What the Hell, Townspeople?/Playing With
Basic Trope: Common civilians screw over the heroes.
- Straight: Hiro, Ichigo, Dash, Kowalski and Rachel are passing through the town of Redvale. That night, the innkeeper contacts Emperor Evulz' soldiers, hoping to turn the heroes in and collect the bounty on their heads.
- Exaggerated: While the heroes are sleeping, the mayor rallies the whole town to attack, overpower and capture the unwary party.
- Justified: The villagers don't believe such a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits could possibly defeat the Emperor, and believe they'd be better served by the reward money/getting in good with Evulz.
- The Mayor was appointed by Emperor Evulz, and knows that if the heroes succeed, he'll lose his power and position.
- All the citizens of Redvale know is that there's a bounty on the group's heads; they aren't aware that it's because they're trying to save the world.
- Inverted: When Redvale is attacked, Kowalski and Rachel argue that it's more pragmatic to escape and ensure their own survival than to risk their lives defending the town.
- Subverted: Though the innkeeper recognizes Hiro and his band as outlaws wanted by the Emperor, he keeps silent, supporting their efforts to overturn the evil regime.
- Double Subverted: The innkeeper doesn't betray them... but his son also recognizes them, and wants the reward.
- Parodied: The heroes are abducted in their sleep and dragged into the forest, as part of an eccentric festival.
- Deconstructed: Without the heroes, Redvale is plundered and/or oppressed by Emperor Evulz and heroes leave it to burn.
- Reconstructed: Though Redvale's betrayal shakes the team to their core, Hiro becomes even more determined to liberate the region so that they won't live in such fear and feel they have to hurt heroes anymore.
- Zig Zagged: The innkeeper considers turning the heroes over, but balks at the thought of betraying his customers. However, the reward money is too tempting, since that much cash would allow him to move his family out of the empire. So he informs the Emperor, but only after luring Ichigo away from the group because he Wouldn't Hurt a Child. When she comes back, he gloats about what he did, which turns out to be ploy to tell her how to find them. Ichigo, being quite powerful for her age, manages to save the others -- and it's hinted the innkeeper knew she was powerful enough to do this, and even if she failed, she'd still be safe and he'd still get the money.
- Averted: The town's people pay no attention to the heros.
- Enforced: "What's Darker and Edgier than heroes betrayed by the people they're trying to save?"
- Lampshaded: "You townspeople suck! We're trying to help you!"
- Invoked: Emperor Evulz learns that Hiro and his friends are in that area and sends his soldiers to interview the locals, offering vast rewards in exchange for any information leading to their capture.
- Exploited: Emperor Evulz spreads rumors about untrustyworthy townpeople to make the heroes too paranoid to stay in towns, thereby denying them supplies and recruits.
- Defied: The mayor of Redvale makes every concession possible to assure the heroes of their of safety and imprisons anyone who thinks of betraying them.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
- Played For Laughs: ???
- Played For Drama: Redvale is Dash's hometown, forcing her to choose between helping her Nakama or turning on the party and standing with the people she grew up with.
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