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Crosswicking
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Yeah. It's basically ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', [[PlayedForDrama with emphasis on psychological drama]] reminiscent of ''Literature/SailorNothing''. It can be found [[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/40639/solar-defenders-the-role-of-a-shield free online at Royal Road.]]
to:
Yeah. It's basically ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', [[PlayedForDrama with emphasis on psychological drama]] reminiscent of ''Literature/SailorNothing''. It can be found [[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/40639/solar-defenders-the-role-of-a-shield free online online]] at Royal Road.]]
Website/RoyalRoad.
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* ProperlyParanoid: The school made karate a mandatory part of the curriculum. Then monsters attacked the school. David compares this to [[WhatAnIdiot attacking a military base;]] the well-trained students, with the help of the Defenders, make short work of even a small army of bad guys.
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* ProperlyParanoid: The school made karate a mandatory part of the curriculum. Then monsters attacked the school. David compares this to [[WhatAnIdiot attacking a military base;]] base; the well-trained students, with the help of the Defenders, make short work of even a small army of bad guys.
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This trope only applies to the entire population in a quarantined area being eliminated, not to any general uses of the term "It's the Only Way to be Sure".
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* ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure: A rare non-destructive variant. [[spoiler: Sensei knows that the Defenders are ordinary kids from his town. He doesn't know who will be chosen. So he makes sure to train ''every last one of them'' in self-defense by getting it made a mandatory part of the high school curriculum, so that whoever they are, they will be prepared to fight monsters.]]
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Dewicked trope
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* ActionGirl: All the female Defenders. It's a {{Sentai}} team. What did you expect?
* AdultFear: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley [[OutlivingOnesOffspring lost his son, one of the original Defenders, to a monster attack.]] He blames himself for not having trained them well enough.]]
** What if you sent your kid off to school, and then the school itself came under attack?
** You're a magical soldier fighting murderous creatures in a never-ending battle of attrition, knowing just how much of a toll it can take on someone, and then [[spoiler: a family member finds a lost TransformationTrinket.]]
* AdultFear: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley [[OutlivingOnesOffspring lost his son, one of the original Defenders, to a monster attack.]] He blames himself for not having trained them well enough.]]
** What if you sent your kid off to school, and then the school itself came under attack?
** You're a magical soldier fighting murderous creatures in a never-ending battle of attrition, knowing just how much of a toll it can take on someone, and then [[spoiler: a family member finds a lost TransformationTrinket.]]
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* ItsAllMyFault: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley [[OutlivingOnesOffspring lost his son, one of the original Defenders, to a monster attack.]] He blames himself for not having trained them well enough.]]
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* WorldOfActionGirls: All the female Defenders. It's a {{Sentai}} team.
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Dewicking per TRS.
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* SecretChaser: Apparently the school bullies are trying to find out who the Defenders are for some reason. [[NotSoDifferent Meanwhile, David is trying to figure out who the old Defenders were.]]
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* SecretChaser: Apparently the school bullies are trying to find out who the Defenders are for some reason. [[NotSoDifferent Meanwhile, David is trying to figure out who the old Defenders were.]]
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Unnecessary Pothole is unnecessary
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** When the monsters stop attacking the same city over and over and expand their range to elsewhere in the country, [[RealityEnsues the President takes notice.]]
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** When the monsters stop attacking the same city over and over and expand their range to elsewhere in the country, [[RealityEnsues the President takes notice.]]
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* AmazonianBeauty: Kawena Kapule, a "gorgeous Hawaiian babe" who is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter second-ranked]] in karate in the school, is described as [[StatuesqueStunner tall]], well-built, and (according to David at least) the hottest girl in school. He has a massive crush on her but considers her utterly out of his league. [[spoiler: She's also Defender Venus.]]
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* BlackAndNerdy: Eden.
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* TheBully: Scott and Blake Underwood.
* [[ButForMeItWasTuesday But For Me, It Was Thursday]]: Weekly monster attacks are so common in Michael's Landing that they've become an ordinary, routine part of life there.
* [[ButForMeItWasTuesday But For Me, It Was Thursday]]: Weekly monster attacks are so common in Michael's Landing that they've become an ordinary, routine part of life there.
