Trope Trasher 9

The Dues Ex Machina. Who needs cheat codes when you can invent ridiculous plot twists to solve all your problems.

Bullets flew overhead in a deafening cascade; Cerberus Troops came in a constant stream from the drop ships flying overhead. The indoctrinated soldiers pressed the advantage that sheer numbers provided them as they slowly advanced on their downed quarry.

Commander Tom Shepard took cover behind the conveniently placed, waist high retainer wall, breathing hard and favouring his right side. It seems that one of those soldiers had gotten lucky and clipped his left arm while his shields were down.

Garrus Vakarian was on his last legs, he couldn't believe after all he'd survived that it would be here where he met his end. Some lucky Cerberus prick had broken his shield early on and he'd taken a round in the knee from a Talon pistol soon after, he knew he needed medical attention now, he'd already lost far too much blood even before considering he'd lost all feeling in his leg.

Ashley Williams roared in rage as she opened fire at the advancing troopers. Her rage was cut short as her shields were overwhelmed and bullet tore through the metal guarding her neck. She screamed in pain and shock as she fell, blood pouring from her Carotid Artery. She knew she was dead as she futilely tried to hold the wound shut.

Tom winced as he watched Ashley fall. A glint caught his eye as a grenade flew over his cover landing at his feet. He closed his eyes and prepared for death flashes of his life passing before his eyes.

10 seconds passed and Tom opened his eyes. The grenade sat there motionlessly, the weapons fire which only seconds ago had been overwhelming was silent. Tom stood looking around in shock; none of the Cerberus Troops were moving. Ashley, who by all rights should have been dead by now considering her blood loss rose to her feet, the blood flow stopping and power returning to her form. Garrus stood smoothly, his knee, bloody and mangled seemingly not affecting him at all.

'What the hell is going on?'

'Hell if I know.'

'That would be me.' The three soldiers turned towards the voice, a human child no older then twelve stood upon a stack of crates an eerie smile upon his face, a mixture of glee and some other far more sinister emotion spreading across his face. 'The names Anamika, and I'll be your unholy pagan god today.'

'I'm Catholic.' Ashley said with a raised eyebrow.

'Your point?'

'Well I'm a polytheist, so… why are you human? Why aren't you Turian?'

'…'

'…'

'Well… I'm an atheist and I deny your existence…'

'…'

'…'

'…Just shut up.'

'Call it divine intervention.' The child chuckled. 'You guys are fun, so I'm going to give you a bit of support here… I was thinking maybe throw you back in time… or give you superpowers or something… So what'cha want?'

'I'd like to live for one.' Ashley replied sarcastically pointing at the gaping wound in her neck.

A wave of the child's hand saw Ashley's neck; Garrus's leg and Shepard's arm heal miraculously.

'Ah… can I ask why you're doing this.'

'You can.'

'So…'

'…'

'…'

'Why are you doing this?'

'You're fun…'

'That's it?'

'Yup…'

'…'

'…'

'Okay… this silence is getting awkward so let's just move on.'

'Um… What kind of superpowers?'

'What kind do you want?'

'Never really thought about it.'

'I can see that.'

'How about Biotic's?'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'I'm giving you the opportunity to bend reality to your whim… and all you can think is Biotic's?'

'…Super Biotic's?'

'You know what? You guys think about it and call me when you're done.' And with that the god child disappeared and time restarted.

Including time for the Cerberus Troopers who spotted the trio.

Of whom were all out in the open.

Whoops…

The Dues Ex Machina Trope isn't bound to divine beings; they are a way of solving the unsolvable. These things are quite literally the cheat codes of fiction. Star Trek is the first to come to mind, can't solve a problem? Invent a fictional particle and reconfigure something to utilise them. Borg getting you down? Have your future self come back in time to solve the problem for you. Can't figure out how this oddity of time and space works? Call Q.

Can't beat the Reaper's? Call in the Star Child…

I just threw up a little in my mouth…

An author can't find a way to defeat an invented enemy, thus a character is granted superpowers or a god shows up and throws them all back in time to prepare or a mythical artefact grants then victory.

Authors have been doing it for millennia.

To put it simply…

It's overdone!

If you can't resolve a plot don't introduce it!

Try foreshadowing and I don't mean J.K. Rowling style, thankyou Deathly Hallows you were and still are completely pointless.

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Still taking reviews.

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This is a shout out to all those who requested a Biotic's Trope, they exist as part of the series thus they themselves cannot be a Trope. When they are ridiculously overpowered to the point you're throwing around buildings then what you've got is a Dues Ex Machina, an easy way out.

And let's be blunt Super Biotics are thee easy way out in terms of superpowers.