Irish

'Irish? What the fuck is going on?' The familiar, yet strange women stepped towards him. He stammered and strutted for a moment before getting his words out.

"I don't know! I ally don't have a fucking clue! I thought I had just smoked too much, but now you're here... Is this realy real? I mean, how can we even be here?" Irish stopped talking when a large, black gloved hand appeared in front of his face.

"You better settle yourself down Amigo, unless you ar wanting me to stick you again" the hunter held up another insta-health syringe. Irish rubbed the so spot on his arm as he remembered the jab he was given in the not too distant past, when he almost collapsed in shock. He felt the slight colour tinting his face as Kitty studied him, still trying to comprehend the situation herself. Perhaps she was waiting for an explanation? Well, he couldn't give her one. He had not long woken up himself. Correction, he had been woken up, he remembered, by the all too familiar face of one of his favourite video games. He had come to the conclusion that he was just tripping something bad, when the Hunter had stuck him with the insta-health needle. Just the pain from the needle was enough to bring his mind to reason.

Before Kitty had interrupted, Irish had been questioning Mordecai as to what he was doing here on Pandora, after the Hunter had first confirmed that they were indeed on Pandora.

"Two is better than one. Or so Salvador would say" Mordecai looked towards Kitty, then continued as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Two?" Kitty stepped closer to Irish, and he noticed the weapon she held for the first time.

"There were supposed to be four of you, but I guess the fast travel network has hit the fritz again. We'll soon figure out where your other two comrades are" Mordecai shrugged. Irish glanced at Kitty, and he knew she was thinking the same things he was. Who were the other two players? It was all shaping up like a real life 4-player game of Borderlands. And both were so p-occupied with this thought that they only half took in the instructions the Hunter was giving them.

"Well it would make sense that it was her. The Tundra was her favourite map after all" Kitty said matter of factly, as she followed Irish through the snowy crevasse that led into the Tundra. Irish sighed. A part of him was really hoping that the 'comrade' Mordecai had sent them to rescue, would be her. But he never imagined meeting her under these circumstances.

"I'm not going to get my hopes up. It could be anyone. It could be Mike. It could be someone else from the forums. Shit, it could even be some random!"
Kitty laughed.

"You talk to much Irish. It will be her, I know it will. I just have this feeling ok?" Kitty slowed her pace, slinking in closer to the ice wall for cover. They new a large colony of Varkid were just around the corner.

"Ok. But we seriously need to work out some sort of plan of attack here. I mean, are we gonna respawn if we die? What the hell happens there?" He couldn't help voicing his thoughts. After hours upon hours of online playing, when telling other players what you were thinking was a necessary communication, it was just habit that made him do so now. Kitty held her finger to her lips in a shushing motion, and pointed ahead to the swarm of a half dozen larval car kids that roamed aimlessly around a group of hives. There was no way around. Irish braced himself as the pair prepared to face their first enemy. He shouldered the Maliwan sniper rifle Mordecai had given him. It was a Volcano, and he smiled as he remembered the look of disbelief on Kitty's face as the hunter had handed him the legendary weapon. He knew the incendiary element would work well against the Varkids. He looked over to Kitty, who had her pistol raised. Se gave him a slight nod, and he took a deep breath.

The larval varkid let out a wailing screech as it erupted in flames. Irish let out the breath he was holding, when he realised his first shot had made its target. But the remainder of the creatures had turned their attention towards the pair, and were now scurrying at a fast pace towards them.

"They're out of my range!" Kitty shouted across to him as he reloaded.

"I know, I know!" He sensed the urgency in her tone. He fired again, missing his second mark, he cursed out loud.

"I'm gonna get a bit closer. Don't shoot me!" Kitty yelled as she jogged forward.

"Huh. A lot of faith I see" Irish said under his breath. Bt he shouldered his weapon again, and picked out another target. He didn't miss this time. 2 down, 4 to go, he counted. But now Kitty was just yards away from the creatures. She picked off the first one in a single shot. She darted to the left, firing repeatedly at the last three varkids who had clustered together. Irish watched through his scope, as one by one, the creatures fell under kitty's fire.

When he reached her, she was kicking the lifeless bugs, and scooping up ammo.

"Nice work" Irish panted. They stood for a moment, taking in there surrounds.

Suddenly, the ground shook beneath them, as the resounding boom of an explosion was heard in the distance. Kitty looked at Irish, eyes wide.

"Did that come from the farmhouse?" She asked hesitantly.

"Shit" he mumbled, "I think it did"

And together, they ventured off across the tundra.

They reached the checkpoint before the farmhouse. It emitted only a soft white glow. Not the usual red changing to green that they were accustomed to from the game. But they didn't have time to worry about that now. Because across the flats, assaulting the shanty falling down shack, was none other than the monstrous flying varkid, Vermivorous.
Irish shouldered his rifle, wondering how the hell they would be able to defeat the enormous creature that towered over the farmhouse. Kitty was standing beside him, feeling helpless as she raised her pistol. The overgrown varkid was beyond her range.

"Wait!" She said, pointing her weapon at it "its almost dead already" Irish noticed she was right, but he let out a shot anyway, hitting the beast in the abdomen. It let out an ear piercing screech, and turned its attention towards the pair.

"Oh fuck" kitty cursed, raising her weapon again. But before it could take another step towards them, a ground shaking explosion blasted beneath its spindly legs.

And as the huge monster fell the the ground, the dust settled to reveal the person they had both been longing to see. Montayva.