NORMAL WAREHOUSE UNIVERSE

Claudia Donovan, a child lost in the world, discharged by all. That's how she felt for half her life, and now was her chance to make things right. After arriving at Leena's, she quickly made her way upstairs to her room—or rather, the other Claudia's room. It didn't take long for her to figure out the security systems on her laptop.

"That was way too easy," she saidto no one in particular. She found what she was looking for, Joshua. She spent nearly an hour trying to call him via the webcam chat. Half the time she trembled at the thought of being able to see him after so many years. Joshua finally answered.For that moment every bit of resentment she felt towards others was swept away at the elation of seeing her brother—even though he wasn't her Joshua.

"Claudia?" Joshua said, surprised by the sudden call. Claudia stiffened, a flood of tears nearly broke out, her body began to shake. It was Joshua, her dead brother, but alive with his dark hair and all too familiar voice.

"Claudia?" Joshua asked again, "what's wrong?"

"No-Nothing," Claudia finally forced herself to speak, however there was slight stutter in her speech, "Ca-" Claudia was without words, she attempted to swallow but her mouth was dry and her eyes became watery. "Since when is it a crime to say hi?" Claudia finally managed to ask.

"Oh uh, I just wasn't expecting to hear from you for another few days," Joshua explained. Claudia rolled her eyes at him, "You can be such a boob sometimes." She started to smile, so many things needed to be said.She wanted to tell him how much she missed him.

"I guess I should tell you now," Joshua said, ignoring his sister's comment.

"What? You finally got a girlfriend?" Claudia asked, still trying her best to hold back the flood of emotions coursing through her veins she was starting to lose control.

"You're never going to stop that, are you?" Joshua stated more than asked. Claudia glanced up and something caught her eye. Right there on the shelf was a thin book that she never forgot about,"Maria Looney on the Red Planet." The very same book that Joshua always read to her. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She closed her eyes.

"Claudia?" Joshua called out, but before he managed to say anything else, Claudia slammed the laptop shut.

"It's not fair!" She screamed. With an angry growl she shoved the laptop across the desk knocking everything in its path to the floor before it too smashed on the ground.Claudia grabbed the chair she was sitting on and used it to smash the desk repeatedly until the chair broke. She threw the broken chair across the room at the window. Upon impact the glass shattered into dozens of shards. She couldn't hold the anger, the sadness in any longer. 'That brat that these people knew had it all,' she thought.She had her brother, she had a family, and she was happy. Claudia grabbed a nearby lamp and threw it against the wall. She didn't waste time in overturning the bed and tearing down the posters on the wall.

Claudia rested her whimpering body against the door and slid down. She slid her hands through her hair, the intense pain, the anger she felt was unbearable. But she reassured herself that it was all going to be better. She would save her brother and make her life better. All she needed to do was find Wells' time machine, take Artie's body in the past and return to her universe and save Joshua, her Joshua. She wiped her tears and got up. She needed to be strong.

Claudia went to the stairs and heard someone open the door. She took a peek and saw Artie come in wearing his usual hat and coat holding his bag. She had an idea—a good idea.

Artie walked towards the stairs and spotted Claudia. "Ah, there you are," Artie spoke"You shouldn't even be here. There's a lot to do today." Claudia took out three small balls from the pockets of her jacket. She began to juggle them.

"Ramo Sammee's juggling balls," Claudia said as she came down the stairs. "They leave the viewer enchanted by whoever juggles them."

Alternate Claudia let out a wide, wicked smile. "Gee Artie, I thought you were way smarter than this," she taunted him, "I guess you're getting senile." Alternate Claudia dropped the balls. They hit the floor and began rolling away. She took out a set of hand cuffs, the electric handcuffs that she had used a long time ago. She cuffed his hands. As soon as the balls stopped rolling Claudia called out Artie's name, and he snapped out of his tranceand blinked.

"Claudia, What are you doing!" he exclaimed.

Claudia took out a small device, one that Artie recognized. She pressed it causing the handcuffs to emit a strong electrical charge through Artie's body. Artie's muscles stiffened and his legs gave in. He soon found himself on the floor recovering from the shock. "Pipe down, will ya?" Claudia asked, smiling. "Now get up, you know the drill."

ALTERNATE WAREHOUSE UNIVERSE

Claudia sat at the computers, which had been fried by her evil counterpart. "Yep, these computers have been Claudiafied," Claudia said. After everyone's inquisitive stares, she added "I mean they are dead. I'll have to reboot the whole system using a factory reset."

"We don't have time for that, the longer she's in your reality the worse things can get," Artie said. "We'll have to send you back."

Claudia wanted to say something, butstopped herself short. She was unsure if she should ask the question that has been pounding inside of her head.

"Claudia?" Artie asked. "What is it?"

Claudia closed her eyes to summon the courage to askher question "Why am I," she paused. "Why is she, the other me…why is she—"

"Evil?" Myka asked. Claudia nodded. Artie sat down on the chair near her and brought his hands up to his mouth trying to figure out how to go about this. "Claudia," he asked , "In your reality, is Joshua alive?" Claudia nodded.

"Well, I didn't save him in this reality," Claudia's heart sank hearing those words. "Since then Claudia has been emotionally distant, dark. Once she figured out that Leena was under McPherson's influence, she tried to use that to get to him. She ended up hurting Leena," Artie explained.

Claudia's expression changed to oneof shock. "Hurting Leena? But why would I—" Claudia paused again and closed her eyes for a second, "Why would she do that?"

"It's because she wanted to get to McPherson, to find a way to get Joshua back. But waiting for us to catch him wasn't enough," Myka said. "You went after him, then Wells, and then us."

"The other Claudia," Pete clarified, noticing Claudia's mood. She knew that deep down inside her, she would have done it. She slowly turned around on the swivel chair she was in. Myka gave him a look and he shrugged it off.

"We need to get moving," Artie said. He got up and started to walk out to the door, one by one the other Pete and Mykafollowed. Claudia got up as well, resolved to stop evil Claudia before she'd hurt anyone else.