Me and avengerskink prompts... .. (I don't like this one so much but its done and I have nothing better to do than post it.)Anyways, this did not go anywhere in the direction that I wanted it to. There are a few things that you might not know.
First off, when we landed on the moon, we left beacons there that would return information when a signal was sent. I figured the man in the moon would be smart enough to translate the info coming in.
Second off, this story is mixed in with a old poem my mother used to tell to me. It basically went that on the nights the moon got close to the earth (We actually just had that happen not a few months ago) that the man in the moon would reach out from his home and steal away a lover/friend to keep with him for all of eternity. He wasn't nearly as easily angered or vicious in the poem as he is in this story but whatever. I've ruined a lot of my childhood, why not one more piece.
Unbeta'd so please don't freak on me.
"Next time I'm bringing my own suit," Tony grumbled and Steve rolled his eyes.
"The suit of your creation was not done in Testing sir," JARVIS said throughout the small compacted space shuttle.
"What better way to test it than to give it a one for one aye JARVIS," Tony laughed.
"I do not think you dying of suffocation in the moons atmosphere is an "aye" thing Sir. Ms. Potts would be very displeased."
"Party pooper," Tony complained but hooked in the oxygen tank as Steve settled on Tony's helmet. "How do I look?" Tony asked doing a mid-air spin with less grace than he wanted.
"Like a white marshmallow with tubes," Steve said dryly.
"Sir, four hours remaining before NASA notices an unidentified shuttle orbiting. My prediction, sir, is that they will destroy first, ask questions later."
"You didn't tell NASA we were coming up here," Steve all but yelled.
Tony grinned. "Of course not, you think I'd get clearance to come to the moon to get the dust with them knowing?"
"Holy shit, Tony, just make this fast," Steve urged.
"We've got four hours," Tony said loving the narrowed eyes Steve was giving him.
"I do not want to be blown up or stuck on the moon Tony."
"Who knows," Tony replied heading for the airlock, "I think you'd survive actually."
"But you wouldn't," Steve stressed.
"Stop worrying, I'll be out there for a few minutes at tops, a half an hour at worst."
"Just go Tony."
Getting out of the shuttle wasn't the hard part Tony decided, seeing the naked, anatomically correct human male standing outside the ladder was. "Holy Fuck," Tony said spinning to punch the numbers back into the number locked port but the male-thing stopped him. It let out an unfamiliar low rumble that only shook Tony to the core and was hovering behind Tony, a hand reaching for his shoulder. It rumbled again when Tony did not respond to it. It seemed to figure out that Tony couldn't understand it, just like all the rest who came to him.
"Do not leave," he said, "stay and speak with me."
Everything in Tony's body shut down and he turned to the naked male.
"Yes, this is the language you speak," the thing posed the question.
"Yes," Tony said warily.
"Sir," JARVIS's voice interrupted through his helmet. "Whom are you speaking to?"
Tony blinked and then it hit him. "JARVIS, do a life scan over the first 500 yards of me."
"There is nothing sir," JARVIS said, "inputting results to HUB."
His life scanner was blank but right in front of he was this thing.
"I call myself Bruce," the thing, admittedly handsome thing now that Tony had pushed away all the scanner readings from his HUB, "but the humans from earth call me "the man in the moon". You are, familiar," he said as if testing the word, "with me, yes?"
"Holy shit," Tony whispered.
"Sir," JARVIS started again.
"Mute and deaf JARVIS."
All communication shut off from the Reader and Tony turned to "Bruce".
"You speak English," Tony said.
Bruce nodded, "yes, human kind left beacons for me to understand them. Was that not a peace offering for me?"
"Peace offering," Tony inquired.
"Yes, to keep me from stealing a lover from them." Bruce said it as if it was common knowledge.
"Shit, override mute and deaf."
"Sir," JARVIS replied through his helmet. He AI didn't seem offended by being shut out.
"Run any search for "Man in the moon."
"More specific sir," JARVIS intoned.
"Man in the moon stealing humans."
"1800 results sir, most poems by an unknown author."
Bruce only watched Tony with interest. "Was it not a peace offering?"
"No," Tony said, "I mean, well maybe. We don't know much about the man I the moon stealing us from earth. It's not really, well-known. Actually, most people believe you are a myth."
"Myth, I've heard that word through the beacons. It is something people don't believe in anymore is it not?"
"It's… a little more complicated. People believe you are fictional."
Bruce frowned at the new word. "I do not understand."
"Um, humans believe you are made up, that you don't exist."
Bruce must have understood this because he frowned more and said: "I exist." He lowered himself back to the moon's surface and sat down. "So you mean to tell me that the beacons are not a peace offering?"
"No," Tony said, unaware of Bruce angering.
Bruce stood up, his anger a strange sort of calm. "I missed my chance for love because I was stupid enough to believe humans."
"Did they speak to you," Tony asked.
"No, they did not understand me, so I erased they're memories."
"You can do that," Tony asked, fascinated.
"Yes," Bruce said with a smile. "Will you introduce me to your technology?"
"I only have a few hours," Tony supplied.
"I'm sure it will not take you long," Bruce urged.
Tony felt this underlying urge to listen to Bruce. After all, this was a new life, a specimen outside the realm of knowledge. Surely he could capitalize on this. "You will have to meet Steve."
Bruce frowned. "You brought another human with you?"
"Yes," Tony replied, "We come in pairs for protection."
"I understand," Bruce said and let Tony turn around to punch in the numbers.
Getting though the airlock was difficult for Bruce but he adapted pretty well. He couldn't keep it up he knew so he decided to make this quick.
"Holy fucking shit," Steve said looking him over. Bruce smiled and reached out his hand out faked interest." Steve pulled back. Damn him.
"He's only interested in your make-up," Tony said with encouragement.
Steve eyed him warily. "Did you get your dust samples?"
Tony's eyes widened, "No I forgot, Steve, don't be weird with him. He's curious; I'm going to go back out."
"Sir," JARVIS droned.
"Not know JARVIS, ready the airlock for me again."
"Yes sir," the AI replied.
When Tony came back on board he found both Bruce and Steve going over words. Steve gave him a dry look when he returned but he put the sample of the dust into its travel container and went to the controls of the ship. He frowned when the command code didn't go through. "Steve, I think you messed up my coding, what did you type in when opening the airlock?"
"He didn't," Bruce's voice said and Tony turned to the two of them again, only to see Steve lying on the table, cold. Bruce was advancing towards him.
"Bruce," he said, he voice choking on the words.
"Shush lovely," Bruce said and the undercurrent of relief washed through he. He reached out and cupped he chin, another hand going to his arc-reactor. He grimaced. This was not human, he thought. Humans had flesh over their heart. Oh well, he concluded, my will is still stronger.
"I won't be mad a fool of again." He moved he head down so that he could kiss he forehead. When he did Tony's body went stock still and it shined his favorite grey color. "You are mine lovely, a few of your human years late, but now your mine."