->'''Artie:''' Not the same...and...you are...different viking now. Yes, I have to go.
->'''Little Pete:''' No!
->'''Artie:''' Yes. Everything you need to learn is (''points to Pete's heart'') in here. Out there is...some boy who needs me. He's small--heh, he's puny, like you were.
->'''Little Pete:''' But Artie, you're my best friend!
->'''Artie:''' And I always will be, my little viking.
->'''Little Pete:''' But...but...will I ever see you again?
->'''Artie:''' Heh heh heh. Worry not boy, worry not. For I am Artie! The strongest man...{{{fanfare}}}...''in the world!'' Woot!
-->--Artie's farewell

Our story begins with Big Pete narrating as always and telling us of two super-villains: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Papercut]], master of his namesake as well as RockPaperScissors, and aluminum siding salesman and agent of the International Adult Conspiracy, John [=McFlemp=], whose goal is to remove Artie from town and erase him from everyone's memories.

The story begins in full swing with [=McFlemp=] luring the Petes' dad, Don, to a community meeting about Artie and guilt him into trying to get rid of Artie, figuring that Don's the only adult Artie would listen to. Meanwhile, Papercut terrorizes the playground at Little Pete's school by forcing everyone to play RockPaperScissors and pick rock, losing to him and his paper and accepting their punishment...until Little Pete chooses to defy him and is narrowly saved by Artie. But the victory is hollow, as Papercut remarks that it's easy for Little Pete to be brave when he can just hide behind Artie. This seriously gets to little Pete, leaving a small wound in his very soul.

Pete walks home the long way, alone, startling Artie, and later explains to his mom that sometimes he needs to "be his own viking", and that having Artie stand up for him makes him feel like a bit of a wuss. Don overhears and sees this as an opening, as Artie's walk home alone through his shortcut (the neighbors' yards) earns him scorns and threats.

Don tries to get in Pete's good graces, but only succeeds in demonstrating that he doesn't quite ''get'' his son, and his thinly-veiled attempt to make him give up Artie only tick off Little Pete. Meanwhile, Big Pete and Ellen are trying to sell the town on Artie, but it's unsuccessful.

Nevertheless, Don tells Artie Pete doesn't want him around anymore, and gives him a lift out of town. Little Pete and friends see Artie (who ''hates'' riding in cars) Don's car and try to rescue him on bike but fail to catch up. Little Pete falls straight into Papercut's clutches, courtesy of a bike-tire-popping dart, while Don leaves Artie on the outskirts of town and tells him that Little Pete no longer wants Artie to be his friend, crushing Artie's spirit.

Enter part two, where Little Pete is saved once again, this time by his friends brandishing water hoses, crippling Papercut's arsenal, but Papercut swears he'll be back and his weapons will be laminated. Little Pete kicks off a large scale hunt for Artie, selling Artie memorabilia, letting the air out of tires (tire air is Artie's favorite smell) and setting up a BatSignal-esque device showing Artie's face. Unfortunately, two things cripple their search: Artie is facing in the opposite direction of the signal, and before he can turn around [=McFlemp=] orders Don to replace it with a smaller bulb, which will burn just bright enough to fool Little Pete.

The next day while Little Pete begins to lose hope, [=McFlemp=] recruits Artie to work for him by offering him slacks and uses him in a commercial. The commercial is seen by Little Pete and the children of Wellsville, crushing Little Pete's spirit. With Artie out of the way, [=McFlemp=] holds a bonfire of the Artie memorabilia, and Little Pete throws his Artie doll into the fire, having lost all hope. Papercut then approaches Little Pete and challenges him to a rematch on Friday and tells him to choose rock in front of everybody. While his friends beg him to throw the fight, Little Pete just walks off, forlorn and conflicted.

After talking to a demoralized Little Pete, who seems set on throwing the fight, Don finally realizes the damage he's done and goes off to search for Artie with the restored signal attached to his car, telling off [=McFlemp=] once and for all. When he fails to find Artie at first and his car breaks down, Dad tries one last gambit: tire air.

Despite his brainwashing, the smell still attracts Artie. Dad then reveals he lied and that Little Pete needs him, and Artie returns to normal. He arrives at the playground...where Little Pete is already in mid-showdown fighting Papercut with his own imagination and rallying the other kids to his side as a result. Papercut retreats, [=McFlemp=] is defeated and Artie has realized that Little Pete no longer needs him and departs to find another kid in need. But his memory shall live on.

