Challenge Works
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His skull was absolutely pounding. His head—he hurt all over, and he wasn’t sure exactly where he was or what he was doing. Technoblade put his hand against the stone wall for balance, trying to take stock of the situation. His head spun in that kind of liquid way that promised pain if he moved too fast. His heart was racing in his chest. His hands ached like he’d been punching something, and his jaw hurt like he’d been punched. Had he—? Techno glanced around himself, wincing as the promised pain materialised.
He was in a hallway in the Fairbanks Citadel, site of the extravagant three-day diplomatic conference they’d been working towards for months. A gently-curving stone corridor lined with sea-view windows on one side, tapestries and paintings on the other. He’d—been in a fight? He glanced further up and stiffened. Maybe fifty feet away, there was a body, and figures crouched over it. Everything felt unreal and sharp. He hurried down the corridor. The body on the floor was wearing Antarctic Empire Blue, and there was a pool of blood spreading out from it.
“Are they okay?” He asked.
Or: Antarctic Empire tries diplomacy. It's a mixed result.
Series
- Part 1 of Challenge Works
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Now I'm On My Way (So Stand On The Edge Of The World With Me) by antimony_medusa for fox_bell
Fandoms: Dream SMP
05 Oct 2022
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Phil and Ranboo stared down at the little row of empty demitasse cups. “What the fuck,” Phil breathed.
“So we know the creature isn’t Enderian,” Ranboo said. “Cause it took the water.”
“It also took the milk, and the plant milk, and the nether spice mix,” Phil said, pointing to the glasses in turn. “And it did it without disturbing the sweetner I put it around it.” He took a deep breath. “And it either did it without moving the glasses, or it fuckin’ put them back where they started.”
“So it either flies or hovers?” Ranboo said hopefully. “That could be fun.” He considered. “Or really precise jumps.”
Phil looked again around the small storage room. There were boxes of cups and lids on the shelves, some dry goods and flimsy wraps for the sandwich station, the hot water heater and an air-monitoring setup from Life Support & Recycling, and not a lot of places to hide. “What the fuck,” he said again.
“Yeah, the spice mix is the real kicker,” Ranboo said. He pushed his glasses back up his nose. “That’s going to poison what, 98 percent of species?”
Or: I write the Humans Are Space Orcs story everyone's gotta write, only it's techno-centric and the syndicate is there.
Series
- Part 2 of Challenge Works
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In Which Beleagured Mafia Member Technoblade Attempts To Do Paperwork, Deal With His Coworkers Skeppy And Bad And Co, And Now He Has To Talk To The Strange Blond Prisoner He's Suddenly In Charge Of, Why Does This Always Happen To Him He Is A Good Person—Wait, Okay, He Is Not A Good Person At All But He Pays His Taxes (Tax Fraud Is How They Get You) Hopefully This Man Will Be Cowed Into Silence Oh No That's Not Gonna Happen Is It Oh No.
Series
- Part 3 of Challenge Works
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How To Be Sentenced To Death, Skip Out On That One, And Get A Friend Out Of It by antimony_medusa for creatchure
Fandoms: Dream SMP
14 Oct 2022
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“You’re early, I’m not scheduled to go on today,” a voice said.
Phil looked around, eyes widening. He was in a medium-sized room, much smaller than the barracks he’d been stored in for the last three months since he’d been brought in. Also unlike the barracks, this place had an actual braided rug on the floor, a small bookcase by the head of the bed, and what looked like a quilt on the bed. There was a man sitting on the bed—a piglin hybrid by the looks of the height, the pink hair and the tusks—reading. He didn’t look up from the book.
“What now, you’re gonna tell me plans change?” He turned a page on the book, exaggeratedly slow.
There was a chain that connected his wrist to the wall. Phil cleared his throat. “Uh, no, no problems here, just checking in on shit, you alright there, mate?”
The man looked up, his eyebrows flying upwards. “Am I alright?”