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*
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* HotAmazon: Kawena Kapule, a "gorgeous Hawaiian babe" who is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter second-ranked]] in karate in the school, is described as tall, well-built, and (according to David at least) the hottest girl in school. He has a massive crush on her but considers her utterly out of his league. [[spoiler: She's also Defender Venus.]]
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* ZeroApprovalGambit: [[spoiler: Kawena's freaking out and hiding every time there's a monster attack]] is all an act, a part of TheMasquerade, providing a convenient excuse to get away somewhere and transform in private.
to:
* ZeroApprovalGambit: [[spoiler: Kawena's freaking out and hiding every time there's a monster attack]] is all an act, a part of TheMasquerade, providing a convenient excuse to get away somewhere and transform in private.private.
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** You're a magical soldier fighting murderous creatures in a never-ending battle of attrition, knowing just how much of a toll it can take on someone, and then [[spoiler: a family member finds a lost TransformationTrinket.]]
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* MegaCorp: Underwood Consolidated, which seems to be at the center of the worldwide monstronium/kirila industry.
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* InstantArmor: Morphing into Defender Form causes armor to grow out of their skin.
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* MegaCorp: Underwood Consolidated, which seems to be at the center of the worldwide monstronium/kirila industry.
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* TheAtoner: It's strongly implied that [[spoiler: Kawena wasn't careful enough with secrets, which ended up somehow getting her sister killed,]] and that's why she cares so intensely about the rules now.
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* MyGreatestFailure: It's strongly implied that [[spoiler: Kawena wasn't careful enough with secrets, which ended up somehow getting her sister killed,]] and that's why she cares so intensely about the rules now.
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* TheAtoner: It's strongly implied that [[spoiler: Kawena wasn't careful enough with secrets, which ended up somehow getting her sister killed,]] and that's why she cares so intensely about the rules now.
* BigBrotherInstinct: When [[spoiler: David's]] little sister stumbles across a Fundament crystal, he vehemently vetoes any possible thought of her putting herself in danger as a member of the team, and insists that Aderan remove her powers.
* TheBully: Scott and Blake Underwood.
* MegaCorp: Underwood Consolidated, which seems to be at the center of the worldwide monstronium/kirila industry.
* GovernmentAgencyOfFiction: After the monster situation gets worse, TheMenInBlack show up, claiming to be from the Department of Magical Investigation. They demonstrate advanced knowledge of magic, but are surprised to learn that [[spoiler: the Defenders are high school students.]]
** NoSuchAgency: "Don't bother looking us up; the agency's very existence is highly classified."
** NoSuchAgency: "Don't bother looking us up; the agency's very existence is highly classified."
* TheMasquerade: It's an explicit rule of the Defenders to protect their identity, so that the enemy doesn't go after their loved ones.
* TheMentor: An alien sorcerer known as Aderan, who teaches the kids what it means to be a Defender.
** Chapter 4 reveals that [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley]] knows all about TheMasquerade, due to his son having been one of the original Defenders, and he wants to do everything possible to help the subsequent kids survive.
* TheMentor: An alien sorcerer known as Aderan, who teaches the kids what it means to be a Defender.
** Chapter 4 reveals that [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley]] knows all about TheMasquerade, due to his son having been one of the original Defenders, and he wants to do everything possible to help the subsequent kids survive.
* TheReveal: In chapter 10, David (and the audience) learns that Kawena's sister [[spoiler: was never actually a Defender. It's strongly implied that her death around the time that Kawena became Venus [[TheAtoner is related to the reason why]] she cares so much about following the rules and protecting their identities.]]
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* TheBully: Scott and Blake Underwood.
* TheMasquerade: It's an explicit rule of the Defenders to protect their identity, so that the enemy doesn't go after their loved ones.
* TheMentor: An alien sorcerer known as Aderan, who teaches the kids what it means to be a Defender.
** Chapter 4 reveals that [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley]] knows all about TheMasquerade, due to his son having been one of the original Defenders, and he wants to do everything possible to help the subsequent kids survive.
* TheMasquerade: It's an explicit rule of the Defenders to protect their identity, so that the enemy doesn't go after their loved ones.
* TheMentor: An alien sorcerer known as Aderan, who teaches the kids what it means to be a Defender.
