I am Iron Man

by Colin Cook

  raised voices.

  "You two have got a lot of bigger problems on your hands than just a couple of headaches," Bailey said before raising his own hand toward the Salarian agent behind him,

  his palm open in readiness to receive something. Without a word the agent passed him an activated OSD pad.

  "I beg your pardon?" Irwin asked politely, his demeanor and voice giving off the façade of ignorance.

  "It says here you gentlemen are in for: Aiding and enabling the escape of a wanted criminal, providing arms to wanted criminal along with any currency he may have

  generated from selling you items of unknown origin, and ohhhhh yeah…receiving stolen C-Sec property, also from said wanted criminal," Bailey began reading off from the

  OSD's glowing yellow screen in a deliberately casual but sarcastic voice before looking back up at the two.

  Immediately both the Australian and the Turian jerked forward, their faces livid.

  "Are you knockin' us around mate?!" Irwin barked as he stabbed his left hand down on to the surface of the table, his heavy accent coming through even thicker with his

  enraged tone.

  "Do we look like we just came back from enabling the escape of a wanted criminal?!" Bruce added in angrily, swishing a taloned hand between himself and his partner-incrime,

  giving particular indication to their bloodstained attires and visible injuries.

  A second of silence went by before the pair's anger quickly slipped away, allowing the painful reality of what they had just done to sink in, literally.

  Irwin gave a sudden gasp, his eye wedging shut and his right hand clamping around his bandaged wrist, the sprain in his joint flaring in response to the harsh movement

  he'd just put it through. While he slowly reclined back in his seat, next to him Bruce had begun to groan lowly, his hands either firmly cradling his head or massaging the

  ridges along the lengths of his head-fringes. Both of them were now suffering greatly after having raised their voices to that extreme, causing their throbbing headaches to

  flare almost to the breaking point.

  As Irwin gently rubbed his aching wrist and Bruce unceremoniously slumped forward, laying his head facedown onto the tabletop and looking like a pub regular going

  through one of the worst hangovers of his life in the process, Bailey merely looked at the two of them with an amused expression, one that was almost shared between

  his two stoic guards.

  "I'd keep my temper in check if I were you, it'd keep me from hurting myself."

  "The point is lieutenant, these charges against us are outrageous. No doubt some bludger down at your Academy's investigative department gave a bodgy report without

  first examining the evidence, or the circumstances of what actually happened back in my store," Irwin retorted back at Bailey, the pain from his wrist causing him to make

  use of some of his home-country's older slang words to show his displeasure in a more amicable fashion.

  Now it was Bailey's turn to get angry, for after Irwin finished speaking he leaned forward aggressively.

  "Oh really? Then how bout' you explain to me why you let a known terrorist waltz right into your establishment and sell you two clearly stolen C-Sec firearms?" he began

  before snatching the modified pistol from the table and holding it up for the two detainees to see.

  "One of which was MINE!" he barked out before slamming his former weapon back down.

  "AHHOWW!" Both storekeepers cried in unison, writhing in pain at the sound of the gun smacking against the metal surface. Bruce with his head still face down on the

  table clamped both hands onto either side of it and began rubbing at his ringing ear-sections desperately. Irwin had his eye tightly closed again and was semi-waving his

  hands out before himself in a sign of surrender.

  "Alright, alright…" he hissed at the lieutenant before lifting his good hand and pressing it deeply against his right temple. After dispelling his renewed migraine somewhat, the

  Ausse sighed while giving a deliberate shrug.

  "At the time we didn't know he was a terrorist, he came in with a batch of weapons and a large collection of interesting items to sell and made us an offer. He only gave

  his last name and it was a mutually profitable exchange, how were we suppose to know he was a bloody rampaging maniac?"

  "And the fact that he was carrying these kinds of items on his person didn't bother you in the slightest?" Bailey asked with an incredulously cocked eyebrow.

  Irwin scowled before leveling his voice to a calmer tone, albeit with a noticeable increase in effort.

  "I'm a stout collector of rare antiquities first and a seller of weapons second Mr. Bailey. You can look at my various licenses if you wish; you'll find all of the necessary

  credentials that give me and my various associates full authority to buy and sell not only any artifacts that come my way, but also a vast range of weapons that are

  brought in to me by both official and private parties."

  "Oh believe me we have, and while we were at it we also found a few interesting items while combing through the wreckage of your store," said Bailey before picking up

  the OSD again and tapping a small button on its keyboard. The screen flicked to a list of some kind, with each item on it being given a detailed description and a quantity

  number.

  "I suppose you're going to try and tell me that your licenses allow you to possess: 25 M5-Phalanx pistols, a model that's only barely gone into mass production, one of

  which was found to be unaccounted for at the scene…" Bailey began citing off from the list, casting deliberate glances back at the Australian. Irwin closed his eye again and

  deflated heavily back in his seat, knowing he'd now been caught red-handed in one of his 'questionable' business ventures.

  "A dozen or so Spectre issue assault rifles, snipers, and shotguns, all of which are legally restricted to C-Sec and Council affiliates only," the lieutenant added in after that.

