Line #60 Fanfic/TogetherTheyFightCrime


1	''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/336021/together-they-fight-crime Together, They Fight Crime]]'' is a complete fanfic written by Kudzuhaiku in his [[Fanfic/TheWeedverse Weedverse]]. Yam Spade and Azure Serape are broke. Again. Fortunately a mare comes to him needing someone to find her daughter. Unfortunately, she probably can't pay them enough. [[ChronicHeroSyndrome They take the job anyway]].
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4	!!Tropes:
5	* ActualPacifist: Nougat, a caribou that Yam knew in the [[LegionOfLostSouls Fancy Foreign Legion]].
6	* AffablyEvil: [[spoiler:Cricket is this]], politely explaining his views and trying to turn Yam, and appearing genuinely sorry about [[IDidWhatIHadToDo the darker side of his actions]].
7	* {{Beat}}: After Guacamelee's BigDamnHeroes entrance none of the {{Mooks}} quite know how to respond, at least until [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere the "Desperados" make their decision]].[[note]]In this case, "Desperados" refers to specifically burro villains, who were raised on the stories of Guacamelee as a bogeyman intended to ScareEmStraight, so know what she's (in theory) capable of.[[/note]]
8	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Yam is warned to be careful about what he uses his finding-sense to discover, because some things are too terrible to learn.
9	* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:After Yam gets captured]], several different groups show up, in order, [[ProtoSuperhero Guacamelee]], [[NoSuchAgency S.M.I.L.E.]], and [[TheMenInBlack The Wardens]]. Things become...''chaotic''.
10	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:They've found Honeydew and the (surviving) kidnapped foals, but Honeydew and some of the foals have been permanently altered and can't (for now, at least) return to their parents, Warden Hammerhelm has been stripped of her title and Dread Drop has a black mark on his record, S.M.I.L.E. is still hunting Guacamelee and the real masterminds get off scot-free. This pushes Yam into a Heroic BSOD until Twilight Velvet shows up to employ him, intending to make sure this sort of thing can't happen again]].
11	* {{Blackmail}}: Used to keep those involved in the conspiracy in line, including [[spoiler:Miss Tweedy Penny]].
12	* BoobyTrap: [[spoiler:Tweedy Penny's lockbox]] contains a [[TrickBomb gas bomb]] that goes off when opened.
13	* ChildSoldiers: [[spoiler:Part of the reason the terrorists are kidnapping foals is to build an army they can indoctrinate]].
14	* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Yam and Azure have a mild version. They really need money, they get offered a job that's unlikely to cover expenses, let alone pay off their debts. But it's to rescue an autistic mare who vanished while being exploited by her employer. So they take the case.
15	* ClusterFBomb: While under the influence of the [[HigherUnderstandingThroughDrugs burro alchemy]], Yam [[spoiler:encounters a centaur that unleashes a stream of profanity Yam doesn't dare remember for fear of contaminating reality]].
16	* ContinuityCavalcade: While [[HigherUnderstandingThroughDrugs under the influence]], Yam hallucinates [[spoiler:a paper alicorn[[note]]Either the Nameless One or Twilight[[/note]] battling a many-headed, chained down alicorn[[note]]Potentially the Alicorn Ascendancy[[/note]], while a pale pony looks on[[note]]Pale, TheGrimReaper[[/note]], Princess Luna chasing a younger version of herself claiming there are some things Pony Was Not Meant To Know[[note]]Probably a reference to whatever Gosling had (at the time) just discovered in Fanfic/ThePerilousGestationOfSwans[[/note]] and he is drowned by an anchor[[note]]Probably a reference to [[Fanfic/ThePerilousRomanceOfSwans Mr. Mariner]][[/note]]]]. There's even some stuff from (at the time) unreleased stories, including [[spoiler:Seeing Sunset and Dubious from the unreleased story with[[note]]At the time of writing[[/note]] the title Space Became My Ocean]].
17	* TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch: [[spoiler:Miss Tweedy Penny's]] death is definitely suicide, according to the coroner. Both the Wardens and the two detectives are very sceptical.
18	* CrowdChant: During Guacamelee's CurbStompBattle the [[spoiler:kidnapped foals begin cheering her on]].
19	* CurbStompBattle: Guacamelee is already inflicting one when [[NoSuchAgency S.M.I.L.E.]] and [[TheMenInBlack The Wardens]] show up, making it a very bad day to be a {{Mook}}.
20	* DeadManWriting: [[spoiler:Miss Tweedy Penny leaves a confession with her airship tickets for the event she is not able to collect them]].
21	* DontSplitUsUp: {{Defied}} by Warden Hammerhelm, who [[spoiler:uses what's left of her authority to command that Honey Dew and the experimented-on foals not be separated]].
22	* DontTellMama: PlayedWith, Azure threatens to set ''her'' mother on Yam[[note]]Given his own parents disowned him over his [[MalignedMixedMarriage marriage]], it's pointless threatening him with them[[/note]].
23	* DowsingDevice: Yam Spade is a living one, rather useful in his [[PrivateDetective line of work]].
