Time seemed to slow as Claudia watched Artie fall. As he landed, a thud echoed through the warehouse. Then it was as if someone turned him off like a light. Artie crumpled to the ground and didn't move.

"ARTIE!" Claudia screamed and ran to his side. She dropped the ax which allowed her to get there half a millisecond sooner.

His legs must be broken…

"Artie!"

.. and his back.

"Artie!"

She was terrified to touch him. He didn't move at all. She jumped as a length of rope landed on the floor followed by a wooden figurine.

Claudia instantly realized that this was the artifact responsible. It still had a few young plants springing from it. They were wiggling in panic. Claudia stood and slowly walked over to her ax. She picked it up by the end of the handle.

This is responsible. It is dangerous.

She dragged the ax to the artifact.

It hurt Artie.

She looked at it as tear fell down her face.

It is wood.

"You" she said, her eyes narrowing. "This is the end for you." She raised the ax above her head and swung.

Her blow never fell. A blue and green figure grabbed the hilt of the ax stopping it mid swing. Claudia focused on the figure. "Artie!" He was pale and barely on his feet. He grabbed the ax away from her. "No." he said.

"Artie- that thing tried to kill you- tried to kill me!" Claudia protested.

Artie weakly nodded in agreement. "Goo it" he managed.

She didn't hesitate. Claudia reached around with both arms to the cylinders of goo at the small of her back. She jerked them free from their snaps and popped off both lids with her thumbs. She dumped the neutralizer on the artifact.

Claudia and Artie both flinched away from the bright light and sparks that came from the artifact. Claudia looked to make sure that there was no movement. The fledgling plants froze and fell off of the Jaguar. She finally exhaled.

Claudia's attention was back on Artie as he groaned and stumbled. "Whoa! I'll take that!" she took the ax from Artie and supported him to a crate to sit.

"Ow! Ow ow…" he cried.
"Artie! You ok? What hurts?"

"Right now- everything!" he gasped. He ripped what remained of his blue suit from his neck and opened up the front of his shirt to reveal the amulet starting to meld with his flesh. He painfully peeled it from his chest and threw it into the puddle of neutralizer where it sparked and sputtered.

Artie took a few deep breaths and willed his head to stop spinning. He grabbed Claudia to get a good look at her. She was sweaty and well scraped up. He could see where the tears ran down her face. She looked like she was ok, but there was something else too. His eyes went wide when he saw the ax.

"Where's your gloves?" he said. Claudia grinned.

"I didn't really have time to get a spare set when I was running around fighting the Amazon."

"But the artifact…" he motioned to the ax.

"Saved our butts!" she interrupted, still smiling.

"No. I mean yes- but how many times do I have to tell you…"

"Yeah I know! But Artie-" she stopped short.

"Claudia?" He jumped up looking at her hard. She looked at her hands. A black color started creeping up under her nails.

"ohh… Ow! Oh no…" she cried.

Artie ripped the ax from Claudia's hands. He slid the head into the puddle of goo. After it stopped sparking, he turned to evaluate Claudia.

"It stopped." She sniffed. "I'm fine."

He held her hands and looked at them. "It may be reversible. Or-" he looked at her over his glasses. "you'll just never have to paint your nails again." Claudia tried to smile but failed. She shook her hands. They seemed to work. She looked at Artie. He was a bit pale and limped. She tried to smile again and this time succeeded.

"Come on." she said, "Let's get you back. Leena will kill me if I let anything happen to you. Well anything else..." she murmured.

Artie snorted a laugh. "If you let anything happen to me?" he said.

"Yeah! Who else is going to turn my nails back to normal?" she waved her black nails at him.

"Well they might just turn back on their own." he grasped at optimism.

"You think?"

"I have no idea."

He allowed her to lead him away in the direction of his office.

The End.

(But wait there's more!)

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