Whatever was happening, it had begun to kick up a lot of dust, and Ivan was thankful as he could begin to properly see the silhouettes moving through the airborne particles, watching as the earth clung to people and their things which allowed him to begin seeing shapes. Shapes like claws, and eerily natural looking armor that moved with inhuman swiftness. Energy arced through the air, creating strings of invisible light and now clutched by fear Ivan understood what was happening. 

"[color=f7976a]Hollow[/color]," he breathed, slinking further down the hill and trying to analyze his options. His instinct told him to run, and just leave the other two people down there to meet whatever fate would befall them. They were immortals, one could bend some sort of energy- electricity maybe, and the other could shift metal, surely they would be alri-

Ivan's train of thought was silenced by the dry, inhuman laughter he heard. [i][color=f7976a]Nobody deserves to die to a hollow[/color],[/i] he thought, worming back up the hill and shouldering his rocket launcher. His plan was simple: Shoot at the hollow and create a distraction, maybe even hurt it. Should the thing give chase Ivan had outrun them before. So he steadied the weapon and looked along the barrel, aiming for the hollow as his better judgement told him to run. He hadn't fired though, no. Before he could pull the trigger something happened that could have made his hair go white. It hadn't been one of the people that was wielding the arcs of energy, it was the monster, and Ivan watched as the dust in the air became further disturbed before the hollow slammed the ground and sent an explosive cloud erupting into the air.

"[color=f7976a]Nope[/color]," he breathed, pushing his weapon into the sleeve on his backpack and letting the dust beneath him slide away. He was behind the hill moving quickly, crouched low to the ground as a mound of dirt rolled him away at a rather impressive speed. [i][color=f7976a]I'm not a coward- just smart[/color],[/i] he told himself, thinking briefly about which direction the truck had come from and altering his course slightly. [i][color=f7976a]New plan: find where the truck came from, find the people there that would have guns, tell them to get the fucking lead out and hunt down whatever that thing is.[/color][/i]

---------------------------------------------------------------

There came a point that James realized he was in over his head.  He slowed his pace from a run, to a jog, and then came to a full stop just less than a kilometer away from where the fight was taking place.  Something told him he was completely misreading this situation.  What it was that perturbed him, he didn’t quite know, but there was something about the hollow, something different.  Well, that much was obvious; immortals don’t turn into hollows.  Even still, it wasn’t that exactly that got to him, it was the hollow itself.  Was it even a hollow?

As the dust around them grew thick, James had to focus to keep track of what was happening.  Even for him, the cloud of sand was proving a challenge to see through.  Still, he could make out a few details, like that the woman who got knocked out came to.  James would have said that was a good thing if her hands didn’t seem to grow a sort of black armor.  Out of nothing.  Almost like that of the hollow.

It was at this moment James knew that getting involved would be futile at best and fatal at worst.  It crossed his mind that he should probably run, but at the same time he was curious.  That and it would probably prove advantageous for him to know more about what exactly was happening and what these things were.

He heard a shifting in the sands to his left.  He turned and saw another figure not too far off, moving opposite the direction James had been going but parallel to his own path. The person was clad completely in padding and dirty rags, no flesh exposed as even their head was hidden by a cloth bag. Poking out over their back was a loaded rocket launcher, and they kept one gloved fist over the handle in preparation of drawing the weapon. 

Ivan's legs didn’t move as he rushed over a small dune, gliding over the dirt on a small pile of rolling dust. In a fluid motion he spun on his heels while keeping his momentum in the same direction, looking back the way he’d just come. As Ivan spun to face forward again, chance would have it that it would be as he passed where James stood, and Ivan’s hooded face became locked in his direction. The mound of dust he had been riding melted away, and his heels ground into the earth to stop at what was about thirty meters from this other person who he currently only saw as a dusty pair of pants and boots. Unsure what to do, Ivan just stood there, watching behind a cloth mask with one fist still over the rocket launcher’s handle.

[color=8dc73f]“Another one?”[/color] James couldn’t help but say aloud.  This man, at least he assumed it was a man, had a fairly imposing stature, one which his attire of ratty-looking scraps of cloth helped to accentuate.  It seemed rather peculiar to him that for the first time he’d ever seen other immortals he’d happened upon four of them.  Given the way he held the rocket launcher, it wouldn’t at all surprise him if he were about to put it to use.