!!"This is 'Farewell My Little Viking'. And these are its tropes.":
* AudibleSharpness: Papercut's paper-weapons.
* AwesomeAnachronisticApparel: Papercut is dressed as a cowboy. No reason, just is.
* BatSignal: Artie's has his face on it.
* BigBadEnsemble: While both Papercut and [=McFlemp=]'s plans end up benefiting each other, they have no interaction in either episode.
* BigDamnHeroes: Twice, both with Little Pete and Papercut.
** Artie saving Little Pete the first time.
** Little Pete's friends saving him the second time.
* BittersweetEnding: Artie snaps out of his brainwashing with Dad's help and Little Pete defeats Papercut in their big rematch without any assistance. However, seeing Little Pete defeat his foe by himself makes Artie realize Little Pete doesn't need him anymore and he departs to find another little boy who does. While Little Pete is saddened by this, Artie assures him that they will see each other again.
* ButNowIMustGo: The ending. Somewhere out there, there's another, smaller kid who could use his own superhero.
* CallBack[=/=]ClipShow: We get a brief one in tribute of Artie.
* CatchPhrase: [=McFlemp=]'s seems to be "No pressure." And, of course, Artie's final words to Little Pete...
-->'''Pete:''' Will I ever see you again?
-->'''Artie:''' Heh heh heh. Worry not boy, worry not. For I am Artie! The strongest man...{{{fanfare}}}...''in the world!'' ''Woot!''
* CliffHanger[=/=]ToBeContinued: The end of part one had Artie being driven out of town (literally) and Little Pete at the mercy of Papercut.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: "Begone with you, pulpy, before I fold you into some type of brochure!"
* TheCorrupter: How the rest of the neighborhood sees Artie.
* DarkestHour: Mid-Part 2: [=McFlemp=] has transformed Artie into yuppie scum, all but taken over Wellsville, and is destroying every last reminder of the old Artie, and Little Pete has given up all hope and is going to surrender to Papercut in their rematch.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: Don, when the kids come after him to stop him from making off with Artie.
* ExactEavesdropping: Don overhears Little Pete talking to Joyce (his mom) about how he's starting to feel the need to fight his own battles without Artie. This gives Don the emotional out he needs to get rid of Artie guilt-free.
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Papercut is the master of the paper cut.
* GreenEyedMonster: Don resents the fact that Little Pete holds Artie in higher regard and tells him everything. He takes Little Pete's admission to Joyce during ExactEavesdropping as an excuse to get rid of the rival for his son's hero worship.
* HurricaneOfPuns: Regarding Papercut.
* IronicEcho: "Get out of the way, John. No pressure."
* ItHasOnlyJustBegun: "If your best friend had just been deported, and the International Adult Conspiracy had just put your world into a full nelson headlock, and a raging maniac with a thing for RockPaperScissors was about to paper-cut you to shreds, you'd probably think it was the end too--but you'd be wrong. It was only the beginning."
* JustInTime: Artie pulls this when Papercut's just about to get Little Pete with an origami shuriken, and promptly lampshades it.
-->'''Artie:''' Appearing in a timely fashion, ''seemingly'' from nowhere.
* ManipulativeBastard: [=McFlemp=].
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After seeing what this whole mess has done to Little Pete, Don has this reaction and resolves to get Artie back.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Up to now, the International Adult Conspiracy has never done anything beyond gossip over the phone to fellow members. With [=McFlemp=] taking actual initiative, though, Artie is figuratively and literally driven out of town within a single episode.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Artie riding in a car? Something must be wrong.
* PreviouslyOn
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Big Pete considers Artie's friendship with Little Pete to be Artie's greatest superpower.
* RealitySubtext: The adults' reactions to Artie mirror the reactions many Nickelodeon executives had to the character, but ultimately Artie/Toby Huss leaves on his own anyway, preventing the issue from coming to a head.
* SayMyName: Don, while looking for Artie to bring him home, pulls this in hopes of Artie hearing.
* SeinfeldianConversation: Little Pete and his friends are having one about snakes when they see Don drive off with Artie.
* SuperBreath: Artie uses it to clean the Wrigley's gutters.
* ThrowingTheFight: Papercut forces everyone else to do this in RockPaperScissors so he can dish out the losing punishment afterwards. It's Little Pete's refusal to do so that sets his subplot in motion.
* TearJerker: Where do we start?
** Artie's reaction when Don tells him Little Pete doesn't want him around anymore.
** Little Pete having lost all hope.
** Artie's goodbye.
* WeWillMeetAgain: "And next time, I'll be ''laminated!''"
* WouldHurtAChild: When Papercut keeps hassling Little Pete for hiding behind a superhero, Artie threatens to fold the bully like paper.