History TakeAThirdOption / FanWorks

* "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/41647302/ Never Be Silent]]" concludes with [[spoiler:a confrontation between Laurel and Damien Darhk where he attacks her during a prison breakout, intending to put her in a position where Laurel can kill him with her abilities and condemn metahumans in the public eye or be forced to let Darhk kill her to avoid tarring others in that manner. Instead, Laurel forces them both off the catwalk where they were fighting, saving herself with her Canary Cry while Darhk is caught and handcuffed by the Flash before he lands, as Laurel had just seen Barry approaching]].

-->'''Guard:''' There isn’t anywhere to run, so you can either listen peacefully or we can do things the hard way.
-->'''Sunset:''' There's always a choice, as long as you’re willing to accept the consequences.

[[AC:''Manga/{{Naruto}}'']]

!!General examples:
* Many fanfiction writers, when faced with LoveTriangle issues, will decide not to go with a OneTruePairing, but instead a OneTrueThreesome.
* Likewise, you have two (or more) continuities in a fandom and you like them both too much to disregard one canon entirely? Go with PatchworkFic.

!!Individual examples:

* “[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/41647302/ Never Be Silent]]” concludes with [[spoiler:a confrontation between Laurel and Damien Darhk where he attacks her during a prison breakout, intending to put her in a position where Laurel can kill him with her abilities and condemn metahumans in the public eye or be forced to let Darhk kill her to avoid tarring others in that manner. Instead, Laurel forces them both off the catwalk where they were fighting, Laurel saving herself with her Canary Cry while Darhk is caught and handcuffed by the Flash before he lands, as Laurel had just seen Barry approaching]].

* In the fanfic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11630308/1/Coffin-for-Two Coffin for Two]]", when Darla traps Buffy and Angel [[BuriedAlive in a coffin]] after breaking Buffy's right arm, Angel notes that Darla's plan is to force him to either watch Buffy suffocate or try and fail to dig her out himself (as it's currently daylight, even if he reached the surface in time he would then be destroyed by the sun and the collapsing earth once his body was destroyed would just leave Buffy to suffocate again). Fortunately, he realizes that the coffin is close enough to an underground utility line that they can dig a hole out that way, although Angel has to drink some of Buffy's blood to give himself the necessary strength to break the concrete wall of the tunnel.

** An interesting crossover example of this can be found in ''Fanfic/LostInCamelot'', when Bo (''Series/LostGirl'') ends up in Camelot in the distant past and ends up in a relationship with Merlin and Morgana (''Series/Merlin2008'').
** On top of the obvious example of the Bo/Merlin/Morgana relationship, there are more serious examples in ''Lost''. When Mordred returns to Camelot, while Merlin is concerned about the prophecy that Mordred will kill Arthur and Morgana protests that he's just a child, Bo suggests the compromising of getting Mordred away from his current guardian of Alvarr, in the hope that taking him to a more pacifist group of druids will help him avoid his destiny.

* This [[https://twitter.com/amhana0909/status/1018487712045719552 fan comic]] has the servants Amakusa Shirou and Semiramis trapped in a room that won't let them leave unless they have sex. Embarrassed, Semiramis finds another way out by having two of her familiars do it instead.

* This [[https://twitter.com/amhana0909/status/1018487712045719552 fan comic]] has the servants Shirou, Amakusa, and Semiramis trapped in a room that won't let them leave unless they have sex. Embarrassed, Semiramis finds another out by having two of her familiars do it instead.