  "And we also found the chard remains of a military grade Batarian mini-gun of a make and model that was outlawed nearly five years ago by both the Council and the

  Alliance Department of Defense, making it doubly illegal to possess within Council space."

  "We were able to get a permit for that," Bruce's slightly muffled voice countered quickly, speaking into the table as he raised his index talon up into the air without lifting his

  head from its shiny surface.

  "Lieutenant, if you'll allow me to explain…" Irwin began in a gentlemanly business like manner, trying to soften up their jailer into a more accepting mood, but Bailey

  wouldn't have it.

  "You're an arms smuggler Mister Irwin, making you a likely supplier for the majority of the organized gangs roaming around this sector of space, and a very possible

  accessory to organized tomb raiding and grave robbery on the galactic scale," he stated coldly while leaning back and folding his arms, his straight as an arrow tone

  leaving little room for argument.

  This accusation caused Bruce to abruptly stop massaging his head and slowly sit up straight, shooting his friend a quick glance as he did. Irwin threw his arms out with a

  nod, arching his mouth in agreement.

  "You got me somewhat on that first one Bailey, I am the unflinching supplier of weapons, vehicles, ships, and armours to a specific pool of individuals that I have

  painstakingly built up over the years. Many of my thoroughly reviewed and carefully checked out clients are of the more rogue and rebel type who end up burning out or

  breaking most of what they buy within the first few months of purchase, while the rest of them are elements within various governments across the galaxy that have

  openly propositioned me to supply them and their various interests with my particular kind of merchandise, including members of the Alliance itself," he began explaining,r />
  gesturing over to Bailey and his OSD as he made mention of the Earth government.

  "However, I am not a tomb raider nor am I a supplier of galactic crime syndicates. I am a vocal activist for the preservation of history and ancient cultures; the artifacts

  that my associates bring to me are either found on decrepit archeological digs or extracted from volatile conflict zones before they're either destroyed or stolen to be

  used as petty cash by some nameless combatant. That is the main reason why I supply weapons in the first place so that my trusted clients will have the means to save

  these relics before they are so shamelessly destroyed," Irwin's voice was beginning to rise again, his anger at having to explain himself seeping into his tone. Bailey was

  undeterred by this display, and instead opted to lean forward and pick up Alexandre Henri's flintlock.

  "You purchased artifacts from an unknown man, not one of your 'clients', who just happened to be carrying them on himself when he showed up at your front door. Then

  you went and sold him some of the most advanced military hardware our governments have ever designed! Your words are proving to be a far-cry from your actions

  Mister Irwin!"

  The lieutenant had begun raising his voice also, and it was starting to flare the two storeowner's headaches again, but Irwin's temper was flaring faster and making his

  senses dulled down to the pain the offending noises were causing him.

  "That isn't how it happened! We paid him in exchange for his artifacts yes, but when the power went out and things started blowing up after those serpent krittars began

  slithering out of the damn walls, he decided to take the opportunity to steal whatever struck his fancy. He held us both at gunpoint and ordered us to handover an M-5,

  several of the Spectre weapons, and the key to my hover car before blowing a hole through my wall and making his escape!"

  Despite his genuine surging anger Irwin was lying through his teeth, desperately trying to play the part of the offended wealthy victim to hopefully throw off their

  interrogators. He knew that if C-Sec found out this early on that he and Bruce had not only bought most of Axel's items after they had found out he was the subject of a

  station wide manhunt, but also that they had indeed helped and enabled him to make his escape, they'd both be thrown into the deepest darkest Academy holding cell for

  an indefinite amount of time.

  Or worse, if either one of them cracked under Bailey's pressure they might let slip about Axel's intended rendezvous that he had wanted to set up with them in the future,

  the very one in which he had promised to explain how he was a being from another galaxy with apparent telekinetic powers.

  If C-Sec got there hands on that kind of information they might plan to use both Irwin and Bruce as bait to lure Axel and his party into a trap!

  "We know you helped him fight off those creatures in the middle of that attack! You enabled and supplied him with the means he used to make his escape from this

  station!" Bailey barked, repeatedly jabbing the barrel of the flintlock still in his hand at Irwin's face. Now Bruce decided to get in on the argument, his temper flaring enough

  to dull the pain of his own headache.

  "You're not even listening to us! We did not help that guy get away!" the Turian said with a jab of his talon onto the table, slightly scratching its surface in the process.

  Bailey turned his glaring eyes over to Bruce, still holding the flintlock like he was ready to stab somebody with it.

  "I would if you two would quit trying to bullshit us! Give me the truth and maybe we'll be on our way to me believing you!" Bailey shouted, looking between the two of

  them viciously. Behind him the Salarian and Asari were looking at each other in confusion, clearly stunned at how this interview had turned into a three-way shouting

  match. Irwin slammed his fist down onto the table (his right one this time), lunging up to his feet and semi-leaning forward with his left index finger pointed at Bailey's face.