** Chapter 4 reveals that [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley]] knows all about TheMasquerade, due to his son having been one of the original Defenders, and he wants to do everything possible to help the subsequent kids survive.
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* PostModernMagick: Need a way for the heroes to communicate with each other? Use a chat app on everyone's phones. Find a magical metal that can be made to heat up immensely under specific conditions? Turn it into fuel for a power plant.
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* CombatPragmatist: There's an armored monster who's too tough to damage easily. There's a lake nearby. Mars [[StateTheSimpleSolution comes up with the easy answer:]] pick it up, carry it to the lake, and hold it under until it drowns.
* GodTest: Rachael, the psychiatrist, asks David to meet her in her office on the second floor, [[{{Teleportation}} without coming in through the lobby.]]
* ItCanThink: After the battle in Chicago, Jenny points out that the monster displayed signs of intelligence. Kawena responds that that doesn't make it any more sympathetic: It was killing people and causing heavy property damage, and if it's something more than a mindless beast simply following instinct, then it was being evil by choice.
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** Why do the bad guys follow a ridiculous MonsterOfTheWeek formula where they keep losing over and over for years and years? Because they're trying to wear down their opponents, and they follow an ideology claiming that attrition is the correct way to conquer.
to:
** Why do the bad guys follow a ridiculous MonsterOfTheWeek formula where they keep losing over and over for years and years? [[spoiler: Because they're trying to wear down their opponents, and they follow an ideology claiming that attrition is the correct way to conquer.]]
** Why do people continue to live in the city that's been under attack by monsters for years rather than abandoning it? [[spoiler: Because they discovered that monsters are made from a rare, valuable material, and recovering and selling it has provided a major economic boom to Michael's Landing, attracting people from all over the world who were willing to accept the risks.]]
** Why do people continue to live in the city that's been under attack by monsters for years rather than abandoning it? [[spoiler: Because they discovered that monsters are made from a rare, valuable material, and recovering and selling it has provided a major economic boom to Michael's Landing, attracting people from all over the world who were willing to accept the risks.]]
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** When the monsters stop attacking the same city over and over and expand their range to elsewhere in the country, [[RealityEnsues the President takes notice.]]
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* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Eden claims she saw another person in red Defender armor during the battle in Chicago. There's no evidence that another Mars exists. The team believes her, though they do point out that just because she saw it doesn't necessarily mean it's really there; between magic and technology there are plenty of ways to create a convincing illusion.
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* InadequateInheritor: David sees himself as this. He struggles to learn his powers, constantly feels like he has no business being Jupiter, and is trying to figure out some way to find the previous Defenders to pick their brains.
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* ByThePowerOfGrayskull: "Powers come upon me, Defender [name]!"
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** Jenny likes to tease David over his crush on Kawena by calling him "Montague," as in [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Romeo Montague,]] because of his affection for a certain "Kauple-ette." He finds the name quite [[LamePunReaction groanworthy]], and would really prefer she not compare him to someone who famously ended up [[DownerEnding getting both himself and his beloved killed.]]
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* CelebCrush: Josh has a thing for Christine Stanton, an actress who plays Neptune on the TV show. When she shows up at the school as a motivational speaker for a school assembly, [[spoiler: he derails the whole thing by walking out on-stage as Defender Mars and flirting with her.]]
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* ColorCodedSecretIdentity: [[AvertedTrope Averted hard.]] Venus [[TakeThat calls out the way the TV show does this]] and states that it would be a good way to get themselves identified, and subsequently killed.
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* LovesMyAlterEgo: Not exactly love, but Christine Stanton ended up noticeably flustered (and admitted as much) after the surprise visit from Mars. Josh realizes that it won't ever amount to anything, though, because he can't reveal his secret identity. (Eden adds that even if she did know who he was, she's a grown woman and he's a teenaged high school student.)
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* SecretChaser: Apparently the school bullies are trying to find out who the Defenders are for some reason. [[NotSoDifferent Meanwhile, David is trying to figure out who the old Defenders were.]]
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* ShipperOnDeck: Jenny tries to encourage David to ask Kawena out. He resists because he thinks she's out of his league.