Shit. He shoulda gone with the abusive guard angle. Even in the uniform he’d pulled off the man he’d knocked out, maybe he wasn’t perfect at impersonating people. Committed now, though.
Series
- Part 4 of Challenge Works
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Summary
Teenage avian delinquient Beau Beautie needs money for a ticket out of this fucking system. Established merling "free trader" Niki Nihachu also needs money for a ticket out, and they're both settling on the bounty on each other's heads as the best way to solve that problem. Or perhaps, if they can trust each other, they could work together and pull off an even bigger job with a better payout— if they can pull together a functioning team, work their way through high security, and oh yeah, if nothing goes wrong.
Or: Spaceships, Snack Food, Job Interviews, and Just A Few Setbacks are features of this, the Heist of a Century.
Series
- Part 5 of Challenge Works
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“Excuse me,” Techno tried to say, pushing his way forward. “Can I get through, please.” Nobody was listening.
“There’s a murderer they’re arresting!”
“Why is the fucking guard here?”
“He’s just covered in blood, horrible, you should get the children away.”
“Those adventurers, you know, so dangerous. Really they shouldn’t be allowed in the city.”
Series
- Part 6 of Challenge Works
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There Are Tiny Cracks Of Light Underneath Me (And You Say I Got It Wrong) by antimony_medusa
Fandoms: Dream SMP
01 Jul 2023
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Summary
She begins to learn to fix things because she is curious.
Niki was reading—a serial story on a sheet of flimsy brought in from town for the political updates—when the light on her lamp snapped and went out. Curled up in bed, Niki considered comming someone to fix it or going downstairs to sit by the bay window. The living room had a good view down the hillside towards the rest of the settlement. Instead, she went downstairs and dug the repair kit out of the kitchen junk drawer. It took her twenty minutes with a jewel set of tiny screwdrivers and pliers, a nicked finger, and one broken electrode, but at the end she hit the control button and it turned on. Niki smiled at the light she’d kindled and settled in to finish her story.
Or: Niki Nihachu learns to fix things, until there is nothing left to fix.
Series
- Part 7 of Challenge Works
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Summary
Okay so shapeshifting into The Crow was objectively a bad idea, but on the other hand, he got to literally wear a mask in public and nobody was saying his real name. He could mess up, and it was like a whole different guy had messed up! Social anxiety life hack, simply do not be yourself when you make mistakes and then you won’t make mistakes. Technoblade had even spent a couple evenings at home in the shapeshift, eating everything in his fridge, and the wounds he’d presented with had slowly closed up. He’d washed the blood out of the suit too. His bathtub had looked like someone had died. It barely even hurt to be a superhero any more, and no one had said his name in a tone of confused condemnation in like a week. They’d said The Crow’s name, admittedly, but that hardly counted.
Someone burst through the front door of the coffee shop, face pale. “There’s a kid stuck up on a ledge on the fourth floor, does anybody got a ladder?”
Every eye in the coffee shop turned to look at the superhero standing at the milk and sugar cart with his drink. Techno gulped. “Uh, hi,” he said.
Or: Technoblade is a secret shapeshifter who's just realized that superheros get free food. Hijinks ensue.
Series
- Part 8 of Challenge Works
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Summary
He was wearing a boar-face mask with bloody tusks. One of the lenses over the eyes had shattered, the light from a streetlight catching on the spiderweb in the glass. The swordsman tilted his head at the hawk, clearing his throat. “Yeah?” he said.
It tucked its talons behind its back. “Good evening,” it said obediently. Speaking was always a risk, no one wanted a noisy hawk, but it could take an obvious hint.
The swordsman pointed the sword in its direction. “You work for The Brotherhood.” His voice was raspy.
He seemed to want an answer. The rain dripped out of the hawk’s hair. “Not anymore.”
“Oh.” The swordsman eyed it. The empty spots for weapons and gear at its belt, the scorch marks and slashes in its clothing, its meek stance. He cleared his throat again. “You ran?”
