History Main / WhyIsntItAttacking

There are a few possible reasons, and not all are good. On the positive end, he may be a [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch rebel]] [[DefectorFromDecadence good guy]], or the bad guys are really DarkIsNotEvil, or their motives for chasing them were [[PoorCommunicationKills benign but misinterpreted]]. Or maybe this was the orc [[AndroclesLion she saved]] years ago repaying the favor, he [[WasOnceAMan was once a human]] and feels pity, or he's [[ReluctantMonster lonely]] and wants a companion. He will usually demonstrate his good intentions by [[StabTheScorpion protecting Alice]] from other threats, which may involve knocking her out and/or taking her to his home. When she wakes up, she may think she's ExploringTheEvilLair, and before long she'll be asking "ArentYouGoingToRavishMe?" followed by his puzzled "No." By the time Bob shows up, she'll likely have to stop them both from a [[LetsYouAndHimFight fight over her]]. If the author wants to be cruel, Bob will kill him before Alice can explain.

* The climactic battle of ''Film/{{Star Trek VI|The Undiscovered Country}}'' has the ''[[CoolStarship Enterprise]]'' under attack from an enemy ship that can stay cloaked while attacking[[note]] Normally, cloaked ships are required to uncloak before they attack, due to limitations in the Phlebotinum[[/note]], causing Kirk to initially order his ship to pull back. ''Both'' commanders on either side ask this question about the other: Kirk wonders why his enemy does not press his advantage; his enemy wants to make sure the Enterprise cannot ascertain his exact location before attacking the larger ship.

* Subverted in ''AlienVsPredator'', when the old man thinks Predator will kill him, but the Predator spares him because he is sickly. [[spoiler: [[DontYouDarePityMe He gets killed anyway when he attacks him]]]]. Also The FinalGirl thinks that the Predator will kill her as well [[spoiler: but he doesn't because she has proven herself as a warrior, [[WorthyOpponent earning the Predator's respect]]]].

* Happened in ''[[Film/{{Alien}} Alien 3]]''. The creature gets to Ripley, who is helpless, and... hisses, and leaves. Of course, it's because [[spoiler: Ripley is hosting a queen alien]].

* Invoked in the most literal sense in ''Film/HowToTrainYourDragon''. After Hiccup frees the Night Fury he ensnared (that is, the dragon he'd later name "Toothless"), it corners him, screams in his face, and runs off. This one event essentially kicks off the entire plot, because up until then Hiccup had been taught that dragons will always take the kill shot if given a fraction of a chance.

There are a few possible reasons, and not all are good. On the positive end, he may be a [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch rebel]] [[DefectorFromDecadence good guy]], or the bad guys are really DarkIsNotEvil, or their motives for chasing them were [[PoorCommunicationKills benign but misinterpreted]]. Or maybe this was the orc [[AndroclesLion she saved]] years ago repaying the favor, he [[WasOnceAMan was once a human]] and feels pity, or he's [[ReluctantMonster lonely]] and wants a companion. He will usually demonstrate his good intentions by [[StabTheScorpion protecting Alice]] from other threats, which may involve knocking her out and/or taking her to his home. When she wakes up, she may think she's ExploringTheEvilLair, and before long she'll be asking "[[ArentYouGoingToRavishMe Aren't You Going To Ravish Me?]]" followed by his puzzled "No." By the time Bob shows up, she'll likely have to stop them both from a [[LetsYouAndHimFight fight over her]]. If the author wants to be cruel, Bob will kill him before Alice can explain.

Though the ExampleAsThesis above has an Orc, the "attacker" can be human, animal or monster.

* This is first played straight, but ultimately subverted in [[http://www.mangahere.com/manga/shingeki_no_kyojin/ Shingeki no Kyojin]], where one of the soldiers of a band of giant killers is cornered by one of the smaller giants, who desperately tries to hold back its [[http://www.mangahere.com/manga/shingeki_no_kyojin/c018.5/14.html Horror Hunger]] (to the point of clawing its face until drawing blood). This clues to her (and the audience) the unsettling revelation that the terrifying, humanoid giants that have plagued humanity after nearly exterminating them several hundred years ago, the seemingly unintelligent creatures who have devoured humans and caused untold atrocities for their last remaining stronghold, are not only intelligent but [[TragicMonster transformed humans]]. Eventually the giant succumbs to hunger and, in obvious despair, devours the unlucky scout before she can escape. This is pretty much confirmed by the protagonist and another female member who hid her condition amongst the giant killers even while squashing and maiming half the team as a giant. The former was barely able to control his descent into madness and hunger when he subdues the female member during a long fight (both in giant form).

