of knowledge on the matter, I’m sure this is all confusing to you and probably hard for you to wrap your head around, yes? I would much like it if you come with me, then we could talk to Boss, and I promise, you will know everything we do. If you don’t want to, I can erase your memory of this encounter, and we can try again later, yes?”
Eli stepped back, thought for a moment about it. Then his eyes turned back to their normal shade of green.
“Ha-has this happened before? I mean, with you and me? Like have we met, and you erased my memory of it?”
Raiser’s eyes also turned back to their normal color, though his eyes were blue, not the orange like his glow.
“Hm…once or twice, yes. Though exciting for me. This is the first time with cops. Boss says he wants you to come of your own mind. He does not want us to force this on you, but you must understand that time is running out, and we need you, Final, I mean, Eli.”
Eli turned around for a moment, then began walking toward his bike.
“I don’t know. None of this is making sense. Maybe I need to sleep on it, yea?”
“Oh, I can’t let you. I’m sorry. Too much thought runs to many risks. That’s what my wife says. We can hide your bike better this time, and you can come. Or you can forget all this, and we can try again later.”
He stopped a few feet away from his bike, thinking hard about the choices, though was one even really a choice? If he did tell him to go ahead and erase his memory, the choice wouldn’t have mattered cause he wouldn’t remember or have known of any choice or the need to there being a choice, and it just runs a long circle in his head before he gets mad at the thought of it.
“Okay, okay, that’s…okay. You’re like me, though you play with peoples’ minds?”
“Yes, Eli, I do. You see, from all the Beyohumans, what you and I are called, we have found, rehabilitated, and helped them discover who they truly are. We have seen many, many powers. If this were a game, think of it as an RPG, and I would be what the support class would be, whereas you would be considered a combat class. In a real fight, well, I’m sure I would be overtaken quite easily, though you, you would strive in combat.”
“And Boss? What would he be?”
Raiser rubbed his chin for a moment and thought.
“Well, honestly…let’s consider him a type of multi-class—would probably be the closest I can think—more support really but so much strength. The headstrong leader of the underground organization that tries to help the world go round.”
Eli turned back to Raiser and began walking back toward him.
“Okay. And how many times have you explained this analogy to me?”
“Once. You were actually the one who helped me with the RPG thing. I was really at a loss for how to break it down to you. You are quite smart. So what do you say? How about you give it a try? What is the worst that could happen? Even if you don’t like it or want things to go back to the way they were, I can do that at any point. Boss just wants to talk to you himself, but I’m the only one who could make the first contact for obvious reasons.”
Eli nodded, a small smile forming at the edge of his mouth.
“Supersecret organization, full of people like me who I can be me with—I’m having trouble understanding why I turned it down before, though I guess I won’t really know as the memory is just gone.”
Raiser began walking up the road to where he had parked the car, motioning for Eli to follow him.
“I’m sorry. You never really said. Just that you thought I was crazy, and one time, you even tried to blast me into the moon—quite the show. I will send word to one of our men to have your bike taken care of. We haven’t a moment to waste so you must leave behind any sort of phone, and no forms social media either.”
“No phone, or social medias. I’ve no use for them, no friends and all. What if another cop happens upon it before your guy gets up here?”
Raiser chuckled again. “So much we must teach you. It is already taken care of. Trust me. Now come quickly. We have got a good drive ahead of us, and I can finally return to my beloved.”
Eli hurried to his side, then as they got to the car, he hopped in the passenger’s side. Excitement was evident on his face.
“You called me Final back there. What is that?”
“It is, well, it’s you. Raiser isn’t my name. Boss isn’t his. We all have code names. As who we previously were, those people don’t exist anymore. We can never go back once we learn of the things we can do as I’m sure you’re well aware. That Mick has been trying for a while to get you to open up. It’s for the best that you didn’t.”
Eli nodded then leaned his head against the window, tired from his day of work as well as his fun at the abandoned mill.
“I suppose you had to keep tabs. He’s a nice guy, but I don’t think me and him would have clicked like he wanted. So I don’t even get to pick my own name. I’m just Final?”
“Well, I suppose you could probably change it, though that is what Boss has code-named you as, so it’s just what you’re known as currently. Now get some rest. We can talk about it later, I promise. Boss is a good guy. He will help you.”
Nodding off to try to sleep, Eli nodded against the window, hoping he could get answers soon. He stayed asleep the entire trip, though to Raiser, the drive was always going to be a nice one as he finally achieved his goal. The drive itself was five and a half hours, heading toward Alabama. When Eli woke, the sun hadn’t quite risen yet, though the dusk was certainly leaving. Letting out a big yawn, he lifted his head from the window and began trying to pop his neck.
“That was not comfortable. But I suppose it was something.”
Raiser nodded to him, eyes still on the road.
“Not much farther then, you will be welcomed with open arms.”
They were both quiet for the rest of the trip, only about another hour left. Raiser slowed to stop at a red light just outside Eli’s new home, telling him the story of it as they drove in.
“That motel was sold years ago to a man who had too much money to blow. He never did anything with it, only wanted to flatten it, build some titty bar or something equivalent. Boss found out, and with my help, we convinced him to give it to us for use. I know it isn’t right, and he is still paying on it with no clue about anything that goes on there, but trust me, he isn’t missing any of the money he is giving it. We needed it like you need us, Final. If we didn’t have it, we wouldn’t have been able to help all the people we have so far. To many of us, this is home. So, yes, suspicious conditions, though trust me, this is for the best. I hope you like it here. Ah, home sweet home.”
Raiser pulled into the motel, a three-story building, looked brand new with many people sitting and standing around outside awaiting Raiser’s return. Once stopped, they both got out of the car, many coming up and hugging and welcoming Raiser back, some waving to Eli, some just scoffing and heading into rooms, some just walking away, around, or not at all concerned with what was going on.
“Final, this is Order Beyond. Everyone you see here is exactly
