Chapter Text
For the most part, Mike Ross was entirely off the radar of Pearson Hardmen. Well, almost entirely. You cannot not be on the radar when working at Pearson Hardmen, but you get the gist. Mike was just another dull face in the sea of associates Pearson Hardmen employed, and he liked it that way.
I don’t know why you would be asking, but yes, I did go to law school. Not Harvard, though. After Trevor fucked that up, there was no way Harvard would let him in. But Mike applied to a law school in New York and got in. It was not his dream school by a long shot, and certainly not the best. Still, Mike knew he was better than nearly every other law student, regardless of his educational background. An eidetic memory was a big help.
Despite Pearson Hardmen only hiring from Harvard with no exceptions, for some reason, the law firm decided that to increase popularity, they would hold a lottery where any bozo with a law degree could enter and get a chance to be employed by the notorious firm. Well, Mike was a bozo with a law degree, so what the hell, he’d enter this stupid lottery. Nearly every lawyer fresh out of school and their mother had entered- Mike had no chance.
He’d won.
Okay…well, maybe he did have a chance.
So, long story short, Mike ended up at Pearson Hardman as an associate. Being the lottery winner meant Mike was seen as one of two things by the other workers here. Non-Harvard scum that wasn’t worth talking to or non-Harvard scum that served as the punching bag for their entertainment.
As much as Mike disliked being made fun of, this was his best job ever. Not quality-wise, god, no. There wasn’t a day that went by here where Mike went home with a smile on his face. No, the money was what made it all worth it.
With Grammy’s quality of life decreasing, medical bills piled up faster than Mike could handle. With this job, he at least was on top of all the medical bills for her and could make sure she got the help she needed. She had dementia and could hardly remember Mike’s name anymore, but she was the only person in Mike’s life. His last family member.
He had removed Trevor from his life; working this new job didn’t bring in new friends, and he was too busy to even consider getting into a relationship. Mike really had tried to make some friends, as per Grammy’s request when he was in law school, but they only really wanted Mike’s brain and test answers, and they did it all under the guise of friendship.
If anyone here learned about Mike’s eidetic memory and his perfection in this industry, he just knew how many “friends” would be lining up to him just so they could lessen their workload. So Mike never did excellent work- he did work that was good enough to get the paycheck at the end of the day. There was no point in excelling here when he’d still be treated like shit.
Ah, and speaking of being treated like shit…Mike thought as he took a sip from his coffee and noted how it was significantly saltier in the three minutes he’d been gone from his desk. Mike concealed his grimace as he could hear snickers around the bullpen and discarded his coffee in the rubbish bin.
The snickers died at the sound of Louis Litt’s angry footsteps entering the room.
“What the hell are you all doing?” Louis shouted into the room, looking around. “Just standing around sucking your thumbs? Get back to goddamn work.”
“Jesus, this is what I have to work with?” Another voice asked. Mike looked up from what he was doing and noticed that hot shot Harvey Specter was standing next to Louis, not looking particularly pleased.
“From our pool of associates, I’d recommend…” Louis hummed, looking around the room contemplatively before looking back at Harvey. “None of them because they’re all complete idiots.”
“For once in my life, I think I actually agree with you,” Harvey mumbled, putting his hands in his suit pockets. “I don’t know what the hell Jessica is on, saying I need an associate.”
Louis hummed in agreement before catching Mike’s eyes and practically turning red in the face.
“Do you mind?!” Louis yelled at Mike. He gestured to him and Harvey. “We’re having a private conversation!”
“Sorry,” Mike croaked quietly, turning to look down at his work. He could feel both partner’s eyes on him.
“Good for nothing, lottery boy,” Louis scoffed haughtily. “It seems the only school that teaches goddamn common decency is Harvard.”
“That’s the lottery winner?” Harvey asked, pointing at Mike.
“Yeah,” Louis nodded. “Complete waste of space if you ask me. A real lawyer could be in that desk if I had the power. Not some imbecile off the streets. Can’t even trust him with his job. I make sure another associate checks over all his work.”
“Good call,” Harvey nodded, walking to Mike’s cubical. Mike dared to look up and caught Harvey’s eye. “Don’t get comfortable. Once Jessica realizes the mistake she made having that lottery, your ass is out that door. You didn’t work to get here. You don’t deserve to be here.”