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* DrivenToSuicide: One of the original Defenders, after seeing three of her teammates (including her boyfriend) killed in front of her.
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* AppliedPhlebotinum: What Aderan calls "kirila" and regular civilians call "monstronium." It's a rare substance found in the bodies of monsters that's extremely valuable for as-yet-unspecified reasons.
to:
* AppliedPhlebotinum: What Aderan calls "kirila" and regular civilians call "monstronium." It's a rare substance found in the bodies of monsters that's extremely valuable for as-yet-unspecified reasons.at least two reasons: it can strengthen steel to reinforce buildings against monster attacks, and it has magical properties that makes it a physics-defying source of clean energy.
* HopeSpot: In chapter 5, Aderan tells the Defenders that, [[IfMyCalculationsAreCorrect given what information he has,]] the Masters must be coming close to running out of kirila, and they probably have less than two years' supply left until they're no longer able to make more monsters.
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* JustifiedTrope: Why are the new recruits on the local team of [[SerialNumbersFiledOff most-definitely-not-Power-Rangers]] all skilled martial artists from day 1? Because karate is a mandatory part of the curriculum at their high school, [[spoiler: because a man who was an expert martial artist lost his son to a monster attack and has obsessively dedicated himself ever since to making sure the rest of the kids will know how to defend themselves.]]
to:
* JustifiedTrope: JustifiedTrope:
** Why are the new recruits on the local team of [[SerialNumbersFiledOff most-definitely-not-Power-Rangers]] all skilled martial artists from day 1? Because karate is a mandatory part of the curriculum at their high school, [[spoiler: because a man who was an expert martial artist lost his son to a monster attack and has obsessively dedicated himself ever since to making sure the rest of the kids will know how to defend themselves.]]]]
** Why do the bad guys follow a ridiculous MonsterOfTheWeek formula where they keep losing over and over for years and years? Because they're trying to wear down their opponents, and they follow an ideology claiming that attrition is the correct way to conquer.
** Why are the new recruits on the local team of [[SerialNumbersFiledOff most-definitely-not-Power-Rangers]] all skilled martial artists from day 1? Because karate is a mandatory part of the curriculum at their high school, [[spoiler: because a man who was an expert martial artist lost his son to a monster attack and has obsessively dedicated himself ever since to making sure the rest of the kids will know how to defend themselves.
** Why do the bad guys follow a ridiculous MonsterOfTheWeek formula where they keep losing over and over for years and years? Because they're trying to wear down their opponents, and they follow an ideology claiming that attrition is the correct way to conquer.
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* MythologyGag: "We've all seen the footage from the early days, with skyscrapers getting torn apart like they're made of cardboard."
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* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Aderan notes that the Masters changing their tactics is extremely troubling.
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* SixthRanger: Chapter 5 hints that there should be one, the most powerful of all, but the Fundament for it has been lost. [[ChekhovsGun Clearly it'll be found soon.]]
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* WrestlerInAllOfUs: One civilian helps Jupiter out when he's getting overwhelmed by golems, by beating one of them with a folding chair.
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* NeverFoundTheBody: The lack of any indication that any students are dead or missing leads David to believe that the three fallen Defenders survived, though he has no idea who they were.
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* YouDoNotWantToKnow: Venus tells David that it's against the rules for her to tell him the identities of her fallen teammates, that the rules are there for his protection as well as theirs, and that he wouldn't want to know anyway. He ''does'' want to know anyway, reasoning that they might be able to help out given that they know how being a Defender works, and he's trying to figure out who they were.
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* FailureKnight: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley. After several of the early Defenders got killed because they didn't know how to fight, he took it upon himself to train the students in karate. Every last one of them, just to be sure.]]
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* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley. After several of the early Defenders got killed because they didn't know how to fight, he took it upon himself to train the students in karate. Every last one of them, just to be sure.]]
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* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley. After several of the early Defenders got killed because they didn't know how to fight, he took it upon himself to train the students in karate. Every last one of them, just to be sure.]]
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* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley. After several of the early Defenders got killed because they didn't know how to fight, he took it upon himself to train the students in karate. Every last one of them, just to be sure.]]