24	* EvilGloating: When he [[spoiler:has Yam tied up after capturing him, Officer Cricket]] takes the opportunity to explain the philosophy of his terrorist group.
25	* FantasticRacism: Apparently there are some places that have problems letting burros in. People looking down on Azure because of her race is something of a BerserkButton for her.
26	* FriendOnTheForce: Wardens Owleye and Dread Drop have this sort of dynamic with Yam and Azure, as does Warden Hammerhelm ([[spoiler:even after she's stripped of her title and reassigned to training duty]]), despite being closer to TheMenInBlack than conventional police.
27	* GetOutOfJailFreeCard: Part of signing on with [[spoiler:Twilight Velvet's bureaucratic campaign]] is a pre-emptive pardon.
28	* GoodIsNotNice: [[spoiler:Twilight Velvet]] tried being nice. It didn't work. So a different approach is needed. Like hiring a [[PrivateDetective soft-boiled detective]] to find {{Blackmail}} material.
29	* GrievousHarmWithABody: When a pegasus tries to get the height advantage on her, Guacamelee prevents him doing so and uses him [[SpinAttack to clear the rest of the group]].
30	* HawaiianShirtedTourist: While trying to blend in as a tourist, Yam wears appropriate attire.
31	* HappilyMarried: Despite their troubles, Azure and Yam.
32	* HarmfulToMinors: Given that the villains are kidnapping foals, this was nearly inevitable, but having to see [[spoiler:Officer Cricket commit suicide by driving a lead pipe through his own skull]] is not the best of outcomes.
33	* HeroAntagonist: [[NoSuchAgency S.M.I.L.E.]] is hunting Guacamelee, much to Yam's disapproval, given who Guacamelee is actually fighting. The Wardens (at least the ones we see onscreen) are more pragmatic.
34	* HeroicBSOD: Yam has one after the climax of the story, distressed by the BittersweetEnding. [[spoiler:Twilight Velvet's offer snaps him out of it]].
35	* HigherUnderstandingThroughDrugs: An old burro mare uses an alchemical brew to help teach Yam how to use his finding-sense across planes.
36	* IDidWhatIHadToDo: The actions of [[spoiler:Officer Cricket's cell]] are justified this way by their spokespony. [[ShutUpHannibal Yam disagrees]].
37	* IncomingHam: Guacamelee, is heralded by a mariachi band and Yam explaining just how screwed the villains are to have pissed off ''[[LargeHamTitle Espíritu de Venganza]]''. Then comes the BigEntrance, rounded off with a top-of-her-lungs PreAsskickingOneLiner.
38	* InsistentTerminology: Azure is a burro, not a donkey.
39	* InspirationalMartyr: [[spoiler:Cricket intends this to be the result of his suicide while under attack by Equestrian forces, intending it to appear he was murdered by them]].
40	* ImprovisedWeapon: Both a toolbox and a chair come in handy for Guacamelee.
41	* JurisdictionFriction: The local police resent the [[TheMenInBlack Warden's]] involvement.
42	* KarmaHoudini: The real mastermind of the story, at least until later [[Fanfic/TheWeedverse Weedverse]] stories[[note]]It's not revealed in this story, but the mastermind is [[spoiler:Mister Mariner, who launches a failed coup]] in Fanfic/ThePerilousRomanceOfSwans[[/note]].
43	* KungFuProofMook: The Wardens are increasingly finding people resistant to their powers, something they find concerning.
44	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: {{Discussed}} but {{Averted}}, Azure and Yam are spared [[NoSuchAgency S.M.I.L.E.'s]] attentions at the Wardens' insistence.
45	* LawfulStupid: {{Discussed}}, but the Wardens [[AvertedTrope aren't this]], generally, being closer to [[TheMenInBlack somewhat shady]] goodness, with a dose of LoopholeAbuse and (occasionally) ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight.
46	* LightningBruiser: Guacamelee moves [[TeleportSpam quickly]] and hits like a truck.
47	* LoopholeAbuse: Why Owleye is ''not'' LawfulStupid, she can share information on the case due to having conscripted Yam and Azure.
48	* LoveAtFirstPunch: Yam and Azure met when he offered to buy her a drink and got slapped for his trouble. One minor war[[note]]Not with each other. Probably.[[/note]] later, and they were moving in together.
49	* LysistrataGambit: {{Inverted}}, Azure promises to make Yam's bravery worth his while when he's reluctant to try HigherUnderstandingThroughDrugs.
50	* MalignedMixedMarriage: Marrying Azure got Yam [[IHaveNoSon disowned by his parents]] and blacklisted from most reputable agencies.
51	* MaskedLuchador: Guacamelee.
52	* MegaCorp: [=AgTech=] shows some signs of being one of these.
53	* MessOfWoe: {{Inverted}}, at the end of the story Yam and Azure's apartment is ridiculously clean, despite Yam's ongoing HeroicBSOD, due to them being essentially under house arrest and limited on stuff to do.
54	* MightyGlacier: The Wardens, in their heavy armour, in contrast to [[LightningBruiser Guacamelee]] or S.M.I.L.E.