* DCNation: During the "Strangers" plot where several Titans were swapped out with their {{Evil Counterpart}}s, the thing that tipped the heroes off to something being amiss was that the people they thought were their enemies weren't attacking. Connor Hawke was the first to voice this aloud, able to read Troia's body language and quickly assess that her posture was not that of an attacker, preventing Arsenal from firing a fatal shot.

* ''KingKong'' may well be the trope codifier.
* Happened in ''[[Film/{{Alien}} Alien 3]]''. The creature gets to Ripley, who is helpless, and... hisses, and leaves. Of course, it's because [[spoiler: Ripley is hosting a queen alien]].
* Subverted in ''AlienVsPredator'', when the old man thinks Predator will kill him, but the Predator spares him because he is sickly. [[spoiler: [[{{DontYouDarePityMe}} He gets killed anyway when he attacks him]]]]. Also The FinalGirl thinks that the Predator will kill her as well [[spoiler: but he doesn't because she has proven herself as a warrior, [[WorthyOpponent earning the Predator's respect]]]].

* The climactic battle of ''Film/{{Star Trek VI|The Undiscovered Country}}'' has the ''[[CoolStarship Enterprise]]'' under attack from an enemy ship that can stay cloaked while attacking[[hottip:*: Normally, cloaked ships are required to uncloak before they attack, due to limitations in the Phlebotinum]], causing Kirk to initially order his ship to pull back. ''Both'' commanders on either side ask this question about the other: Kirk wonders why his enemy does not press his advantage; his enemy wants to make sure the Enterprise cannot ascertain his exact location before attacking the larger ship.

* In an episode of StargateSG1 as the team is hiding, they are spotted by Amunet as she, Apophis and a group of guards are leaving though the gate, but she does not signal their presense. [[spoiler: The host Sha're, Daniel's wife, was using her willpower to distract Amunet]]

* Happens with [[spoiler:a geth]] in MassEffect2, who [[StabTheScorpion takes out some enemies for you]], and can later potentially join your party.

* Sometimes you wish Valerie Grey would ask this about her "ArchEnemy" DannyPhantom- who actually ''isn't'' her ArchEnemy, but actually TheHero who never attacks, but she's too blind to see it.

There are a few possible reasons, and not all are good. On the positive end, he may be a [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch rebel]] [[DefectorFromDecadence good guy]], or the bad guys are really DarkIsNotEvil, or their motives for chasing them were [[PoorCommunicationKills benign but misinterpreted]]. Or maybe this was the orc [[AndroclesLion she saved]] years ago repaying the favor, he [[WasOnceAMan was once a human]] and feels pity, or he's [[ReluctantMonster lonely]] and wants a companion. He will usually demonstrate his good intentions by [[StabTheScorpion protecting Alice]] from other threats, which may involve knocking her out and/or taking her to his home. When she wakes up she may think she's ExploringTheEvilLair, and before long she'll be asking "[[ArentYouGoingToRavishMe Aren't You Going To Ravish Me?]]" followed by his puzzled "No." By the time Bob shows up, she'll likely have to stop them both from a [[LetsYouAndHimFight fight over her]]. If the author wants to be cruel, Bob will kill him before Alice can explain.

* In ''StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock'', Kruge ponders ''why'' the ''Enterprise'', which has a weapon advantage of 10 to 1, hasn't finished him off, and the captain is parleying terms of surrender instead. Kruge is GenreSavvy enough to call ''Kirk'' on his bluff.

* The climactic battle of ''StarTrekVI'' has the ''[[CoolStarship Enterprise]]'' under attack from an enemy ship that can stay cloaked while attacking[[hottip:*: Normally, cloaked ships are required to uncloak before they attack, due to limitations in the Phlebotinum]], causing Kirk to initially order his ship to pull back. ''Both'' commanders on either side ask this question about the other: Kirk wonders why his enemy does not press his advantage; his enemy wants to make sure the Enterprise cannot ascertain his exact location before attacking the larger ship.

