[ WP ] It suddenly becomes possible to gain XP and level up in the real world , but you can only do so by getting kills .

*The Regulator: * 
 
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 The boy sat, hands shaking and cuffed. The room was quiet, still. Through a mirror, he knew there were people watching him- he could tell somehow, dangerous people. He was like them now, worse maybe. The chair creaked as he peered at the glass. 
 
 They knew he knew. 
 
 He jumped as a door opened, slamming into the wall as a large man walked in, turning carefully to close it back up. It locked with a heavy click, afterwards. Someone slid a bolt in after that too, the boy could tell, somehow. 
 
 The man sat down across from him, and leveled a calm stare. It was the sort of gaze that could see deep into a person, figure out everything there was to know. The boy stared back. He could do that too, now. 
 
 `` You comfortable? Need some coffee, something to eat?'' The man asked, straightening his uniform. `` I can send someone to get it for you, if you want anything.'' 
 
 `` No.'' The boy replied. He did n't want to talk. 
 
 `` Listen, I was like you once. You're not the first to end up in a situation like this.'' The man paused, carefully motioning towards the mirror, and then the camera, watching in the corner of the room. 
 
 The boy could tell it was turned off. Those behind the glass left shortly after. 
 
 `` I'm going to tell you a story kid. It's not a particularly long one, but it's the truth. I think you'll be able to tell that now- the truth I mean.'' He met the boy's eyes, waiting for some sort of recognition. 
 
 Shuffling his cuffs, the boy nodded slowly. The man began, his deep voice speaking in a heavy tone. 
 
 `` When I was younger, I had to kill two people in my home, on a cold night in October. I remember it was dark and raining, I remember the wind was howling.'' He paused, looking down at the boy. `` It was n't something I had planned on doing. It was n't something I had wanted to do, but they broke down the door even after I told them I had a gun.'' 
 
 Leaning back in his chair, he continued, and the boy saw remorse. It was real remorse, the boy could tell that now. He *knew*. 
 
 `` Christ, I warned them- I told them to just go away, practically begged them. I did n't even have anything worth stealing, I have no idea why they did n't listen. I mean honestly, a guy in his early twenties in a shitty apartment? Maybe they just thought I was someone else. Never found out their reasons.'' 
 
 `` Anyways, after that I had leveled. Four times in a row, all at once. I had a ton of life points to allocate, practically a flood of them, and I could actually fill up some of those skill trees that foster in the mind, made sure to get the heightened awareness first. I just wanted to know for certain- confirm some things.'' 
 
 He stared down at the boy, and really *looked. * The man knew. 
 
 `` See, you ca n't tell what level people are, not at the early stages. We all start out a level one, but usually by fifteen years you'll hit level two just from the slow grind of your immune system farming germs. Maybe you'd hit level three after that if you're a hunter. Bigger game has a lot of regulations, but they say it's only around ten deer before you can make the jump from two to three. Most people by the age of twenty-five are between levels four and five.'' His large armed curled over his chest, folding as the chair creaked in protest. 
 
 `` The trick is, though, it ai n't age. It's killing. Small difference in the long run for most people, but for some...'' A deep sigh came from his chest, as he leaned forward. 
 
 `` Killing germs or animals, that's something but its small- barely noticed, but killing another person? That's big, kid. That's a level, and if they were a higher than you it might be more. It's reasons like this that the government monitors so seriously. People would murder if it was common knowledge, and not just urban legend.'' 
 
 The boy leaned back in the chair. It wobbled slightly, covering the loose nerves that escaped on his face. The man continued. 
 
 `` Sure, they keep a tight lid on it- but there's no point in beating around the bush. Not now, not with you, at least. It's rare that anyone level up enough to notice, though. People, generally, just are n't killers.'' 
 
 He nodded, as if in agreement with himself. 
 
 `` Only problem is that after that, I was a level seven, and I could tell- see through it. That's more than most police can claim, and I only knew because somewhere between level five and here, you'll get the *sight. *'' 
 
 His eyes locked with the boy's, again holding them in place. 
 
 `` Really, it's more intuition, but it works the same way. You know, more or less, where someone is by a quick glance. You can *know* their level. See some of their skill points and trees- what they've allocated points to.'' 
 
 The boy looked closer. 
 
 `` I might have flown under the radar if the Feds had n't been called in with a level seven of their own, and confirmed it. That put me on the list, shuffled me into something close to witness protection.'' The man said, running fingers through thinning hair. `` Eventually they got me working for them, something like a bargain. It's better than my old job, so you wo n't see me complaining about it. Better than being without *Big Brother's* watching eye.'' 
 
 He nodded again. 
 
 `` See, there are killers among us. Quiet folk who, like me or you, figured it out. Something happened, somehow, and they got the *sight* and connected the dots.'' The man looked down at the table, inspecting something- perhaps a stain in the wood, before looking back up, continuing. 
 
 `` We're chasing one of those now. You see me, just a lowly seven working with a couple of nines, and you think we're trouble... well, wait until you meet a level seventy.'' 
 
 The boy's eyes widened. Seventy... was that even possible? 
 
 `` Look kid, I know you've got questions. I know you want answers- I was the same way, but right now- you got ta trust me.'' He rose slowly, joints groaning as he left the chair. `` I'm going to leave you locked up tight in this room, safe and sound, and we're going out there to put that man you saw, down in chains. We're going to leave him locked up in some cell where he'll die of natural causes and old age. We're going to bring some justice for what he did.'' 
 
 The boy nodded at that. The man nodded back, small smile curling onto his cheeks. His eyes looked serious though. Deadly serious. 
 
 `` The thing is, if we mess up, one of us slips- he could be a level ninety by the time our guys find him again. Nobody wants that.'' He paused, `` You see what I'm getting at here?'' 
 
 The boy met his eyes, folding his hands in the cuffs. 
 
 `` Look, I see you, and I see a bit of myself. You did n't want to end up a level ten- but you saved a lot of lives in doing so. You've got potential. Real potential. People need guys like you, the good guys. Guys like that are in short supply.'' 
 
 `` I might not be coming back after today. If I do n't, I just want you to remember this conversation. You've been handed a terrible gift, but you can use it for good.'' 
 
 The man stepped back, slowly pushing in his chair to meet the table, before heading towards the door on the far side of the room. He knocked, three beats followed by two, and the bolts were lifted, the handle turned. He took one step forward before stopping, turning back one last time. 
 
 `` You saved a lot of lives today kid. A guy like you... well, you're the kind we need more of. Think about it.'' 
 
 The door closed, and the boy thought. 
 
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 *Edit formatting/running sentences*