The hawk nodded.
“Heh.” The swordsman lowered the point of the sword. “Do y’wanna stick together?”
Or: Emduo Human Weapon Recovery Arc.
Series
- Part 9 of Challenge Works
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Summary
The milk would relieve the enchantment effects on him, but Techno had his breath back, and he had something else on his mind. He stared at the immortal handing him things. “Phil, I gave you that book three months ago.”
Phil stared back at him, a little indignant. “You said three months!”
“No I did not!” Techno waved a hand. “I thought you were gonna take like—two days to read that book, Phil! It’s been like ninety days! I’ve been in jail for three months, you were supposed to hit the stasis pearl like two days later, bro. I almost died!”
Phil was shaking his head, eyebrows coming together. “You said three months!”
“I did not say three months.” Techno said flatly
“Wait wait—“ Phil pressed a hand to his mouth. “Oh my god, you said three days.”
“Bruh.”
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”Or: After being left in the prison for three months, Technoblade is pretty sure his friends don't care about him any more.
Series
- Part 11 of Challenge Works
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“You know, that’s something,” she said. “Ranboo’s supposed to be following Niki’s lead, right? Well, if she thinks it’s a good idea, that’ll work. They can date when she starts dating.”
“But–” Ranboo cut himself off in horror. He glanced between his family members. “Uh, can’t I date when I’m on the dean’s list instead?” He didn’t say 'that might be more achievable' out loud, but he definitely thought it.
“No, when Niki thinks it’s a good idea to date, you can follow her lead,” one of his moms said, nodding.
“Like a double date,” his other mom said, glancing up at her wife.
“Like a double date,” she agreed, nodding.
Niki laughed a little incredulously. “That might not—happen? I’m pretty happy with my life as it is, actually.”
Ranboo’s mom grinned, the corners of her green eyes crinkling. “Sounds good to me,” she said. “You can go on dates when Niki does.”
“Great,” Ranboo said. They laced their fingers behind their back. “Fantastic. I think this is a great plan that will not have me die lonely and alone.”
OR: Ranboo isn't allowed to date until his sister does. Which is bad news for his future romantic prospects. Fortunately, he has a plan to fix this.
Series
- Part 12 of Challenge Works
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Summary
Kristin laughed, the sound emerging too-loud in the half-empty bar. She hung her head in her hands. “Oh yeah,” she told the bar top. “I mean, the mechs—they were originally designed to battle sculk anyways, and it’s not like anything bad happened to the people who built them, so we’ll be good.”
“Oh yeah, all those ancient cities still goin’ strong today.” Techno ran a finger around the top of his glass. “Civilization standin’ strong overall. Whole situation went so well, I don’t give us more than a 50% chance of someone dyin’. Maybe 40% if we’re lucky.”
“Oh god.” Kristin emerged from her hands laughing, and pushed her hair out of her face. “No worries, it’ll go great to go back there. We’ll all do great. Happy about this, actually.” Ponk came over with the bottle and refilled her glass, and she nodded to them. “Thanks.”
“And if only one of us dies—” Techno grinned at her, tired. “Then the other person just has to deal with it. And that’s easy. I’m doing great.”
“I’m doing great,” Kristin echoed, a little choked up. She straightened fully and looked down at her drink, turning the stem of the glass between her fingers. “I miss him.” She cleared her throat. “I miss my husband, Techno.”
Series
- Part 13 of Challenge Works
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PARKOUR PRO TAKES ON EPIC LEVELLED CHALLENGE (REAL) (HEARTBREAKING) (NOT CLICKBAIT) by antimony_medusa
Fandoms: Dream SMP, Parkour Civilization (Web Series)
10 Aug 2024
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Ranboo emerged from his front door and squinted into the rising sun. His house loomed behind him, a block of stone hanging in space next to more identical houses. The local neighbourhood of parkour pros didn’t have a lot of variation. The ground between the houses was a uniform grid of blocks of dirt placed two blocks apart, far enough that you could only jump it if you sprinted. Ranboo sat back on his heels to enjoy the view, and then grabbed frantically for purchase as the wheels set in the back of his iron boots (custom heelies under an iron casing) slid on his stairs. He caught himself and took a deep breath, fingers digging into his doorframe.