* This is first played straight, but ultimately subverted in [[Shingeki no Kyojin}}, where one of the soldiers of a band of giant killers is cornered by one of the smaller giants, who desperately tries to hold back its [[http://www.mangahere.com/manga/shingeki_no_kyojin/c018.5/14.html Horror Hunger]] (to the point of clawing its face until drawing blood). This clues to her (and the audience) the unsettling revelation that the terrifying, humanoid giants that have plagued humanity after nearly exterminating them several hundred years ago, the seemingly unintelligent creatures who have devoured humans and caused untold atrocities for their last remaining stronghold, are not only intelligent but [[TragicMonster transformed humans]]. Eventually the giant succumbs to hunger and, in obvious despair, devours the unlucky scout before she can escape. This is pretty much confirmed by the protagonist and another female member who hid her condition amongst the giant killers even while squashing and maiming half the team as a giant. The former was barely able to control his descent into madness and hunger when he subdues the female member during a long fight (both in giant form).

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* DCNation: During the "Strangers" plot where several Titans were swapped out with their {{Evil Counterpart}}s, the thing that tipped the heroes off to something being amiss was that the people they thought were their enemies weren't attacking. Connor Hawke was the first to voice this aloud, able to read Troia's body language and quickly assess that her posture was not that of an attacker, preventing Arsenal from firing a fatal shot.

** Or more plausibly it was recalled before it fired, it is left ambiguous.

** Also occurs on the Season 4 opener, where [[spoiler: Anders]] gets into a dogfight with a Raider. The Raider gets off a scan...and breaks off. It doesn't make the poor guy happy, [[TomatoInTheMirror as he had found out moments ago that he is a Cylon]] and could have probably lived without a stamp of approval from a Raider.

* Occurs in Season 2 finale of [[ReimaginedBattlestarGalactica Battlestar Galactica]]. The Caprican Resistance walks into a Centurion ambush and a bitter firefight ensues...until the Centurions stop firing. The Resistance spend the whole night awake wondering what the frak is going on.

** Also occurs on the Season 4 opener, where [[spoiler: Anders]] gets into a dogfight with a Raider. The Raider gets off a scan...and breaks off. It doesn't make the poor guy happy, as he had found out moments ago that he is a Cylon and could have probably lived without a stamp of approval from a Raider.

* In one episode of ''TheLegendOfTarzan'', Jane is captured by the leopard men. When she finds herself in their city, she asks why they brought her there if they weren't going to tear her apart. Turns out [[spoiler: they wanted to break the spell that Queen La had put on them so they could return to being regular leopards, but the spell could only be broken by their queen. So they kidnapped Jane so she could take the role as queen and break the spell.]]

Alice and Bob have been [[NeverSplitTheParty split up]] against their will by the [[EverythingTryingToKillYou horde]] of flesh eating AlwaysChaoticEvil TheUsualAdversaries. Alice has managed to hide, until she notices that an orc [[BeingWatched has been watching her]] the whole time... and hasn't attacked or revealed her location. "[[TitleDrop Why Isn't It Attacking]] me?", she wonders.

Alice and Bob have been [[NeverSplitTheParty split up]] against their will by the [[EverythingTryingToKillYou horde]] of flesh eating AlwaysChaoticEvil GoddamnOrks. Alice has managed to hide, until she notices that an orc [[BeingWatched has been watching her]] the whole time... and hasn't attacked or revealed her location. "[[TitleDrop Why Isn't It Attacking]] me?", she wonders.

* DCNation: During the "Strangers" plot where several Titans were swapped out with their {{EvilCounterpart}}s, the thing that tipped the heroes off to something being amiss was that the people they thought were their enemies weren't attacking. Connor Hawke was the first to voice this aloud, able to read Troia's body language and quickly assess that her posture was not that of an attacker, preventing Arsenal from firing a fatal shot.

* ''Film/TheHost'' looked like it was going to do this when [[spoiler:it captured the protagonists' daughter]] but it was subverted oh so hard.

More dangerously, he may be a BossInMookClothing feigning the above as part of a dastardly plot to earn her trust so he can betray her later. Even if he genuinely does want to protect her, he can always go [[{{Yandere}} psychotically]] [[StalkerWithACrush possessive]] and only protect her to possess her. Or of course, there might be a [[AlwaysABiggerFish bigger monster behind her]]. [[DelayingAction Or just waiting for reinforcements.]]

More dangerously, he may be a BossInMookClothing feigning the above as part of a dastardly plot to earn her trust so he can betray her later. Even if he genuinely does want to protect her, he can always go [[{{Yandere}} psychotically]] [[StalkerWithACrush possessive]] and only protect her to possess her. Or of course, there might be a [[AlwaysABiggerFish bigger monster behind her]].

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