorya watched the news with surprise. Seeing the slime villain holding Bakugo hostage was no surprise. What was a surprise however was the story about a blinding cyan explosion above the center of Musutafu. And falling out of it were a few mangled pieces of machinery. He watched wide eyed as a body fell only to be caught by a hero while the machinery was halted by another. Today had been way more active than he had thought.