[[AC:Unsorted]]
* ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' has a pretty big one in [[WhamEpisode Chapter 34]]. Sabrina kidnaps Ash Ketchum using an Abra to teleport him to her gym, and intends to force him to fight his way through her hordes of Psychic-type Pokémon. He could try and go to the top floor to get a Marsh Badge, or to the basement [[spoiler: where she has Ash's Primeape captive]]. In the end, [[spoiler: Ash's Pokédex uses a group of Exegguttor Ash caught in the Safari Zone to teleport all of Ash's Pokémon from Oak's ranch, [[DynamicEntry and they break through the ceiling]] [[BigDamnHeroes to join the fray]] [[TheCavalry and level the playing field]]. During the break in, a few Marsh Badges fall from above, and Squirtle snatches one, while Ash sends the Raichu that used to belong to Paul to the basement to rescue Primeape.]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11800934/1/Heir-and-Pride Heir and Pride]]", this defines Hiccup's situation; with Stoick insisting that he train the dragons to basically serve as weapons for the Vikings, [[spoiler:and Valka willing to teach him the secrets she's learned about dragons but only if he abandons all human ties to the extent of leaving Astrid to be raped and murdered by the Outcasts]], Hiccup rejects both of them and pursues his own path of trying to teach others about dragons.

* In ''Fanfic/WolfAndCub'' After the Kumo incident Hiashi Hyuuga is faced with two difficult choices. Either hand over his brother to be killed by Kumo or let Konoha be dragged into a war that they cant afford to fight. He instead invents a political fiction that Hizashi had a psychotic breakdown, kidnapped Hinata, went missing-nin and killed the Kumo ambassador on his way out of Konoha. That allows everyone to keep face.
** Later on he has to chose if his nephew Neji is going to be branded, as the elders demand, or defy tradition. He instead emotionally blackmails Asuna into making Neji his apprentice and taking him to the Twelve Ninja Guardians.

* In [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18474643 this]] ''Manga/BungouStrayDogs'' fanfiction, Ryuunosuke Akutagawa has the choice between going with Chuuya to do paperwork, or go with Kouyou to do preparations for a birthday. Halfway, Dazai mixes in the choice panel, who wants him for training. At the end, he decides to go with none of them and go out for food with his sister. [[note]] It should be noted that this story is based on the ''WesternAnimation/CareBearsAdventuresInCareALot'' episode ''Erased'', where the third option doesn't return at the end, and the character Akutagawa represents isn't seen responding to the choices it's given at all. [[/note]]

* If [[Literature/{{Redwall}} Lord Brocktree]] and [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Aslan]] had to fight each other ([[LetsYouAndHimFight they]] [[RuleOfCool don't]]), [[http://www.unboundworlds.com/cage-match-2018/cage-match-2018-round-2-lord-brocktree-vs-aslan/ who would win]]? Answer: food.
-->''The animals feasted for hours, occasionally singing folk songs and reciting poetry to entertain their guest.''

* In [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18474643 this]] ''Manga/BungouStrayDogs'' fanfiction, Ryuunosuke Akutagawa has the choice between going with Chuuya to do paperwork, or go with Kouyou to do preparations for a birthday. Halfway, Dazai mixes in the choice panel, who wants him for training. At the end, he decides to go with none of them and go out for food with his sister. [[note]] It should be noted that this story is based on the ''WesternAnimation/CareBearsAdventuresInCareALot'' episode ''Erased'', where the third option doesn't return at the end, and the character Akutagawa represents isn't seen responding to the choices it's given at all [[/note]]

* ''Fanfic/StarfallStarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': An engagement challenge can only end in death or surrender. Knocking an opponent unconscious does not count as surrender; they have to actually ''say'' they yield. If the other fighter refuses to kill them, they will themselves be executed. [[spoiler:During the challenge over Star's hand, Marco knocks Tom unconscious, then throws a spear at his heart from a fair distance away. Empress Ishtar, unable to let her son just die, saves him with magic. This is a clear case of outside interference, allowing Marco to win by default]].

*

* ''Fanfic/ViridianTheGreenGuide'': In his first deliberate act as a [[VigilanteMan Vigilante]], Izuku comes across a mugger in an alleyway. Being unable to take on the mugger himself not leave the helpless bystander at the mugger's hands either, he instead heckles the pro-hero Amplifier into following him into the alleyway by throwing a rock at him, managing to slip away when Amplifier noticed the mugging and watching the battle from a safe distance.
* ''Fanfic/CatRa'': The story's take on the scene in "No Princess Left Behind" where Catra lets Adora go with the sword instead has Adora giving Catra the choice to come back to the Horde, or leave without the sword. Catra manipulates their friendship to give Adora a hug making her think she's coming back, only to steal the sword and run.

* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15862719/chapters/36952671 Deliverer]]'', Aeon (Megatron's reincarnation) has to choose between leaving the former Decepticons to suffer unfair treatment from the Autobots or allowing another war to occur. He tries to invoke a third option by taking the Star Saber (believing that the Autobots will listen to him if he approaches them with the sword in hand) but only manages to summon the ghost of Optimus Prime, who, upon hearing his story, gives him the true third option by turning him into the new Prime.

* ''Fanfic/AHerosWrath'': [[spoiler:While suffering through his transformation into his Vajra Vlitra Form, Izuku is given a series of choices by the Golden Spider; the Gohma Path (where he becomes the new Gohma Vlitra and leads the Gohma to destroy humanity), the Demigod Path (repeat the mistakes of his Demigod ancestors) or the Golden Spider's Path (do whatever the Spider tells him). Izuku answers by waking himself up, deciding he wasn't going to play his game.]]

* ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'': Hinata finds herself at a stalemate while she's fighting [[WhiteHairBlackHeart Toneri]] [[StalkerWithACrush Otsutsuki]], who's commanding a [[HumongousMecha giant statue of Hamura Otsutsuki]] that she tries to match with her Avatar of Kalika (the Tenseigan's counterpart to the Mangekyo Sharingan's Susanoo). The statue won't stop fighting unless Toneri dies first, and it'll always regenerate no matter how many times she destroys it. But in order to kill Toneri, she needs to get past the statue first, as it'll keep fighting to protect its master no matter. So what does she do? Remove the statue from the fight altogether, by ''tossing it out of the Moon'' and leaving it drifting in space, giving her a clear shot to kill Toneri off.

* ''Fanfic/AHerosWrath'': [[spoiler:While suffering through his transformation into his Vajra Vlitra Form, Izuku is given a series of choices by the Golden Spider; the Gohma Path (where he becomes the new Gohma Vlitra and leads the Gohma to destroy humanity), the Demigod Path (repeat the mistakes of his Demigod ancestors) or the Golden Spider's Path (do whatever the Spider tells him). Izuku answers by waking himself up, deciding he wasn't going to play his game.]]

* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/31017641 Lying on the Job]]'' sees [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Marinette]] faced with a dilemma: as the new Guardian, she's in charge of handing out Miraculi and knowing everyone's [[SecretIdentity secret identities]]... except that it's dangerous for her to know the secret identities of her allies, since she's out on the front lines and could face opponents with MindControl powers. To get around this, Marinette asks her kwami Tikki to choose the next hero instead.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13617561/1/lovers-is-plural lovers is plural]]'', the [[VideoGame/Persona5 Phantom Thieves]] are [[SideBet split between the theories that their teammate Ann is dating either her best friend Shiho or her model rival Mika]]. With the bet split 50-50, they consult Morgana and Akechi. Morgana, who has a crush on Ann, suggests that she's dating neither of them. Akechi, however, analyzes the "selfies" Ann took with each girl and deduced that she's dating [[OneTrueThreesome Shiho and Mika together]].
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7263082/1/Flying Flying]]'', Harry is required to either marry a sadistic man several decades older than him or be sent to Azkaban. He ends up [[DrivenToSuicide jumping off the Astronomy Tower]].

* A ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' [[https://twitter.com/amhana0909/status/1018487712045719552 fan comic]] has the servants Shirou Amakusa and Semiramis trapped in a room that won't let them leave unless they have sex. Embarrassed, Semiramis finds another out by having two of her familiars do it instead.
* In [[https://eatherstar.tumblr.com/post/627173496769871872/you-miserable-cretin-theyre-nesting-in-my this]] ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' fan comic, Starscream and Thundercracker demand that Skywarp help them settle an argument about which is better -- cats or dogs? Skywarp chooses bees.

* In ''Fanfic/RiseOfEmpressMidnight'', Twilight gives Midnight the option to either [[spoiler: stay in her destroyed world or join Twilight and reform herself.]] Midnight instead calls for a third option [[spoiler: and attempts to kill Twilight and herself via the destroyed world.]]