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* AllTherapistsAreMuggles: [[AvertedTrope Averted.]] [[spoiler: Sensei]] tells the kids that one of the original team went off to college, became a therapist, and moved back to Michael's Landing with the explicit intent of offering her services to her successors, so they can have someone to talk to openly about the stresses of being a Defender.
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* AppliedPhlebotinum: What Aderan calls "kirila" and regular civilians call "monstronium." It's a rare substance found in the bodies of monsters that's extremely valuable for as-yet-unspecified reasons.
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* ParentsKnowTheirChildren: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley]] recognized that something had changed for his son after he became a Defender. He can also recognize [[spoiler: his students, individually, by the quirks in the way they fight, which is how he identifies new Defenders.]]
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** Chapter 4 reveals that [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley]] knows all about TheMasquerade, due to his son having been one of the original Defenders, and he wants to do everything possible to help the subsequent kids survive.
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* AdultFear: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley [[OutlivingOnesOffspring lost his son, one of the original Defenders, to a monster attack.]] He blames himself for not having trained them well enough.]]
** What if you sent your kid off to school, and then the school itself came under attack?
** What if you sent your kid off to school, and then the school itself came under attack?
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* CurbStompBattle: It was a big mistake for the monsters to attack a school where literally every student is trained in self-defense!
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* HeroicRROD / DentedIron: David worries that [[spoiler: Kawena]] may be close to the breaking point. As the only experienced veteran on the team, this would likely lead to a TotalPartyKill.
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* ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure: A rare non-destructive variant. [[spoiler: Sensei knows that the Defenders are ordinary kids from his town. He doesn't know who will be chosen. So he makes sure to train ''every last one of them'' in self-defense by getting it made a mandatory part of the high school curriculum, so that whoever they are, they will be prepared to fight monsters.]]
* JustifiedTrope: Why are the new recruits on the local team of [[SerialNumbersFiledOff most-definitely-not-Power-Rangers]] all skilled martial artists from day 1? Because karate is a mandatory part of the curriculum at their high school, [[spoiler: because a man who was an expert martial artist lost his son to a monster attack and has obsessively dedicated himself ever since to making sure the rest of the kids will know how to defend themselves.]]
* JustifiedTrope: Why are the new recruits on the local team of [[SerialNumbersFiledOff most-definitely-not-Power-Rangers]] all skilled martial artists from day 1? Because karate is a mandatory part of the curriculum at their high school, [[spoiler: because a man who was an expert martial artist lost his son to a monster attack and has obsessively dedicated himself ever since to making sure the rest of the kids will know how to defend themselves.]]
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* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Subverted in chapter 4. David gets notified that he has detention because he ran away from the fight at the school, but [[spoiler: it was Sensei's way of getting some time alone with the new recruits to explain to them what he knows and why he's helping them.]]
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Having done this is [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley's]] motivation for helping out.
* ProperlyParanoid: The school made karate a mandatory part of the curriculum. Then monsters attacked the school. David compares this to [[WhatAnIdiot attacking a military base;]] the well-trained students, with the help of the Defenders, make short work of even a small army of bad guys.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Having done this is [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley's]] motivation for helping out.
* ProperlyParanoid: The school made karate a mandatory part of the curriculum. Then monsters attacked the school. David compares this to [[WhatAnIdiot attacking a military base;]] the well-trained students, with the help of the Defenders, make short work of even a small army of bad guys.
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* TeleportSpam: Mercury's preferred fighting style.
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley. After several of the early Defenders got killed because they didn't know how to fight, he took it upon himself to train the students in karate. Every last one of them, just to be sure.]]
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: Sensei Billingsley. After several of the early Defenders got killed because they didn't know how to fight, he took it upon himself to train the students in karate. Every last one of them, just to be sure.]]
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* DeadManWriting: Not confirmed yet, but David is writing out his story because he's afraid his entire team may be wiped out, and if so he wants ''someone'' to find it and learn the truth.
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* MakeMyMonsterGrow: The [[{{Phlebotinum}} kirila]] that the monsters are made from is unstable. If they take too much damage without being killed, they'll suddenly expand massively, then explode when defeated.