“Preech,” Louis said from Harvey’s side. Harvey looked at Louis with annoyance and stalked off, Louis tailing him out of the room.
The snickering started again, and Mike could feel his face heat up in embarrassment. And then another feeling burst its way through his chest. A very dangerous emotion, if left unchecked, that could jeopardize his whole job.
Fucking spite.
Mike was going to make Harvey Specter regret ever becoming a lawyer.
Mike stood up fast and so violently that the whole room again collapsed into silence. Mike stormed out of the room, and he could already hear the whispers that he was quitting there and then. But that was the exact opposite.
Mike threw Jessica’s door open, and she looked up with surprise before schooling her expression to calm and collected.
“Ah, Mr. Ross,” Jessica greeted. “How can I help you?”
“I want to go up against Mr. Specter,” Mike stated, standing before her. “Trivia, debate, mock trial, anything.”
“What?” She laughed, leaning back in her chair.
“You heard me,” Mike said, sitting in the chair in front of her.
“What I heard was comical,” Jessica retaliated. “What are you? Twelve?”
“Thirty-three years old, actually,” Mike corrected.
“Just because Harvey upset your feelings- which I’m assuming he did, yes?”
“He didn’t hurt my feelings. He pissed me off,” Mike answered. “I want to put him in his place.”
“Mr. Ross, you are an associate that’s only been working here for a few months and the lottery kid to top it off. Harvey Specter is a senior partner, and if you try to challenge Harvey, he will kick your ass,” Jessica spelled out slowly.
“No, he won’t,” Mike responded.
“I’ve seen the quality of your work. It’s average at best,” Jessica informed. “Harvey Specter is the best closer in the city. You can’t beat him.”
“Put me in a mock trial against Mr. Specter and promise you, Mrs. Pearson, it will be me who wins,” Mike said confidently.
“I’m not entertaining this,” Jessica stated, shaking her head and returning to her files.
“I’ve seen the way Mr. Specter walks around, acting like he owns the place,” Mike scoffed. “But he doesn’t own the place. You do. Wouldn’t you also want the chance to knock his ego down a few pegs?”
“If I wanted that, I would have done so already,” Jessica hummed.
“Except it wouldn’t look too good if a name partner and a senior partner were knocking heads with each other. I mean, the firm already looks bad when Mr. Specter and Litt argue, and that’s nearly every day.”
“What are you getting at, Mr. Ross?” Jessica sighed, looking up at him.
“Hiring a lawyer that isn’t from Harvard was obviously to increase publicity after all the incidents of losing cases, but it’s clear that this wasn’t anyone’s first choice,” Mike shrugged. “If you let me go against Mr. Specter in a mock trial or something like that, and I inevitably lose as you say, then fire me. That proves that only Harvard students are good enough for Pearson Hardmen.”
“And if you win?” Jessica inquired.
“Make me Mr. Specter’s associate,” Mike said. “I’m pretty sure if he loses to me and then has to work with me, that’ll piss him off.”
“You're putting your job on the line because Harvey pissed you off?” Jessica reiterated.
“Mr. Specter said I don’t deserve to be here,” Mike said, standing up from his seat and buttoning his coat. “It’s about time to prove that I do.”
“It’s your funeral,” Jessica sighed, grabbing a file from her desk and handing it to Mike. “This is the case Harvey’s working on, and it goes to trial in a week. You have three days to prepare, and then you get your one and only shot.”
“I won’t let you down,” Mike grinned.
“You can’t,” Jessica stated. “You’d have to be on my radar even remotely to warrant my attention and faith in you.”
“Thank you anyway,” Mike nodded.
“Don’t,” Jessica said, standing up and leaving the room.
___
“You really need to stop being mean to the associates, or we’re going to have an uprising on our hands,” Jessica said, walking into Harvey’s office.
“It’s not my fault they’re all so terrible,” Harvey mumbled, writing things down. Harvey then looked up at Jessica expectantly.
“Seriously, Harvey?” Jessica asked, crossing her arms. “I ask you to do the simplest tasks of picking out a goddamn associate; instead, you create a whole new scenario of trouble.”
“What are you talking about?” Harvey asked, looking at her confused. Jessica sat down.
“An associate, the lottery associate, walked into my office and demanded to fight you in a mock trial,” Jessica informed.