* * In ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/269242/1/time-enough-for-friendship/making-the-stars-right Time Enough For Friendship]]'', Star Swirl the Bearded must try to manipulate the timeline to allow the Bearers to become strong enough to defeat Tirek. The problem is that both ends of the timeline are fixed (the Bearers first gain their Elements when the Nightmare returns and not a moment before, and Tirek's escape cannot be altered by even Star Swirl's chronomancy). When Star Swirl tries to fit all the necessary challenges into the time he has to work with, they become overwhelming and break the Bearers instead of strengthening them. But if he gives the Bearers time to recover between adventures, Tirek comes for them before they are ready. Star Swirl's ultimate solution? With Discord's aid, he decoheres time for the Bearers, rendering it impossible to track or define what happens when. Effects still follow from causes, but unrelated causes cannot be placed in any kind of order. And so the Bearers may have as much time as they need to adventure, rest, and grow close.

* In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', the rank 9 of most of the female confidants ends with either the protagonist accepting their romantic feelings for him or coldly dismissing them. ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/12591444/chapters/28678984 Confidantial Confessions, A Tale of Third Choices]]'' is about the meta third option, where protagonist [[PlatonicLifePartners Akira]] reassures the girls that he'll be there to support them as a good friend.

* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/31017641 Lying on the Job]]'' sees [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Marinette]] faced with a dilemma: as the new Guardian, she's in charge of handing out Miraculi and knowing everyone's [[SecretIdentity secret identities]]... except that it's dangerous for her to know the secret identities of her allies, since she's out on the front lines and could face opponents with MindControl powers. To get around this, Marinette asks her kwami Tikki to choose the next hero instead.
* In the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' PeggySue fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12443942/1/Second-Chances Second Chances]]'', Celes has unexpectedly mentally gone back in time to just before the Opera House boss battle, and tries to use her knowledge of the future to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong, with mixed results. Toward the end, Celes and [[spoiler:General Leo]] argue over which of them should be the one to [[spoiler:assassinate Emperor Gestahl]] to end the war. They flip a coin for it, but [[spoiler:Shadow intervenes before the coin can even land and offers his services]].