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* TakeThat: Venus has a rant about how many stupid things the TV show does that would make their secret identities obvious, such as calling each other by name in battle, [[ColorCodedCharacters always wearing clothes that match their armor colors,]] and conspicuously being a group of friends who always hang out together despite being from different social circles. She warns the newcomers that [[ThisIsReality doing such things is a good way to draw attention that will get them (or those close to them) killed.]]
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David Lopez is an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent, at a high school that is anything but ordinary! He lives in Michael's Landing, a town that's been continually under attack by supernatural monsters for his entire life. A place where the curriculum includes training in karate and magical theory, and everyone knows which parts of town to avoid [[MonsterOfTheWeek on Thursdays because that's when the monsters typically attack.]] A frequent target of the local bullies, his fondest ambition is to survive high school and get out, to go off to college somewhere sane and safe.
Then a monster attack happens near him, and when the [[{{Sentai}} Solar Defenders]] show up to fight it, three of them fall in battle, [[NeverFoundTheBody leaving behind nothing but]] [[ArtifactOfPower glowing crystals,]] which he and two of his friends pick up. They find themselves suddenly [[HenshinHero transformed into Solar Defenders themselves,]] and discover to their shock that their teammates are not, as they had been led to believe, an elite squadron of special forces sponsored by the US military, but rather kids like themselves, their own classmates, [[ChildSoldiers psychologically ill-suited to fighting on the front lines]] of the war they've suddenly found themselves thrust into.
Yeah. It's basically ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', [[PlayedForDrama with emphasis on psychological drama]] reminiscent of ''Literature/SailorNothing''. It can be found [[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/40639/solar-defenders-the-role-of-a-shield free online at Royal Road.]]
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!!The story features examples of:
* ActionGirl: All the female Defenders. It's a {{Sentai}} team. What did you expect?
* AlienInvasion: As expected of a ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' pastiche.
* AncientGrome: The Defenders' names and colors come (mostly) from planets in the Solar System, which are named after Roman gods. David mistakenly calls them figures of Greek mythology.
* AscendedFanboy: Josh is a huge Solar Defenders fanboy. When he becomes Defender Mars, Venus tells him [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor it's not all it's cracked up to be.]]
* AtrociousAlias: The magical metal at the core of alien technology is known to the public as "monstronium" because it forms the core of the evil monsters. Aderan considers the name quite unfortunate and says it's properly known as "kirila."
* BigBad: The evil aliens who unleash the monsters on Michael's Landing are known only as "The Masters."
* BlackAndNerdy: Eden.
* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Jenny [[InvokedTrope claims that she dyes her hair blonde to complete the trio]] with her best friends David (black hair) and Josh (redhead.)
* BrokenBird: [[spoiler: Kawena.]] The most senior member of the team, she's been fighting as Defender Venus for over two years now, and is bone-deep weary and jaded from it. She took over after the previous Venus was killed in front of her, who it's strongly implied was [[spoiler: her own sister!]]
* [[ButForMeItWasTuesday But For Me, It Was Thursday]]: Weekly monster attacks are so common in Michael's Landing that they've become an ordinary, routine part of life there.
* CityOfAdventure: Michael's Landing.
* EverytownAmerica: Michael's Landing is this, but with monster battles.
* GiantMecha: Not actually robots, but the Defenders can summon up magical constructs known as Eidolons that fill the Zord role.
* HeroInsurance: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed.]] Venus tells the new team members to be careful to avoid collateral damage in their fights whenever possible.
* HotAmazon: Kawena Kapule, a "gorgeous Hawaiian babe" who is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter second-ranked]] in karate in the school, is described as tall, well-built, and (according to David at least) the hottest girl in school. He has a massive crush on her but considers her utterly out of his league. [[spoiler: She's also Defender Venus.]]
* IKnowMortalKombat / TaughtByTelevision: Josh [[InstantExpert becomes adept with his powers surprisingly quickly]] because he's a fan of the TV show and has analyzed the Defenders' moves in-depth.
* InstantExpert: The magical crystals enhance their users' minds as well as their bodies, helping them be more effective and skilled fighters. [[BoxingLessonsForSuperman The fact that they're already trained in martial arts as civilians]] doesn't hurt either.
