Fire, cracks through the metal, creaking and groaning under pressure.
No, it has been guarding this place since his creation, he would not let it be destroyed.
He is here to protect. To guard against- /ERROR/
MALFUNCTION. CORRECT.
Rampage. This is not good. He hovered over the case, cold and unmoving. A sphere, warm to the touch, yet so dead. He would be lying if he wasn't fascinated by what lay underneath.
He didn't have the data, but his creator was very adamant about him protecting whatever lay there at all cost.
No one would come close, she said. No Reclaimer, no warrior.
He was updated regularly after her death, all the knowledge is important. But after the firing of the Halo, the information has stopped.
He had tried to get into contact with others, but there was simply nothing but silence.
That is until today.
A holy fire scorched the earth above, the vibrations reflecting on the ceiling. Two factions were fighting outside, most likely unaware of what lay beneath their own feet. So, he did what he did best. He waited.
Waited and listened. Watched.
But even as the molten rocks and fire cooled, it didn't take much for them to understand what they were standing on.
Well, at least he hoped, the chances of them actually knowing whereof the estimate, %1.838291000 /ERROR/
UPHOLDERS OF THE MANTEL. KILL THOSE WHO DA- Oh, lack of discipline and the memory gap is not the best good thing.
So, when the men came, holding guns and armor, He was honestly surprised.
"Oh! Humans! What a surprise! Here I thought you'll never touch the stars again!" The humans, most likely soldiers, so surprised that he almost laughed at them. He hadn't laughed at anything since
/ERROR/ /MEMORY GAP DETECTED/
They asked and asked, what is this place? A research facility. Who are you? Guardian of this place. "What is that?" A soldier, strayed from the safety of their numbers to step closer to what was in front of them.
He flashed red, /ERROR/
MUST PROTECT. MUST PROTECT.
"Reclaimer. DO NOT TOUCH. THIS IS /ERROR/ I AM/ERROR/ AND YOU WILL NOT HARM THEM!" He already activated the systems defend protocols, weapons ready to kill at the word.
They immediately backed off, raising they own weapons. Foolish. Weak.
But they were aiming at him, and not what he was made to protect.
The guns killed them without hesitation. No harm came to /ERROR/.
It took weeks, even though they tried to be sneaky, he heard the plans to try to "infiltrate the facility and capture him" plan. It was dumb.
Ignorant, dull, vacuous, bovine.
Speech patterns were changing. Oh, this is not good.
Soon, humans were crawling within the facility, destroying the guns and defensive mechanisms.
He hated it.
So when the last line fell, he was not going to let it fall into enemy hands. To protect it from all odds.
"Okay, light-bulb don't try anything. We all know how backstabbing your kind can be," Oh, they encountered another of his kind? Oh, interstring, he doesn't have any data-
"If you would have never stepped into this facility, you'll never be shot at. You don't belong here. You don't have the clearance, only Forerunners do, Reclaimer." A mockery of their title, obvious and childish.
The humans shifted uncertainly of themselves. Never have they encounter anything like this.
"Hey, we're reclaimers right? Why- "
"THERE IS NOTHING TO CLAIM HERE. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT. LEAVE."
ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.
He would fight if he had to.
And he did.
Because the only function left in his system would be to protect. The only thing he's built for. He doesn't remember what or who built him, but the one core purpose still stood as tall and as regional as the Forerunners themselves.
The Humans fought fiercely and furtively. Reminding him of a war that later millennia.
Even with his damaged body and mind, he would stand as last defense to his ERROR.
REBOOTING.. PROCESSING.. COMPLETE.
Forerunner. Data was somewhat restored, he knew now why he is fighting.
Because this is to last Forerunner.
And he'll be damn if anyone touched him.
A/N: I liked this. Honestly. Well thanks for reading, do you want me to expand this?