* ''Fanfic/AGoodCompromise'': Captain Tyria Sark puts herself in a bind in part one, which is lampshaded by her comms officer Azira Shelon. Her orders say she's supposed to abandon the [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS04E24TheQuickening Teplans]] if the Dominion makes an issue of the Federation putting them under their protection, but she promises the Teplan head of state that, "I'll do right by you." [[spoiler:When the Dominion comes, a third option presents itself: turns out ''neither'' side wants to fire the first shot, and Tyria is able to convince the Vorta to resolve the situation diplomatically: the Teplans become independent but the Federation cannot arm them or use their planet as a base. There's also a third option ''within'' the third option, as Tyria notes that the agreement ''only'' prevents the Federation from arming the Teplans; other factions in the Alpha Quadrant aren't restricted by it.]]
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11309061/16/Consul-of-the-Underworld-The-Game-Begins Consul of the Underworld: The Game Begins]]'': When Dumbledore [[BullyingADragon tries to blackmail Alkaid]] into helping him to drive Narcissa Malfoy from Hogwarts or he will reveal her existence to her uncles, Alkaid chooses to silence him before he gets the chance to blow the whistle on her.
* In the movie ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'' Eggsy is presented with a SadisticChoice: shoot his beloved dog JB or fail and lose any chance of becoming a Kingsman. In the fanfic [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/7589053/chapters/17268946 Trials]] he takes a third option: he shoots Arthur. [[spoiler: This puts him on the fast track to become the next ''Arthur'', as a knight does what he's told, but a ''king'' does what is ''right''.]] Predictably, Arthur is ''pissed'' at the current turn of events.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12590041/1/Into-Darkness Into Darkness]]'' Harry's late father tells him that according to the Fates, if Harry doesn't break up with Hermione so she can go back to Ron then she'll never learn to control her dark side; while if Harry tries to teach her to control it she'll eventually decide it's a lost cause and end up [[BadFuture destroying the world]]. Harry eventually decides to go dark right along with her.
* In ''Fanfic/RWBYSecondGeneration'', Verse is forced to make a SadisticChoice. With his teammates held at gunpoint, he is given the option to either kill himself or watch them die in front of him. Instead, he shoots the people behind the gun, allowing them to escape.
* "[[https://archiveofourown.org/series/2166906 Wild Child AU]]" is an alternate take on the Franchise/MonsterVerse where Godzilla essentially adopts Madison Russell after the battle against the [=MUTOs=] because he assumes that her parents died in the battle. When she and Godzilla learn that Mark and Andrew Russell are still alive, Maddie is uncomfortable at the idea of returning to human civilisation full-time even if she wants to spend time with the Russells again, and equally doesn't want to abandon Godzilla. Since "Madison Russell" is still legally dead, and Maddie has [[AmbiguouslyHuman undergone various mutations]] due to spending so much time on Godzilla's home island, Doctor Serizawa suggests a compromise where Maddie is legally classified as a Titan herself, putting her under Monarch's jurisdiction and able to come and go as she pleases.
* In ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/269242/1/time-enough-for-friendship/making-the-stars-right Time Enough For Friendship]]'', Star Swirl the Bearded must try to manipulate the timeline to allow the Bearers to become strong enough to defeat Tirek. The problem is that both ends of the timeline are fixed (the Bearers first gain their Elements when the Nightmare returns and not a moment before, and Tirek's escape cannot be altered by even Star Swirl's chronomancy). When Star Swirl tries to fit all the necessary challenges into the time he has to work with, they become overwhelming and break the Bearers instead of strengthening them. But if he gives the Bearers time to recover between adventures, Tirek comes for them before they are ready. Star Swirl's ultimate solution? With Discord's aid, he decoheres time for the Bearers, rendering it impossible to track or define what happens when. Effects still follow from causes, but unrelated causes cannot be placed in any kind of order. And so the Bearers may have as much time as they need to adventure, rest, and grow close.

* The overseers in ''Fanfic/TowerOfBabel'' see only two options: sacrificing half of the world to save the other half or letting everyone die. [[VideoGame/NieR Nier]] and his team are determined to find a third option that doesn’t require murder. [[spoiler:They do: it’s a willing fusion between Gestalts and Replicants.]]

[[AC: ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'']]

[[AC:''Series/StarTrekEnterprise]]

* In ''Fanfic/HalkegeniaOnlineZeroHour'', Shino is confronted by the Laughing Coffin guild and is given the choice of joining them or being killed by them. Instead she chooses to kill them all.
* ''Fanfic/{{Intercom}}'': In chapter 13, Riley admits about Tracey accusing her of being Schizophrenic. When Bill probes on whether she's hearing voices, Riley mentally thinks that if she lies, she'll be found out. But if she tells the truth, they might send her off to a psychologist. So instead, she storms out on them, fuming that they'd never believe her if she told the truth.
* In ''Fanfic/TheWitchOfTheEverfree'', Sunset does this when cornered by guards on the train to Ponyville, [[HighDiveEscape teleporting off a bridge]] rather than either fighting them or talking to them.
-->'''Guard:''' There isn’t anywhere to run, so you can either listen peacefully or we can do things the hard way.
-->'''Sunset:''' There's always a choice, as long as you’re willing to accept the consequences.
* Sunset Shimmer is faced with a choice: Remove all magic from the human world, or allow Equestrian magic to transform all of humanity into ponies. She instead asks the personification of human magic what she wants; Magic chooses to meld human and Equestrian magic together. Thus starts the ''Fanfic/OversaturatedWorld...''

* This is Nino's idea for dealing with Lila in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/19354465/chapters/48255424 Turning Point]]''. Rather than confronting her outright (which Alya did, and nearly had the class turned against her and Marinette by Lila) or keeping quiet (which Adrien initially suggested thanks to being conditioned to seeing lies as "harmless", until the others explained ''why'' this isn't a healthy mindset), Nino's plan is to speak to each of their classmates and advise them to be more cautious about Lila's statements while tracking all contradictions and evidence to eventually cornering her.