* MonsterOfTheWeek: Monster attacks typically happen every Thursday in Michael's Landing.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: David sees the students at Abe Lincoln High, himself included, as this. High social status comes from proficiency in karate, and the worst way a girl can have "a bad reputation" is not by being a slut, but by being a coward.
* RecruitTeenagersWithAttitude: Venus claims that the Fundament crystals select teens because they are "still young enough and mentally flexible enough" for them to bond with.
* RookieRedRanger: Not actually red in this case, but David lands unwittingly in the role of Defender Jupiter, leader of the team, simply because he's the one who picked up the orange crystal.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections / ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Scott and Blake are considered above any consequences for their cruel actions because their dad "owns half the town."
* {{Sentai}}: The Solar Defenders are essentially a Franchise/PowerRangers team whose theme is planets of the solar system, and/or the Roman gods they're named after.
* SerialNumbersFiledOff: ''Valiant Invincible Solar Defenders'', an in-universe kids' show based on cutting together footage of fights between monsters and the Defenders with actors extremely cheesily playing the heroes and villains. [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Sound familiar?]]
* TheBully: Scott and Blake Underwood.
* TheMasquerade: It's an explicit rule of the Defenders to protect their identity, so that the enemy doesn't go after their loved ones.
* TheMentor: An alien sorcerer known as Aderan, who teaches the kids what it means to be a Defender.
* TitleDrop: Defender Venus sets the tone for the series:
--> "You know how on that TV show, they call the Defenders 'the shield of mankind?' Well, they got that much right at least. We're the first and really the only defense against the Masters." She lowered her voice and looked him straight in the eyes. "Do you know what the role of a shield is? To ''get hit.'' [[SacrificialLion To take the blows so the person being shielded won't have to, again and again and again until it finally..." she waved her hand vaguely. "...breaks.]] And then you replace it with another one."
* TwoGirlsToATeam: [[InvertedTrope Inverted.]] There are three girls and two boys on the Solar Defenders.
* WarForFunAndProfit: The Monstronium Hunters may not be actively encouraging the conflict, but Venus holds them in contempt for the way they get rich off the results of the Defenders' battles.
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: When Venus explains the roles of the other teammates, David points out that Venus was the goddess of love and beauty, and asks how that fits the theme of a team of warriors. She deflects the question, stating that all that really matters is she's the experienced veteran who knows how stuff works.
* ZeroApprovalGambit: [[spoiler: Kawena's freaking out and hiding every time there's a monster attack]] is all an act, a part of TheMasquerade, providing a convenient excuse to get away somewhere and transform in private.
Then a monster attack happens near him, and when the [[{{Sentai}} Solar Defenders]] show up to fight it, three of them fall in battle, [[NeverFoundTheBody leaving behind nothing but]] [[ArtifactOfPower glowing crystals,]] which he and two of his friends pick up. They find themselves suddenly [[HenshinHero transformed into Solar Defenders themselves,]] and discover to their shock that their teammates are not, as they had been led to believe, an elite squadron of special forces sponsored by the US military, but rather kids like themselves, their own classmates, [[ChildSoldiers psychologically ill-suited to fighting on the front lines]] of the war they've suddenly found themselves thrust into.
Yeah. It's basically ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', [[PlayedForDrama with emphasis on psychological drama]] reminiscent of ''Literature/SailorNothing''. It can be found [[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/40639/solar-defenders-the-role-of-a-shield free online at Royal Road.]]
----
!!The story features examples of:
* ActionGirl: All the female Defenders. It's a {{Sentai}} team. What did you expect?
* AlienInvasion: As expected of a ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' pastiche.
* AncientGrome: The Defenders' names and colors come (mostly) from planets in the Solar System, which are named after Roman gods. David mistakenly calls them figures of Greek mythology.
* AscendedFanboy: Josh is a huge Solar Defenders fanboy. When he becomes Defender Mars, Venus tells him [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor it's not all it's cracked up to be.]]
* AtrociousAlias: The magical metal at the core of alien technology is known to the public as "monstronium" because it forms the core of the evil monsters. Aderan considers the name quite unfortunate and says it's properly known as "kirila."
* BigBad: The evil aliens who unleash the monsters on Michael's Landing are known only as "The Masters."
* BlackAndNerdy: Eden.
* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Jenny [[InvokedTrope claims that she dyes her hair blonde to complete the trio]] with her best friends David (black hair) and Josh (redhead.)
* BrokenBird: [[spoiler: Kawena.]] The most senior member of the team, she's been fighting as Defender Venus for over two years now, and is bone-deep weary and jaded from it. She took over after the previous Venus was killed in front of her, who it's strongly implied was [[spoiler: her own sister!]]
* [[ButForMeItWasTuesday But For Me, It Was Thursday]]: Weekly monster attacks are so common in Michael's Landing that they've become an ordinary, routine part of life there.
* CityOfAdventure: Michael's Landing.
* EverytownAmerica: Michael's Landing is this, but with monster battles.
* GiantMecha: Not actually robots, but the Defenders can summon up magical constructs known as Eidolons that fill the Zord role.
* HeroInsurance: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed.]] Venus tells the new team members to be careful to avoid collateral damage in their fights whenever possible.
* HotAmazon: Kawena Kapule, a "gorgeous Hawaiian babe" who is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter second-ranked]] in karate in the school, is described as tall, well-built, and (according to David at least) the hottest girl in school. He has a massive crush on her but considers her utterly out of his league. [[spoiler: She's also Defender Venus.]]
* IKnowMortalKombat / TaughtByTelevision: Josh [[InstantExpert becomes adept with his powers surprisingly quickly]] because he's a fan of the TV show and has analyzed the Defenders' moves in-depth.
* InstantExpert: The magical crystals enhance their users' minds as well as their bodies, helping them be more effective and skilled fighters. [[BoxingLessonsForSuperman The fact that they're already trained in martial arts as civilians]] doesn't hurt either.
* MonsterOfTheWeek: Monster attacks typically happen every Thursday in Michael's Landing.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: David sees the students at Abe Lincoln High, himself included, as this. High social status comes from proficiency in karate, and the worst way a girl can have "a bad reputation" is not by being a slut, but by being a coward.
* RecruitTeenagersWithAttitude: Venus claims that the Fundament crystals select teens because they are "still young enough and mentally flexible enough" for them to bond with.
* RookieRedRanger: Not actually red in this case, but David lands unwittingly in the role of Defender Jupiter, leader of the team, simply because he's the one who picked up the orange crystal.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections / ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Scott and Blake are considered above any consequences for their cruel actions because their dad "owns half the town."
* {{Sentai}}: The Solar Defenders are essentially a Franchise/PowerRangers team whose theme is planets of the solar system, and/or the Roman gods they're named after.
* SerialNumbersFiledOff: ''Valiant Invincible Solar Defenders'', an in-universe kids' show based on cutting together footage of fights between monsters and the Defenders with actors extremely cheesily playing the heroes and villains. [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Sound familiar?]]
* TheBully: Scott and Blake Underwood.
* TheMasquerade: It's an explicit rule of the Defenders to protect their identity, so that the enemy doesn't go after their loved ones.
* TheMentor: An alien sorcerer known as Aderan, who teaches the kids what it means to be a Defender.
* TitleDrop: Defender Venus sets the tone for the series:
--> "You know how on that TV show, they call the Defenders 'the shield of mankind?' Well, they got that much right at least. We're the first and really the only defense against the Masters." She lowered her voice and looked him straight in the eyes. "Do you know what the role of a shield is? To ''get hit.'' [[SacrificialLion To take the blows so the person being shielded won't have to, again and again and again until it finally..." she waved her hand vaguely. "...breaks.]] And then you replace it with another one."
* TwoGirlsToATeam: [[InvertedTrope Inverted.]] There are three girls and two boys on the Solar Defenders.
* WarForFunAndProfit: The Monstronium Hunters may not be actively encouraging the conflict, but Venus holds them in contempt for the way they get rich off the results of the Defenders' battles.
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: When Venus explains the roles of the other teammates, David points out that Venus was the goddess of love and beauty, and asks how that fits the theme of a team of warriors. She deflects the question, stating that all that really matters is she's the experienced veteran who knows how stuff works.
* ZeroApprovalGambit: [[spoiler: Kawena's freaking out and hiding every time there's a monster attack]] is all an act, a part of TheMasquerade, providing a convenient excuse to get away somewhere and transform in private.