“That’s hilarious,” Harvey chuckled. “You said no, right?”
“I didn’t,” Jessica replied. Harvey frowned.
“Jessica, we’re not seriously entertaining this, are we?”
“He seemed particularly determined,” Jessica shrugged. “He was convincing, too.”
“Jesus,” Harvey groaned, rubbing his face.
“Oh, calm down, Harvey,” Jessica said. “I only said yes because he said that if he lost, he would quit.”
“Is he stupid?” Harvey asked.
“Evidence points to yes,” Jessica hummed. “Just beat him, and then Louis will finally stop complaining about having a non-Harvard lawyer in our midst.”
“Complaining is an understatement,” Harvey corrected. “When’s the mock trial?”
“Three days,” Jessica nodded. “Think that’s enough?”
“Please, I can be ready for this in three minutes,” Harvey stated confidently, leaning back in his chair.
“Good. Because I need you to kick this guy’s ass into next week,” Jessica ordered, standing up. “We can show the world why Pearson Hardmen only accepts Harvard applicants in the first place.”
___
(A/N: What happens in the scene is in no way accurate law, and you’re insane if you think I’m going to research the law to make this make real-world sense. I’m a fanfic writer, not a lawyer. So the law stuff in this mock trial is “Suits” world law and not real-world law, okay? None of this is accurate, and I have done no research.)
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we’re here today for a very stupid reason,” Harvey began, standing laxly as he looked at his fellow co-workers. “We’re here because this lottery associate thinks he’s some hot shot in something I’d like to call the real world. Well, today, I’m here to prove he’s not. And then once I do that, I’m sending his ass out the door.”
“Is that your opening statement?” Jessica asked, already looking exasperated.
“Yes, your honor,” Harvey smiled cheekily, looking at Jessica as he sat down.
“Very well then,” Jessica sighed, looking at Mike. “Mr. Ross.”
“Thank you, your honor,” Mike said, rising from his seat and approaching the fake jury. Mike was silent for a moment before speaking up. “Believe it or not, but unlike Mr. Specter here, I stand in front of you with not just a reason. But a purpose. That purpose is to allow this family and many others to stay in the homes they have painstakingly worked for. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Brexel Industries is trying to force people out of their homes with no grounds for eviction and need to be exposed for their wrongdoings.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ross,” Jessica nodded. “You may be seated. Will the plaintiff call his first witness to the stand?”
“Yes, your honor,” Harvey said, standing up and buttoning his jacket. “Your honor, I’d like to call Mr. Brexel to the stand.”
Donna stood up from her seat next to Harvey- she was obviously not Mr. Brexel, but this was a mock trial.
The stories from other associates told that Donna was never to be messed with. She had the reputation of seeing right through people and getting away with almost anything. Harvey obviously had chosen her to be a witness to cut off Mike’s legs as quick as possible. Still, neither pair was ready for Mike's wrath nor suspecting it.
“Mr. Brexel,” Harvey began. “I’ll make this quick as we don’t want to further waste anyone's time on something so cut and dry. Can you please explain to us what your company does?”
“I’d love to,” Donna replied. “My company builds and runs apartment homes. They’re luxurious, sturdy, and above all, affordable.”
“You’re fairly well known, too,” Harvey added.
“That’s true,” Donna smiled. “We’ve greatly impacted the housing market in a few short years.”
“And I’ve come to understand that you have recently tried to buy a large piece of property from another apartment company.”
“Yes.”
“But you were denied?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me why?”
“Well, the complex's tenants were unhappy with the idea of the ownership transferring to us along with renovations being done with the property, so out of respect for the inhabitants, we backed out,” Donna explained.
“And yet you’re still being sued by tenets who live at this apartment complex for wrongful eviction and business malpractice. Do you know why?” Harvey inquired.
“No,” Donna shook her head. “We haven’t been involved with that complex for six months. However, from my knowledge, the apartment building is in a state of decay, and it would stand to reason that perhaps they are trying to blame someone other than themselves for the state of their home.”
“No further questions,” Harvey nodded. With Harvey’s questioning over, Mike stood up and walked over to Harvey’s table, where he was now seated.
“We can settle right now, and you won’t have to lose,” Mike whispered. Harvey broke into a victorious and demeaning grin.
