Welcome to Shreck's, for all your life needs!

[jl_scoundrels]

Maximillian Shreck looks out of one of his panoramic windows across the Gotham skyline. It is daytime. He prefers the city at night, but only because he so thoroughly loathes looking at the smoke that clouds the city. Smoke that many of his factories produce

Comments

[_darkknight_]

Bruce conjures a smile easily enough and offers his hand to the industrialist. "Max, good to see you. Any chance for coffee? I had a late night last night. Don't remember their names, but I'm told the twins had a good time."

[jl_scoundrels]

"Oh, how I envy your lifestyle, Bruce." Max doesn't, but he keeps up the facade. He pours Bruce some coffee. "I had a great secretary who could make a mean cup of coffee, once upon a time. Can't remember her name. So I guess we have some similarities."

"Black?"

[_darkknight_]

Bruce's expression is a cheerful thing and looks real enough. He flops into a chair and asks, "So what can I do for you today, Max? Any new plans to take over the world?"

Ha, ha.

[jl_scoundrels]

"Bruce, you wound me." He sits down opposite him. "Taking over the world? No. Taking over Gotham? Over your dead body." He smiles, and takes a sip of his coffee. A lively taste.

"No, I meant to talk to you about things outside our fair hometown. Metropolis, specifically." He watches Bruce's reaction. Nothing. Fair enough. "You know the recent disasters they've been having? Well, it strikes me that with Lex Luthor, our industrialist counterpart in those quarters, in a time of grieving, we'd be well-placed to make some land bids on the areas destroyed. What say you?"

[_darkknight_]

Downstairs in the back of the Bentley, Bruce picks up his cell phone and dials a number.

Clark's cell phone.

"Alfred," he says as he waits for the connection and for the Man of Steel to answer, "I need to get back to the office, get some attorneys on a few things, then get to Metropolis by tonight. Call the airport, get my jet ready...and then see if you can find Tim and Cassandra. Please."

[_alfred_]

"Very good, sir. Will there be anything else?"

[_darkknight_]

Bruce listens to the phone ring, hoping Clark would answer and Lois wouldn't. She could make things so difficult. "I need to know what Max Shreck's been up to lately, considering he's proposing a partnership. Things are never that simple with him. Oh, and something to eat would be great. You pick where." He looks in the mirror at his butler and adds, "Not like I have any say in the matter anyway."

[_alfred_]

"I should hope not, sir. Your palate has some lamentable preferences."

Alfred will not actually mention donuts.