The next morning came and Bruce popped out of bed ready to tackle the day. He failed to realize that it was Saturday morning and that his meeting with Max Shreck was not until Wednesday. He made his way to the kitchen to find what Alfred was making for breakfast. To his surprise Alfred was not in the kitchen at all. "Alfred?" He called out questioningly in the expanse of the large room.<br/><br/>Alfred was in the living room of the large mansion when he heard Bruce call out. He made his way to the kitchen. "You are awake awfully early today, I thought you weren't headed in until the afternoon. Being that this is the holiday season and all."<br/><br/>Bruce eyed him curiously, "don't I have a meeting with Max Shreck this morning?"<br/><br/>The old man shook his head. "No Master Wayne, it is on Wednesday, today is Monday." Alfred replied and with that he went about making Bruce some rolled oats with blueberries for breakfast.<br/><br/>Later that night Bruce was helping Alfred decorate the Christmas tree when a news broadcast came on with a grotesque short fat man with a long nose appeared on television. They both froze and listened to the man ramble about finding his parents, living in the sewers, and being born with flippers. Alfred turned his attention toward Bruce who was srutinizing the man on the screen. "Is everything alright sir?" He asked. To which Bruce blankly replied, "yeah, I.... I hope he finds his parents." In reality he was concerned, this smelled like a set-up, and he didn't trust the penguin like man one bit. He even went so far as spying on him the next day when the creature was at the hall of records.<br/><br/>Wednesday finally rolled around though and Bruce had a meeting with Max Shreck. He sat at the round conference table. Max started things off, "I'd offer you coffee, but my assistant is using her vacation time." To which Bruce quipped back, not one to miss the fact that this was Christmas time. "Good time, too. Everyone but the bandits seem to be slacking off till after New Years'."<br/><br/>Max became more aggressive at this point, which Bruce took as a defensive measure. They were sitting knee to knee at the table now. "Not sure I like the inference, Bruce.  I'm pushing this power plant now only because it'll cost more, later.  And a million saved is a million earned..." Bruce came well prepared as he opened his briefcase and pulled out some documents, and tossed them on the table. "I commissioned this report. Thought you should see it." He gave max a chance to flip through the document half-heartedly before he continued. "I'll cut to the chase, Max. Gotham City has a power surplus. I'm sure you know that.  So the question is:  what're you up to?" Back and forth they went, until Bruce finally closed his briefcase and stood up. That is when Max said, "Wayne, I'll not stand for mud-slinging in this office.  If my assistant were here, she'd already have escorted you out, to..."