Falling would suck. He was better than this. He wouldn’t fall. His eyes dropped to the space between the blocks, the place where one of his feet was sticking over the edge.
Or: Peerpressure Parkour Civilization AU
Series
- Part 14 of Challenge Works
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Sometimes You're The Windshield, Sometimes You're The Bug by antimony_medusa
Fandoms: Dream SMP
31 Oct 2024
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Phil had just finished his evening ritual of restlessly shifting through fourteen different methods of being sprawled on the sofa (ending for the moment with his legs hanging over the arm of the couch and his head on Techno’s lap), when the doorbell rang. They both looked at each other.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Techno’s eyebrows were drawn together.
“Fuck no.” Phil straightened up and looked at the door. “Could it be the landlord?”
The doorbell rang again.
“On a Tuesday night?” Techno got off the couch and headed for the door, peering through the peephole. “Oh no.” He started frantically flipping the deadbolts.
“Wait, who is it?” Phil said from behind him. The door opened to reveal a small child in a cat costume and a bored-looking adult leaning over to press the doorbell again.
“Trick or Treat!” the kid piped.
“Fuck,” Phil said, suddenly remembering something he’d forgotten to buy. The child gasped.
Or: it's Halloween night and Someone forgot to buy the candy.
For Day 7 of Techza & Emduo Spooky Week: Trick or Treat!
Series
- Part 15 of Challenge Works
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Summary
“Are you hungry?” a voice said.
He couldn’t see a shape in the dark. He couldn’t hear footsteps. There was nothing more than a smear of movement on the edge of his vision, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. But the voice was familiar—so familiar. The tone was different, but the voice was someone he’d heard on the phone, down the hall, across the room, for years. Someone he’d thought was lost, one horrible summer weekend when Wilbur hadn’t come home.
“Hey, Ghostbur,” Tommy said.
Or: Wilbur is gone, but Ghostbur is left. Tommy has to deal with that.
Series
- Part 16 of Challenge Works
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Summary
Phil cleared his throat. “Techno, I heard you talkin’ to Ranboo, before.”
The ladle wasn’t in the jar. Or was he missing it? “Mmm, yep.” Techno started taking spoons and spatulas out of the jar and lying them on the counter.
“Are we not—a thing?”
Or: Techno and Phil aren't a couple like that— but what are they?
MCYT Aro Week: QPR
Series
- Part 17 of Challenge Works
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Technoblade Writes A Book by antimony_medusa for Odaigahara
Fandoms: SMPEarth, Minecraft (Video Game)
01 Jun 2025
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Summary
In crossing soul sand valleys your sole concern should be to get over them quickly, without any delay. So much for operations in soul sand valleys.
Series
- Part 18 of Challenge Works
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For A First Effort This Feels Kinda Last Ditch by antimony_medusa for TrulyMightyPotato
Fandoms: Origins SMP
15 Sep 2025
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Techno fiddled with the edge of some paper behind his DM screen, attention still on Tubbo. “It looks like a healin’ potion, and it smells like a healin’ potion, but something’s a bit off. When you smell it, you think your nose might have gone numb.”
Tubbo nodded, a grin spreading across his face. “I drink the potion.”
“Right.” Techno raised his eyebrows at him. “You drink the mysterious potion that was stored next to the ritual dagger and the blackmail material.”
“Yeah,” Tubbo said, eating another handful of chips.
“Tubbo—” Captain Sparklez started from the other side of the table.
“Constitution saving throw.”
Or: some of the Origins crew plays D&D
Series
- Part 19 of Challenge Works