55	* MoodWhiplash: Immediately after the awesomeness of Guacamelee, the Wardens and S.M.I.L.E.'s CurbStompBattle (in fact while they're just clearing up), we have [[spoiler:Cricket's suicide and the horrified reactions of the onlooking foals]].
56	* MushroomSamba: Yam, while under the influence of a burro concoction designed to [[{{Invoked}} Invoke]] HigherUnderstandingThroughDrugs. It forms something of a ContinuityCavalcade, including stories that aren't written yet.
57	* PerpetualPoverty: Apparently there's always an eviction notice in the mailbox, and the pair have built up a massive tab at the local eatery.
58	* PetTheDog: [[spoiler:Despite being involved in experiments on foals, Tweedy Penny did the best she could to keep them sedated and comfortable]].
59	* PlantPerson: [[spoiler:Honey Dew became one after an accident while researching trolls[[note]]In Fanfic/TheWeedverse, trolls are a kind of plant[[/note]], the experiments on the foals were an attempt to replicate it. Some were successful. Many were not]].
60	* PoliceAreUseless: At least when it comes to crimes against burros. [[FantasticRacism They just don't care]].
61	* PowersViaPossession: How the Guacamelee mask works; it possesses the host, giving them the ability to fight whatever injustice has infuriated them.
62	* PreAssKickingOneLiner: Rounding off a BigEntrance nicely:
63	-->'''Guacamelee:''' I AM GUACAMELEE, ''ESPÍRITU DE VENGANZA'', AND ALL OF YOU PUTA MADRES ARE ABOUT TO GET YOUR ASS BEAT!
64	* PrivateDetective: Yam Spade is a "soft-boiled" detective.
65	* ProtoSuperhero: Guacamelee, being a crime-fighting MaskedLuchador, draws a lot from this kind of character.
66	* SetAMookToKillAMook: Part of the Wardens' contributions to a fight.
67	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Warden Hammerhelm.
68	* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: A common approach in Las Pegasus.
69	* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Mister Schmutzig helps Yam get information he needs despite it being against company policy because it's the right thing to do. Later on, Warden Hammerhelm gives Yam orders to retrieve important documents because she has too few Wardens and can't trust the police, knowing that she'll be punished for it. [[spoiler:This backfires horribly, as Yam is captured, meaning that rather than a reprimand, she's sacked, taking on all the blame to protect Dread Drop, who could also have been implicated. She still reckons she did the right thing, and outright says that she'll do it again if Yam needs it]]. [[spoiler:This is also the motivation behind Twilight Velvet's new approach after following the rules failed]]. It doesn't hurt that she has [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections royal backing]].
70	* SexySoakedShirt: The essence of the trope comes across in Yam's reaction to Azure after a shower.
71	* ShutUpHannibal: After having the villain's view calmly and rationally explained to him, Yam expresses his opinion of them.
72	* SilentScapegoat: [[spoiler:Warden Hammerhelm willingly takes all the blame for the fiasco, protecting Dread Drop]].
73	* SourceMusic: Guacamelee brings her soundtrack with her.
74	* TeleportSpam: A significant part of Guacamelee's fighting style.
75	* ThisIsUnforgivable: To Yam, experiments on foals.
76	* TitleDrop: The very last line, to signify [[HesBack the end]] of a HeroicBSOD.
77	* TrademarkFavouriteFood: Yam likes tamales.
78	* TrashOfTheTitans: Yam and Azure do not live the cleanest of lifestyles.
79	* YouNeedToGetLaid: Yam's opinion of Dread Drop and Owleye. [[BelligerentSexualTension Preferably with each other]].
80	* UnreliableNarrator: {{Discussed}} InUniverse, Miss Penny's journals are heavily biased as a source on the reasons for her actions.
81	* TheUnSmile: Yam is on the receiving end of a Warden's grin... [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily Many, many teeth]].
82	* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:Officer Cricket, and possibly other members of his cell]]. Their goals are understandable [[note]]Though the worldview they're based on is wrong, at least within the established state of the [[Fanfic/TheWeedverse 'verse]].[[/note]], but their actions to support it are horrific. WordOfGod is that they would not survive the reveal of the identity TheManBehindTheMan[[note]][[spoiler:Mr Mariner, a powerful oligarch who is using the idealists to increase his own power]], in stark contrast to their own egalitarian goals.[[/note]]. [[spoiler:Cricket's suicide is in part to avoid having to face a world where he's wrong]].
83	* WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler:The crimes that Miss Tweedy Penny were involved in included experiments on foals]].
84	* WretchedHive: Las Pegasus or Manehattan is the most corrupt city in Equestria. Jury's out as to which.
85	* XanatosGambit: [[spoiler:Mister Mariner's actions. If the heroes hadn't intervened, he'd have had the benefits of the research and the active terrorist cell. As it is, he's able to push a mayoral candidate he's backing to the top and take advantage of the chaos to solidify his power]].

Context Fanfic / TogetherTheyFightCrime