a pawn or a king [harvey!oneshot] {clue event four}

Your mother deserved to die.

The words still ring heavy in his ears. An ever-extending moment of constant pain that drives him to sanity and insanity. Never a breath of relief, but always on the edge of comfortable and uncomfortable. They used to wait with weighted words like the blades of the killers in the dreaded games. Children can be cruel is all he would hear from blind adults with tired eyes and sorrow filled eyes. Back then, he heard rumors of how many of them could not have children and thus became a caretaker, but he could see that despair in their eyes. He could see the disgust in the kids' eyes as they glare him to that same windowsill where rain poured and sun shined.

It was from those moments that he built his stone walls high. With engraved words of pain and a chill that could only be felt by his dislike for anyone, he's more cutthroat than any of them could ever realize. Friends. Enemies. Competitors. None of them were at resilient as he was. Getting knocked down was easy, but getting back up, that's the edge he has over them all. Indigo was right about him. Underestimating him was the strength he let flourish since day one, since before anyone even walked through the door.

Ma's grave had been the last thing he touched that day. Cold stone lingering on his hands with a chilly tingle of a reminder to play this game. Whatever it takes. Ma would know he did whatever he had to in order to make it here. Wait for the right time to strike with the perfect hand at his disposal, but he's miscalculated a few others since then. Indigo Gerber had been more of a surprise since walking through those doors by the smell of weed on his clothes. Poppy Rohan, the trailblazer, had made her purpose clear since that first dinner and she wasn't slowing down, despite him swearing that she would.

Beryl Fillis.

Kind words, but a false smile. Growing up around the types had made it easier to smell out the snake in Beryl. With small smiles and helpful hands, but a tone that makes him want to stab Beryl in the god damn throat and be over with him. He's poor. He gets it. Surviving all of them had been difficult and some days all he wanted was to run away and see his mother, but he promised her-promised her that he'd find an escape from everything.

The game they play is a deadly one, with cards stacked higher and higher. The fall was beginning to get higher and higher than they had known at the start. A hum from his throat as he moves pieces on a chess board in boredom. Pawns, Rooks, Knights, Bishops, Queens, and Kings, who would fall the hardest from the greed. A simple move is what he needed to make, but he can't help his own hand moving from piece to piece, questioning what was the right one and the wrong one.

Give Malcolm what he wants or what Harvey, himself, wants?

Sink or swim?

Risk or reward?

Even the smallest of pawns could take down a queen or king, all of this could be done. He just needed to do this right with a little bit more creativity. Harvey's heard some of the rumors. He's seen some of the truths with his own eyes. He's come to his own conclusions about people. The cards were all there. The hand was perfect. Harvey only had to play it.

Knock.

The door opens around his palm as he enters the office of Malcolm Nox. Arms crossed with the energy that seems to dip within the office. Names having been passed around to Malcolm's ears and no one else's. A smile on his lips as he moves across the room to stare at a large painting that only the rich kind of people have. The chill that flows down his chest makes him stare a little bit longer before he moves back to Malcolm and sits down across the desk for the rich man.

"Mr. Nox." Eyes follow Mr. Nox's form across the desk as he waits for a moment. "You told me from day one. This was my chance and that I need to take it." Eyes glance to the papers on his desk and then back to his face. "I'll be taking it now, figured I'm safe from what was talked about in the last event." A smirk as Harvey knows he's the underdog of this entire group, but not enough of a threat to come across anyone's lips. A moment before he speaks again.

"Doesn't mean I don't know who my enemies are here."

Silence.

"Or how to play this game you've made."

A smirk on his lips that vanishes.

"The question now is who's seen my role in this game? Being the top dog means everyone has their eyes on you. Being the worst means you're going to fall. The middle seemed like the safest spot to continue along."

Silence.

"For now, at least."

Whatever it takes.

"I've picked my three. Not based on anything other than survival. The rest want to win your fortune, but none of them know how to survive to make it there. That's where I specialize in. Surviving to the end of this game, which by then, I'll have a plan to win. This is just the first step, Mr. Nox."

Sink or Swim?

"Thus, it's time to show my hand that I've been keeping hidden from everyone."

Including Fiora.

"First, Adam Taupe. Not the strongest candidate for your company anyways. He's too busy making googly eyes at Beryl to really have any sort of competence. Plus, if he's to leave, Beryl will suffer from that which leaves him vulnerable, at least emotionally."

A smirk.

"Second, Whitney Leblanc. She's an artist, but that's all she is. I appreciate her passion, but passion can only get you so far. I'm also pretty sure her and Poppy have a friendship or something, despite this last event. Better to take Poppy down a peg than to let her stay on top."

His stomach feels heavy, but he continues anyways.

"Lastly, Adrien. Adrien Nox. Your son, Mr. Nox. Took me a bit to really figure it out, but I had my suspicions from the first day. Adrien Nox may have certain qualities that makes him an outright perfect leader in some ways, but he's blind to what's right in front of him. Plus, Nepotism isn't needed here in this place. Bias only creates anger among employees. Plus, Indigo might suffer from him leaving if I get my way. And Indigo needs a reality check on this game."

Silence in the room as Harvey lets his words hang for a moment. He then uncrosses his arms and smiles to Mr. Nox, looking to the painting. He stands up and moves to the door waving as he speaks one last time. "That's all I have to say, Mr. Nox." The door shuts and he can breath in just a little bit more. A dangerous game that he stands on with his cards close to his chest.

The reveal of his entire plan given to Mr. Nox in a matter of minutes.

A measly pawn could take out a king.

He would do this.

No matter what it takes.