“Please, the only one losing today is you, and you’re only just now realizing how screwed you are,” Harvey rebutted.
“If you say so,” Mike shrugged. He turned to Donna, who was getting up from the stand. Mike held his hand up. “Oh, you can stay there, Miss. Paulson, I have a few questions to ask you myself.”
“It’s Donna,” Donna corrected, sitting down. “But this is a mock trial, so it’s actually Mr. Brexel.”
“Of course,” Mike nodded. “Mr. Specter was right about this case being cut and dry, and that’s about as far as his accuracy goes. Mr. Brexel, you were being represented by another lawyer before you came to Pearson Hardmen, yes?”
“Yes,” Donna answered. “I don’t see how this relates to the trial, though.”
“Well, for what you’re claiming is a case so cut and dry, surely this would have been resolved outside of court,” Mike pressed.
“I absolutely agree,” Donna said. “However, the skills of our previous lawyers unfortunately caused this whole thing to trial.”
“Yes, well, I guess your previous lawyers weren’t that good at burying evidence for you like Pearson Hardmen, right?”
“Excuse me?” Donna reared back.
“Objection, he’s making false claims,” Harvey stood up angrily.
“Overuled,” Jessica frowned, looking at Mike. “You better be going somewhere with this.”
“I am,” Mike replied. “Mr. Brexel, you are claiming you and your company have no involvement in the welfare of the tenants at this complex, correct?”
“Yes,” Donna frowned.
“Okay, so then why do I have over a hundred emails between you and the landlord discussing ways to get residents to leave the apartments on their own accord?” Mike asked.
“What?” Donna stuttered. “You’re insane and have no physical proof.”
“So glad you said that because I do,” Mike grinned, grabbing a manilla folder off his table and walking it over to Jessica. “In that folder are just a few of the correspondence between your personal email, Mr. Brexel with the landlord encouraging him to intentionally damage the water pipes, have the heating mysteriously break during the cold months, and propose ridiculous rules that, if broken, will result in immediate eviction of the tenant. All these things drastically lower the quality of life at this apartment complex. So if you were to try to buy the land sometime next year, you’d have a lot less opposition with anyone left who lives there. And I’m sure the landlord would be fairly compensated for helping remove people from the building.”
“How dare you insinuate–” Donna started, only to be cut off.
“I’m not insinuating anything. You and I both know that if you were to build your complex on this property, you would stand to make a significant amount of money due to its prime location and modern design. Except the families that live there currently wouldn’t be able to afford living there anymore with your price, and obviously, kicking out hundreds of poverty-stricken people and leaving them for the streets isn’t good press. So what better way to get what you want and keep your hands clean than to make them leave on their own accord because the building is in a state of decay. You weren’t careful enough, and you got caught- the evidence was stacked against you, and you went to trial, causing you to seek out Pearson Hardmen. You claimed that the defendant was lying about having evidence against you, but you actually had your cousin- who’s a senior partner at Pearson Hardmen, by the way, shoutout to Jerry in the back- bury the evidence and then pass the case over to one foolish Harvey Specter who wouldn’t go digging deeper because he’s blinded by his own arrogance and confidence.”
“How did you get this evidence?” Jessica asked, looking at a loss for words.
“Jerry used his work email to bury evidence, and I followed his neon paper trail. It pays to be friends with the IT, too,” Mike hummed. “All this evidence took less than an hour to find, by the way.”
“I have to say I’m extremely impressed, Mr. Ross,” Jessica finally said.
“Mike,” Mike corrected. Jessica nodded.
“Well, Mike, I think it’s safe to say this is your win. If you’ll excuse me, I’m due for a conversation with Jerry in my office.”
Jerry looked as pale as a ghost as Jessica led him out of the library. The crowd began to disperse, and Mike turned to see Harvey standing behind him. Harvey was clenching his jaw so hard Mike was sure his teeth would shatter, and his face was an angry shade of red. Mike simply smiled at the man.
“Ah, don’t be too mad, Mr. Specter. After all, you didn’t really work for the win, so you didn’t deserve the win to begin with,” Mike hummed, patting Harvey on the shoulder in mock sympathy. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
Mike walked off, leaving Harvey standing furiously. Donna walked up to Harvey and smiled.
“Oh, I like him,” Donna said.
“That makes one of us,” Harvey growled.