Disclaimer:
I do not own Batman, Any related characters, The Used, or any of their music.
All I can take credit for is the name (Cliff Meisters) and this fanfic.
Note: The fight scene is based off a clip from the 1960's Batman show (Namely, The Mad Hatter runs Afoul.), which Brave and the Bold borrows heavily from.
Chapter 2: Bulimic (The Used)
With anger and frustration, Cliff urged his bike on. Never once did his mind change about the act he was going to commit. He was going to end it all, and no thought about those he would be leaving behind would sway him. All that did was convince him that he needed to keep his impending death a secret from his mother. And that, he knew where to go: The local chemical factory, where he could immerse his body in acid and totally destroy himself.
He was riding so fast in his determination, he barely noticed the smears of dirt on his T-shirt, (which, by the way, read 'Sing Along to My Song'.) or the suspicious black car that was headed in the same direction he was...
As he went along, he started singing again; not unconsciously this time, because that wasn't what those accursed bullies were abusing him for this time.
From the way that you acted
To the way that I felt it,
It wasn't worth my time!
And now it's sad, 'cause all I missed
Wasn't that good to begin with!
He knew that the original purpose of that song was to reflect the artist's 'kicking the habit' and getting off drugs. He, however, was kicking a different kind of addiction: The addiction to living.
And now I've started you begging,
Saying things that you don't mean;
It isn't worth my time!
A line's a dime a million times,
And now I'm about to see all of it!
Good Bye to you, Good Bye to you...You're taking up my time!
Good Bye to you, Good Bye to you...You're taking up my time!
As soon as he reached the fence surrounding the factory, a differing thought to his suicidal train entered his mind: How am I going to get in there?
Suddenly, an answer presented itself: He spied a group of criminals using a bunch of wire-cutters on the fence! They were all wearing black mafia-outfits, all except for their leader, who was wearing a thick mustache, a gray business suit, and a large top-hat. As the goons of this man finally cut through the fence, Cliff rushed over...
...Only to be met by the loaded revolver of the gang-leader, who said "Stop right there, son. I don't want you telling anyone what you saw! I highly doubt you have a death wish, so just walk away-"
"Pl-p-PLEASE PULL THAT GODDAMN TRIGGER!" Cliff suddenly shouted, surprising everyone.
"What the heck?"
"The kid really does have a death wish, boss! That there's a suicide case!"
All of a sudden, an Idea sprang into the villain's mind. "Tell you what, kid. If ya' wanna go the extra mile in dying, then the acids in that building is your ticket to a total obliteration of your body! No one needs to know about anything that's happenin' here, right?"
Cliff, without responding, ran off in the direction of the building. The criminals piled into their van so they could haul away all their stolen goods easier, and as they did, they talked.
"Why'd you let him go like that, boss?"
"Because, my friend, even Batman will choose to let the guilty get away than see the innocent suffer."
"Oh, I get it now, boss! The kid's an insurance policy! Just like your Mesmerizing-Hat!"
"Precisely. You never drive a car without a good insurance policy. And you never ever see me without my Mesmerizing-Hat, do you? That's why they call me...The Mad Hatter!"
So they drove inside, with the Mad Hatter planning to steal chemicals: both those they could fence for money, and those required to make an instant duplicate of Batman's cowl (He still hasn't gotten over that obsession with Batman's hood, has he?) after spraying them on. And Cliff walked in shortly afterward, continuing to sing...
You call my name when I wake up
To see things go your way;
I'm coughing up my time;
Each drag's a drop of blood, a grain,
A minute of my life!
It's all I've got just to stay down
Why the fuck am I still down?
I'm hoarding all that's mine!
Each time I let just one slip by,
I'M WASTING WHAT IS MINE!
Good Bye to you, Good bye to you... You're taking up my time!
Cliff Meisters' progress was unimpeded, partially because the Mad Hatter had scared off the workers. The latter soon had all the chemicals he needed, and they climbed up to the tower (so they could signal their helicopter, use the tow-hook to grab their loaded car, and fly off with the stolen goods), completely assured of their victory...
...But then a stray batarang cut through the air below them, destroying their signaling-device! A quick glance down made by the Mad Hatter's entire gang revealed that the Dynamic Duo, Batman and Robin, had just driven up right below them, and started climbing the ladder!
"Look, boss! He's not going for the kid! And we ditched our guns in the factory!"
"So what? We have more than one insurance policy!"
As the two crusaders climbed increasingly closer, the supervillain explained: "As soon as they get to the top, I'll simply turn on the Super-instant Mesmerizing device inside my Hat, and-"
POP!
"MY HAT! NOT AGAIN!" the villain moaned, as he noted that the wind blew off his Mesmerizing-Hat.
Batman wouldn't have noticed it, but Robin did, and shouted "Holy memory lane! Didn't the same thing happen to the Mad Hatter last time?"
"You've got that right, Robin. Now, I think that he'll give up now, rather than face the humiliation of that incident."
As Batman predicted, The Mad Hatter indeed gave up, as his hat tumbled down into one of the chimneys on top of the main manufacturing building. Unfortunately, the hat was a rather strong fabric, and it blocked up that particular chimney! The pressure built up, and one of the vats of toxic chemicals sprang a leak, spewing toxic gases all around it! And Cliff Meisters walked right next to it, singing as he did!
Good Bye to you, Good Bye to you…You're taking up my time!
Strangely enough, he hardly noticed the fact that he was walking right past something that was about to explode. Nor the fact that he had inhaled a highly dangerous chemical, and hardly felt any effect. Nor that all of the employees (Who returned to work after Batman gave the all-clear) tightened their gas-masks as soon as they saw the leaking gas!
He hardly paid attention to anything as he spied an open-topped vat of chemicals labeled 'BIOHAZARD', and instantly realized that he had found his destination. He climbed up a ladder, so he could access the balcony that overlooked that vat. All he was thinking about was what he would see in the afterlife.
I'm about to see a million things
I thought I'd never see before and I,
I'm about to do all of the things I've dreamed of and I
Don't even miss you at all.
I'm about to see a million things
I thought I'd never see before and I,
I'm about to do all of the things I've dreamed of and I
Don't even miss you at all!
He never even saw the several workers that suddenly froze at the sound of his voice, nor heard them musically scream "FUCK YOU!" for no apparent reason!
Good Bye to you, Good Bye to you…You're taking up my time!
Good Bye to you, Good Bye to you…You're taking up my time!
Good Bye to you, Good Bye to you…You're taking up my time!
Good Bye to you, Good Bye to you…You're taking up my time!
He leaned over the balcony railing, lifted his foot…
Here you have it! My cliff-hanger! (or balcony-hanger, as the case may be)
BTW, That scene from the Batman show, with the Mad Hatter and all, was just too friggin' Ironic to not reference/homage!
I'm glad to know that people support dark origin fics!
