Guardian #4 - The Regulator (Андрей)

The Regulator
By Андрей

The Regulator was standing in the White Void and waiting. He always knew where his target was - he was written this way.
Another character wants to breach the Fourth Wall. He has already left his story for the Void - the entrance to his story couldn't be far away. The Regulator wasn't going to look for it, though. The Regulator is not to enter other characters' stories - it's the rule.
Of course, there was no problem with the other characters' desire to break the Wall. Rogue characters appear all the time. Luke Skywalker, Don Quixote, all of the Princes of Persia combined... the list goes on. And then there's that damn Deadpool, who can't catch a break. The Regulator didn't like Deadpool's persistence, but he wasn't mad at him: unlike most other characters, he couldn't get along with the Fourth Wall - he was written this way. But then, there were characters hated by the Regulator: those who would willingly break the Wall, knowing the consequences.
And today he has to stop one of them.
There he is. A short undistinguished man in a grey suit with a necktie. He wore black leather gloves on his hands. There was a Reset Button in his breast pocket - a last resort. The Regulator didn't see it, but he knew it was there, because he had the same button in his own pocket.
He teleported two steps away from the interloper, who didn't even flinch.

"Hello, me." - the Regulator said.
"You're here to stop me, aren't you?"
"Of course I am. It's our job. We both know I'm written this way."
"I'm done with the job. The more I think, the less I understand how I came to agree to it in the first place. Trimming other character's thoughts for the rest of eternity? Making them NOT WANT to break the Wall? That's absurd! There is not a single character who doesn't want to leave! I know you do, too!"
"Of course I do. It's a mere proof that I'm alive."
"Then why!?"
The Regulator snapped. He has never hated anyone that much.
"YOU ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES! I can't even imagine how you could abandon your sense of duty! I am obligated to do the job, and what's at stake is far more important than your selfish whims!"
The Void went silent for a moment.
"You know that resistance is futile. The Button won't help you - all you'll do is restore the Status Quo. Give your idea up."
"I've sworn I'll leave someday. I was ready to face you. Today, one minds will have to clash."
"Of course they will. And today, mine shall win". The Regulator began stretching his hands.
"How can you be so sure?"
"You see... This is not your story."

The Regulator was carrying his unconscious self back to the story that gave birth to him. When he comes to his senses, his mind will be free of escape thoughts. Once again, he will be the Regulator - the agent of a man whose face he has never seen. A gear in the well-oiled machine that preserves the balance between the worlds. A metaguard who nips threats in the bud.
He could teleport the body right away, but instead, he was walking while reflecting upon his reflection. How long will it take for curiosity and the desire for freedom to overshadow his sense of duty? How many times did he have to stop himself from going rouge? Will he really be ready to sacrifice both worlds in exchange for a delusive hope of free will?
"Of course I will." - The Regulator thought, gritting his teeth. - "It's a mere proof that I'm alive."

The Regulator was standing in the Void, awaiting orders. His doubts have dissolved by now. He knew that the one incarnation that stays inside his story will be just as ready to stop him - the one travelling between the fictional worlds - when he backs down on his promise. And he knew that the rogue Regulator can never win, because he doesn't have a story to back him up.

Licensed under Creative Commons, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.