Manhunt the Evader // Evade Fanfiction

Chapter 4 // Clever Cosmetic

It was finally the time to do our next expedition and probably my least favorite excursion, the four corners. I think we all heard of the game, Mario Kart 8 where you could select many different courses. I'm assuming you lot know the map 'Baby Park' where the road leads to an endless loop of bumping into other players who are actually not in front of you. Welp, sadly it's the same thing for Four Corners. Don't get me wrong, I liked the dimension and can easily evade the nextbots without much effort. However, whenever there is a dump load of people in that dimension, an effortless trip would become much harder than looking after a 5-year-old. So why am I telling you all of this time? You guessed it....

"Jard, the expedition is going to be like the last one, there are going to be a lot of people in it!" Galf said as Bobo burst out of his room like mentos deliberately being thrown into coke.

"Are we going now?" Bobo said with excitement.

"Yes, we are," I sighed as I grabbed my empty bag, "we are going to the Four Corners with a bunch of other people in it. Just don't get lost," 

"I won't get lost," Bobo snorted as he gets his blue hat.

Galf goes to his billboard before looking at his information on the Four Corners. Although he has never been on a single trip outside his shop, he had known many small details to each dimension I had travel in. You may not know, but there is a radar stuck to my backpack which allows Galf to track my location and routes in the dimension. Again, this method wasn't always effective, less often I visit the dimension, the harder for me to make it out. 

"Four Corners is a very interesting dimension," Galf said as he turned around towards me and Bobo, "the map only consists of a single path that connects and a long hallway with a dead end. I suggest you try running in circles around the map and keep as much distance from anybody else as possible,"

"Got it," I answered, "ready, Bobo?"

"..."

"Bobo?"

I looked outside to find Bobo dancing around in the streets while chasing a small blue butterfly. What is he even doing?!

"Bobo! We are going soon, hurry up!" I yelled as Bobo stopped to his feet and looked at me with a wide smile.

"Coming!"

We were set up. I grabbed my cap once more before placing it, turning it backwards. Galf nodded at both of us, for the signal of the next round.

"You two have 5 minutes and thirty seconds, which is plenty of time to construct a plan to survive! Good luck!" Galf announced as a portal opened behind Bobo.

"Yay! Let's go!" Bobo said before turning around.

"Oh, and one more thing, Bobo," Galf interrupted, "this is for you," 

Galf chucked a heavy white bag into Bobo's hand. It has a smooth texture as its plastic case could easily handle a massive punch. Confused, Bobo knocked the cover that has a massive red cross symbol on it before looking back at Galf.

"What is this?" he asked.

"That's a med kit!" Galf answered before returning to the counter, "it has every first-aid kit you need; therefore, you can help Jard faster whenever he gets injured,"

"Come on, Galf! Just because I almost died once doesn't mean I can easily die again!" I sighed.

Galf could do nothing but shrug in response.

"Welp, it's just in case Jard," he answered with a light tone, "When you die, you die!"

I facepalmed in silence as Bobo pointed at me, laughing at my previous embarrassment. It was finally time to go. I took a step into the portal before the area around me went white. We had arrived at Four Corners, probably the most boring dimension I had ever been in. Sometimes it confuses me who lives here. Again, I heard there are going to be many people. I had to be careful I don't get caught in that nextbot chase. 

Bobo was behind me, lurking in the shadows. I was scared for a second before I notice it was him. He was wearing that small med kit bag Galf gave him. It wasn't long before I heard a presentation like speech. It only goes on and on, rambling about something with the stolen artifact? Surely those people are not talking about me, right? Bobo as curious as I am.

"What was those noises?" Bobo asked.

"I'm not sure," I responded, "we should go and investigate, it might be something important,"

We creeped behind the corner from where the noise was from. My expression melted into a guilt and nervous energy when I saw who they were. It was the Elysium staff, with a group of other survivors. There was no mystery on what they are talking about.

"In our Elysium Cooperation, it would be appreciated to track this man down," one of the staff members said, pointing at a large photo, "if you have seen the interdimensional navigator, bring him to us,"

I watched the survivors as they whispered to themselves about the appearance of the 'culprit'. That photo was me. In fact, taken when I was working with the cooperation themselves. I wish I could erase it in a blink of an eye, that photo is fucking ugly. Bobo understood every word.

"In addition to help us catching this thief, the reward would be $50000," the staff continued.

Now I am in big trouble. Not only a pack of mobs want me dead, but I would be manhunted until I either die or hand myself in. This is probably the worst time to be handing myself in anyway.

"I got an idea," Bobo whispered as he dug into my backpack.

"Bobo? What are you doing?!"

He pulled out an Aviator Helmet. It seems extremely identical to the one I stole from the Icebreaker a few months ago. Did he just steal it from Galf's shop and purposely put it in my bag?

"How did you get that?" I asked.

"Oh, I bought it from Galf!" he answered, "It was a while ago ever since I owned it, so I put it in your bag just in case,"

"Well, that isn't really helping much at this current situation-"

I was cut off by Bobo, who took off my black cap and replaced it with the huge baggy hat. Not only it feels itchy, but its odor stunk. Before I could respond in reaction, Bobo dragged the goggles onto my face, everything slightly turned blue.

"Believe me, this should work," he smiled as the survivors started to separate, "a lot of people recognize you by your black cap since you wear it every time you travel, so wearing something different would cheat the system,"

"That sounds ridiculous, Bobo! It won't work!" I hissed, "also that's my hat!"

I tried snatching my cap back from Bobo's hand, only for him to evade my hands from touching my personal belonging. There was a sudden spoken voice from behind us.

"Excuse me,"

I froze as Bobo hid my hat behind his back. My heart pounded. I am dead, I was caught by a random survivor, and it wasn't even the time that the nextbots would spawn. I am going to be kidnapped, been hand off to a psychopathic company and I don't even know what they are going to do to me, probably shoot me down like the last attempt I saw that stupid leader's face. 

"You just got here, right?" the survivor asked as he lifted a picture of me at my face, "there is this man around here that is a thief. If you find him, can you please report it to the staff?"

Oh... I guess he fell for the disguise. But you don't really need to show that picture in my face again!

"Uh, sure! I'll try find him during my survival," I answered sheepishly.

"Alright! Thanks for your help!" they waved as they left for his group.

Bobo shoved my cap into my backpack before fist bumping me on the other shoulder.

"I told you it works!" he said, giving me a small smile.

"Shut up..."

Honestly though, that was indeed a clever disguise and plan. At this point, I didn't know if I want to thank Bobo for coming up with this idea or Galf who was the one who sold this cosmetic to him in the first place. Either way, I think we should easily get the artifact while slipping by under the Elysium Cooperation's radar.