Brother from another mother

Guns

"Jesus, Harvey, I said I was sorry!" Mike muttered again, trailing after the older man as quickly as he could without slipping on the freshly waxed floors. Harvey was a few feet in front of him, already breezing through the front doors and making his way down the stairs. "So you're ignoring me now? Is that it?" Mike called after him, pushing through the door and picking up his pace to catch up to Harvey.

The older man rounded on him then, eyes narrowed in irritation. "Its not ignoring, I just don't see the point of wasting my energy talking to a "laywer" who can't even win a simple land development case." The words were sharp and painful like a verbal slap but Mike didn't back down.

"They pulled a surprise witness, Harvey! What was I supposed to do? The case was rock solid until Donald Crouch took the stand and drew a great big X over everything I'd worked on. He was never set to be in this trial and he was pulled as a special witness this morning!"

"Then you adapt!" Harvey snapped back, his eyes still narrowed at Mike. It was late, nearly 9:30, and while there weren't that many people crossing in front of Pearson and Harden this time of night, those who did looked up curiously at the arguement taking place between the two men on the steps.

"That's why I hired you Mike! That's why you're working for me at all! You can adapt to situations better and faster than those Harvard clones in there ever could and I expect you to be able to do that in the court room as well! If you can't, if you fall apart at even the slightest change in schedule during a trial, then you're no use to me." Harvey took a step back, eyeing Mike carefully for a second before turning and making his way down the stairs again.

"No use to you?" Mike growled incredelously, his eyes narrowing in turn now. "No use to you? I have done nothing but pick up the cases you've been assigned but don't want. I've been busting my ass for you since I started working here and now you're telling me I'm no use to you? Why? Because I lost one case due to an unintended witness and a stack of new evidence brought forward that the judge allowed to be permitted in court? Because of all that I'm suddenly useless to you?"

"Mike, its your Goddamn job to be prepared for shit like that!" Harvey snapped, turning and glaring at him again. "You think everything is always going to go smoothly in court just because you have a good case against your opponent? Wrong! You prepare for anything and make sure you can handle whatever the court room throws at you! Jesus Mike, a community college government student could have won this case! You crumbled and let the entire case crumble with you! I don't need someone like that working for me."

Mike squared his shoulders, his eyes blazing as he glared back at Harvey. "So, what? Are you firing me now because I lost the case?"

Harvey rolled his eyes and turned away from him again. "I'm not firing you when there's a stack of paperwork to be done and turned in to Jessica's desk by tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh, so you're keeping me on to do your busy work still? Great."

"Listen kid, don't think you've earned the balls the cock an attitude with me just because-"

"Harvey Specter." There was a new voice now, soft, almost questioning, at the bottom of the stairs. Harvey turned his attention away from Mike and looked down to where the voice had come from. There was a man standing at the bottom of the stairs, slightly hunched and balding, a large, dust-colored jacket hanging over his shoulders like he'd come across it a size too large.

Harvey looked at him carefully, gesturing just slightly behind his back for Mike to follow him down the stairs. "Yes? I'm Harvey Specter."

The man smiled faintly. It wasn't a pleasant smile. "Do you know who I am Mr. Specter?"