[color=8dc73f]“I wouldn’t use that thing, personally,”[/color] James said.  He looked back towards the fight, just in time to see the third woman begin to transform as well.  [color=8dc73f]“Shiiiiit.  I definitely wouldn’t use it now,”[/color] he added.  This fight was getting out of hand, but what good would that rocket launcher do?  Given the way the fight was going on, it definitely seemed as though the hollows, or immortal hollows, or whatever they were still retained their powers.  At this point, [i]any[/i] conventional weaponry would likely prove to be inefficacious.  At that thought, James let out a defeated sigh and unloaded his AK.  [color=8dc73f]“Dammit.  What can we do at this point other than watch?”[/color]  He chuckled a bit.  [color=8dc73f]“I mean, I guess we could get help, but how much good do you think that’ll be?”[/color]

For a short while Ivan had only stood in silence, almost drawing his weapon after hearing what sounded like a gun but keeping his head about him as he listened to what James had to say. At the mention of a fight, Ivan turned his head for a moment to look back the way he had come and could see the cloud of dust was already a fair ways away but still close enough to hear some of the sounds of battle. 

“[color=f7976a]You saw that shit too then!?[/color]” Ivan croaked, having raised his voice at all for the first time in a while. To avoid half shouting anymore to speak, Ivan let his fist drop from his weapon’s handle and began approaching the man at a steady pace, stopping again only when they were a few feet apart. “[color=f7976a]What’s going on back there[/color],” he stated, pointing back to the static cloud of dirt floating in the air, “[color=f7976a]it isn’t right. The ‘ell are you doing out here anyways?[/color]” he then accused, noticing a breeze come by and taking advantage of it to wave some dirt onto this man’s upper body hopefully without notice. Ivan believed his identity as ‘immortal’ had yet to be realized, his abilities having been mistaken before for simply slipping down the sides of dunes. Gusts of wind always kicked up dust as well, sometimes it just needed a push in the right direction.

[color=8dc73f]“Whatever it is, it can’t be good.  Immortals don’t turn into hollows, and no one turns into a hollow that goddamned quickly,”[/color] James replied.  His eyes instinctively moved towards the man’s hand as he seemed to motion for the sand to flow with it.  His timing was good, but James could still see the difference between the sand that was naturally kicked up in the wind and the sand this man seemed to manipulate.  [color=8dc73f]“Your subtlety may fool some, but not much gets by me,”[/color] he said, turning his gaze to the man’s face.  [color=8dc73f]“I’m not sure what you were trying to accomplish just then, but I can tell you’re an immortal.  Don’t worry, you’re in good company,”[/color] he said, turning and lifting his goggles briefly to give the man a good look at his eyes.

Even from here, James could hear the punch the winged one inflicted on the first… thing, sending it tumbling back and kicking up a fair amount of dust with it.  James turned back towards the fight, lowering himself to a crouch and sticking the stock of his AK into the sand to use it as a support.  [color=8dc73f]“As for what I’m doing here, that’s not really your business but I’ll tell you anyways.  I was on my way to Russell City, saw the commotion and had to see what was happening.  At this point I almost wish I had just ignored it.  Either way, it would seem prudent to observe, lest something like this happens again,”[/color] James said, very matter-of-factly.

“[color=f7976a]Oh[/color],” was the only response Ivan could muster, surprised by the casual and collected tone James spoke with. He took a moment to absorb what had just been said, mostly piecing together what he’d spoke of after so casually mentioning that he knew of Ivan’s immortal status. “[color=f7976a]Good company[/color],” he mused briefly, looking down as James crouched, “[color=f7976a]I like good company[/color].”

In a fluent motion Ivan crossed his legs and sat on the ground beside where James sat, turning his attention to the brawl and placing his hands on his knees. “[color=f7976a]I’m assuming ‘good company’ means ‘fellow immortal’, am I correct?[/color]” he then asked, having been unable to see James’ eyes when they were shown to him. In fact Ivan was unable to really see any of James’ head as it was, with his legs and boots being most visible and his upper body very faintly dusted. “[color=f7976a]I’m Ivan by the way[/color],” he then added, for a moment forgetting why he had been fleeing not long ago. The very prospect of someone to speak with entertained him, and at being shown no hostility it further intrigued the rag covered man.

[color=8dc73f]“Well, if we’re using the colloquial term, then yes I am an immortal.  You can call me James,”[/color] James replied as the man sat down.  The telltale details of Ivan not realizing James was immortal, even after he plainly showed his eyes, took a moment to catch up with him.  James hadn’t gotten a good look at Ivan’s eyes but he could see them well enough, and while there weren’t any visible pupils to speak of, he figured that was simply a part of his mutation.  Was he blind?  It wasn’t impossible.  Maybe him being able to see through some sort of medium was how he had been able to detect James.  It was something he would have to ask the man later, but for now James’ focus was on the fight at hand.

Ivan nodded with the mention of James’ name, smiling slightly under his hood but quickly returning his attention to the electrified cloud of dust the two were now observing. While he still intended to go tell someone in the city, he saw it as beneficial to stay here for the time being. While he was unable to properly observe the fight from here like James seemed to want, this had been the first time for a few years Ivan had spoken with another, for now supposed, immortal. His curiosity currently winning over his sense, Ivan shifted his crossed legs slightly to be more comfortable as he decided to wait things out.