*there is a brown stain on the page, like someone has bled onto it*

I found out what that 'power' the weirdo was talking about was. The Claw's different now, a bit stronger, a bit faster, ever so slightly sharper, and it's burrowed into my damn shoulder. Damn thing's still twitching in ther- dammit, it punctured a hole right above what's left of the elbow, now there'sblood all over the damn page. The Claw's doing something, but I can't quite tell what yet. Hurts like a bitch too. When it first went in, it sort of unravveled into these tendrils of silvery metal threads, then it started digging into my stump and didn't stop until it had filled the entire thing, with none of the metal part outside. I'm lucky none of my neighbours were feeling like good samaritans today, cause I'm pretty sure I was screaming for most of that process, and I sure as hell don't want to be mistaken as patient zro for some magical plague or something. I especially don't want anybody knowing about the Claw, not until I'm sure I can hold onto it if anybody comes to take it.

The squirming's stopped now, the Claw seems to have finished whatever it was up to. Writing this left-handed is starting to give me cramps, so I'm hoping I can get the Claw to play nice and come back out, but I ai- *another brown stain splotches across the page, covering the end of the last word* The Claw came back out. I seem to be able to retract it at will now, like one of those impractical sliding blades that's all the rage these days, only this one doesn't have some stupid hinge that makes the thing weaker than my aunt Betty's fried tofu recipe, God rest her soul. Stopped hurting, too. Seems a damn sight betteer than walking around with gloves on all year round, even indoors, so I'll take it, but I have no idea what the Claw's gonna get up to next. Here's hoping it doesn't go too deep, next time it makes changes.

The Claw's dofferent now. I can feel the changes. It's stronger, in a way, sharper, more precise, but most of all, the damn thing's solid now. I gave it a test run against some concrete slabs and the damn thing hit like a jackhammer, I just kept pounding away and the Claw barely even felt it. Before, doing that sort of thing would feel an awful lot like just regular punching concrete, just a bit duller, cause of the metal and all, but this time, it just... didn't. The Claw's just gotten way tougher all of a sudden, and that ain't the only thing that's changed. I started noticing it on my last job, but my senses are getting sharper, way sharper. I was picking up stuff I'd ordinarily never even notice when looking around, and now I've started noticing that my hearing's sharper too. I ain't sure if it's whatever magic the Claw has spreading to me with these little power boosts it's getting or if going on these jobs is just making me better, but... I like it. Like, I really, really like it. My body feels better than it's done in years, and my old skills are coming back, the rust just flaking off no problem. It's addicting, the last job wasn't even particularly dangerous barring a couple moments, and Jericho got his arm back in the end anyway. Wish I'd had that option way back when, but the Claw's doing just fine. Better than fine, even, with the new upgrade. I just need to do a few more jobs, and I'll be better than I was even before my retirement. Just a few.