Typical forms
- Played Straight: Alice the chairman of Trope Co. and the Power Trio, Bubba, Charlie and Devon, want to see each other dead. But Alice has a mission and requires the services of the Power Trio, being willing to pay them. The Power Trio accepts the mission. Alice pays them.
- Justified: The Power Trio are in dire need of money and resources to take down TropeCo and Alice with it. Both sides can't help but lampshade the irony.
- Inverted: The Power Trio require the services of Alice and TropeCo in spite of their mutual hatred.
- Subverted: Alice and the Power Trio want to see each other dead. But Alice has a mission, and requires the services of the Power Trio, being willing to pay them. Either:
- The Power Trio refuse to accept the mission.
- The Power Trio accepts the mission, but Alice underpays or doesn't pay them.
- Double Subverted: Alice and the Power Trio want to see each other dead. But Alice has a mission, and requires the services of the Power Trio, being willing to pay them. Either:
- The Power Trio refuse to accept the mission, but something happens and they decide to accept it anyway.
- The Power Trio accepts the mission, but Alice underpays or doesn't pay them. Then they reveal that they have incriminating documents, forcing Alice's hand.
- Parodied:
- Deconstructed:
- Reconstructed:
- Zigzagged:
- Averted: Neither Alice nor the Power Trio need each other's services.
- Enforced: The work is an ad for cooperation in dire times, or a propaganda piece.
- Implied:
- Logical Extreme:
Tone and Style
- Exaggerated: Alice employs the Power Trio for a dangerous mission in the hopes that they die. The mission is so dire, she won't risk sending her squads to accomplish it. Besides, the mission implies a huge lethal risk for the Power Trio. Two birds, one stone.
- Downplayed: Alice begrudgingly accepts the Power Trio's help.
- Played for Laughs: The mission has them retrieving a beloved treasure of Alice's that was left behind enemy lines: a rubber duck.
- Played for Drama:
- Played for Horror: The mission has a lot of risks for the Power Trio.
Specific characters
- Lampshaded: "It's not like we one day may need TropeCo's or Alice's help if we want to take them down, do we?" — Bubba
- Invoked: "You hate us, we hate you. But for this specific mission, we require your services. And we're willing to reward you accordingly." — Alice
- Defied: "Thank you, Alice, but we're fine. Go find lackeys somewhere else." — Bubba
- Exploited:
- Discussed:
- Conversed:
Back to Hired by the Oppressor.