  "Obviously YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" the former Major began roaring near the top of his lungs, when suddenly the mechanical opening sound of the sliding door

  built into the back of the room behind the two detainees caused everyone to freeze and turn their heads.

  A young Turian agent with purple-ish grey skin and white tribal markings stood in the middle of the open doorway, his eyes wide and his head slowly looking between the

  enraged postures of the two older men leaning across either side of the table. His right hand was raised with his index talon extended, as if he had just been about to say

  something before being caught off guard by the scene in front of him.

  After a moment of silence he regained himself and spoke directly to Bailey.

  "Uhh…lieutenant, their attorney's here, they've made bail," he said with a jab of his thumb toward the open corridor behind him, his voice betraying the same confused

  expression that his face did.

  "Finally!" Irwin announced loudly, raising his arms toward the ceiling in mock praise before flopping back down into his seat. For a moment the Australian regarded Bailey

  with a smug smirk, but that was quickly replaced by a very pained expression and a deep moan before he closed his eye and began firmly massaging his temple again, his

  headache coming back with a vengeance now that his anger rush had started to leave him. Bruce was experiencing the same thing, giving similar groaning sounds as he

  put an elbow on the table and cradled the center of his forehead in his palm.

  Giving his own smirk at the duo's agony, Bailey looked back up at the agent that had relayed the news.

  "Fine, we weren't getting much out of this anyway," he uttered before getting up from his seat and gesturing to the two agents behind him.

  "Take the rest of this down to Forensics, have them go over it with a fine-tooth-comb, look for anything that can link us to Axel to see if our databases have something

  on him."

  With a nod from both of them, the agents gathered up the C-Sec pistols and samurai sword before making their way out of the interrogation room, with Bailey casually

  following behind them. At the mention of their using the weapons to learn about Axel, Irwin's eye suddenly opened in concern. As Bailey was walking past on his way out

  of the room, Irwin reached out and grabbed him by the forearm.

  "Mister Bailey, aside from those two firearms being C-Sec hardware, the rest of the transaction I had with Axel was before he revealed himself to be a terrorist and was

  therefore technically legal. By Council law that sword and that pistol are still my property," the storeowner said with a nod down to Alexandre's flintlock. Bailey easily pulled

  his arm free before lifting the pistol for both Irwin and Bruce to see.

  "These items are evidence in a C-Sec investigation, Mister Irwin. For all we know about where they came from they could easily have belonged to some antiques collector

  out in the next star system before they came into Axel's possession," Bailey stated with an absent hand gesture toward the open doorway.

  "But…" Irwin began.

  "If it checks out that they're weren't stolen in anyway by Axel or his accomplices, then you might get to have them back. Until then, these artifacts are my property, and

  they'll be staying under my care for the time being. You boys have a pleasant evening," Bailey said to them with a stiff nod before marching his way out of the

  interrogation room, leaving the two store-clerks sitting at the table.

  Once the door closed behind the lieutenant, Irwin sagged forward and buried his face into his hands with a tired sigh. Bruce gave a small scoff before looking over at the

  Australian out of the corner of his eye.

  "'You can't handle the truth'? I can't believe you actually said that," he stated before following with
a few amused chuckles. Irwin gave his own scoff at the thought, pulling

  his hands away and leaning back lazily in his seat.

  "I thought it fit the moment nicely. And in a strange way it got my point across just fine." Suddenly the door opened again and an older, partially bald man with strong

  features wearing a very immaculate and well-tailored ash-grey business suit came in to the room, a shiny black leather briefcase held firmly in his hand.

  "Sorry I'm late Steven, traffic was murder," the man said casually in a low soft-spoken voice, his every word touched by a very faint and oddly sinister Irish sounding

  accent.

  "Tom! It's about time, we were running out of stories to spin," Irwin said to his attorney as Tom moved silently around to the opposite side of the table and gently lay his

  briefcase down on its surface.

  After leaving the interrogation room Bailey turned left and made his way through the innards of C-Sec Academy, soon emerging from his current corridor out into the

  Academy's main entrance area depicted frequently throughout the Mass Effect game!

  Nodding at the many agents and guards on duty Bailey crossed the massive atrium without a word, walking past the tall brightly glowing elevator shaft set up in the

  middle of the room that reached far up into the ceiling, the one connecting to the private docking pier reserved for the now famous SSV Normandy.

  Swiftly he walked around to the back of the shaft before stepping down a short staircase into a low ceilinged and darkly lit corridor. Continuing down this way, he came to

  another hallway that led deeper into other C-Sec areas not show in Mass Effect. For a while Bailey walked down corridors and through the mostly blue-lit halls of the

  Academy, passing by many more agents and other C-Sec officials all making their way to their various assignments or carrying reports from one department to the other.

  Eventually after moving into the areas restricted to C-Sec employees only, he came to an archway that opened up into a massive far reaching office space with a slightly

  domed ceiling illuminated by the usual deep soft blue lights of the Academy, one that was filled with various desks and holographic computer terminals placed intermittently