Disclaimer—I OWN NOBODY, Raine belongs to Raven's Revenge, and other characters belong to Pixar.

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Show Me What Ya Got

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"This sucks! This just completely blows! What on earth is going to happen now."

"Well, you're gonna need to find a crew chief, that's for sure. So stop wining and decide what you're going to do because he can't possibly be there, and don't you even think of unconvincing him to stay here! Because you'll have more than your own name raining down upon you Lightning!"

Lightning McQueen flinched and lowered down on his wheels, "Alright Raine…I'll think of something."

Raine nodded curtly then turned around and went back into the clinic, shutting the door behind her.

He sighed, releasing his tension. Raine was a great person but she was sometimes…dangerously frightening. The way she put things so bluntly and seriously, she could make even a monster truck cipher himself. He had only known one other person that was like that…he shivered; he didn't want to think about that person right now.

Sighing, he sunk even lower on his wheels; with this new problem, he would have to find a new crew chief…and fast! He backed away from the clinic and drove away.

Meanwhile, Raine sunk low on her tires as she glanced at the sick Hudson with worry. His breathing was labored, and he had a high fever. Raine gently nuzzled his side, knowing what kind of pain he was going through.

But what was wrong with him? What was he experiencing? His symptoms were no different than that of a common flu…but no…it was worse. It had to be, he had been sick for longer than a flu ever lasted.

Why couldn't she find out what was wrong?

Doc opened his eyes and smiled weakly, "Raine, sweetie..." He paused as another wave of nausea went through his tank. "Please don't worry about me...I'll be fine."

The mustang nudged a sick pan in front of him, just in case. Her amber eyes glittered with tears, but she held them back. "Doc...You're like a father to me...you're my best friend...Of course I have to worry." She kissed him on the fender lightly, "I love you..." Doc sighed weakly and drifted off, as Raine settled down next to him and closed her eyes.

As she sat there, she thought back on that moment…when she found out there was something…not quite right.

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They couldn't believe it! Lightning's race had cut it so very close, but somehow he had won! The small Radiator Springs "Pit Stop" crew (as Guido liked to call it), cheered as the bright red racecar came over looking triumphant!

Even Raine was celebrating! She had been allowed to come (with a lot of convincing to Doc) and see this race! She was like, the crew chiefs second in command, and she loved it. As she celebrated she turned to the old Hudson Hornet, and her face fell.

Sure he was smiling, but something wasn't right. She couldn't help but notice that his fuel tank wasn't making normal sounds...She also noticed that he was wincing occasionally. She put a tire on his left fender, before recoiling from the heat it produced.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Doc gave an unusually weak smile. "I'm fine Raindrop...just... must've drank my oil too fast..."

That was when The Mustang's intuition kicked in. She almost had a sixth sense that told her when something wasn't right, the sense that made her a good medical student. Now she was really worried.

"Doc, you don't look so good, we better get you—"

He got a very distant look in his eyes, he didn't seem to be able to see or hear her.

"Doc? Doc!"

By now, the rest of the crew and members of the RustEz crew had come to see what was going. Raine nudged the Doc, he was out of focus, and he didn't respond.

"We have to get him back! He's not going to make it!"

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Raine opened her eyes again and looked to him, he was sleeping quite peacefully at her side, once in awhile he'd wince but other than that…he looked ok.

She sighed and looked over to the table where she had been studying up on his symptoms, she had several alibis…but none of them were quite right…she didn't get it. What could it possibly be? Why did they come up so sudden?

Then she thought again, Doc hadn't seemed quite normal that day ever since he drank fuel at Flo's station. Could it be that it was poisoned? No…Flo wouldn't do that, she served her fuel and made it especially herself! But then…what could it be?

She sighed…she'd have to ask tomorrow.

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Morning came fast; Rain awoke to discover Doc still asleep. His sick pan was empty, so that had to be a good sign. But still…she couldn't be too sure. She nudged him softly; as much as she didn't want to, she had to wake him.

"Doc…I'm sorry Doc, but you need to wake up."

Doc mumbled slightly in his sleep before opening his eyes. He yawned and looked to Raine and smiled, "Morning Raindrop."

Raine smiled, at least he was in good spirits, "Good morning Doc, you read for your check-up."

He stretched his tires and then smiled sleepily, "You bet."

She checked everything, the symptoms were still the same…though he had lost the damper on his attitude, and he was a lot happier and more awake today. That was a very good sign…at least Raine hoped so.

"Well…it all looks…ok, but you're still sick, and you aren't going to any Piston Cup Finals that's for sure."

Doc sighed, "I know."

Raine smiled, "Sorry Doc, you've got to be getting some rest."

He sighed, "I know…that's why I've made other arrangements."

Raine turned, "Excuse me?"

"Lightning already has a crew chief for the Finals."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

He grinned, "Why Raindrop, that's you."

If there is a record for how far a mouth can open, Raine had just broken it. She stared at Doc as if he was the craziest car on the face of the planet. And you know? He probably was in his state.

"Wha? I…But…"

"Lightning needs a crew chief, I need some rest, and you need to get out to more races."

"But---I!"

"My plan is perfect Raine, don't go ruining the self-esteem of the old man now."

Raine couldn't speak, she just stared horrifically, mouth hanging, at the blue car. Shaking her hood, coming back to reality, she sighed and looked to Doc.

"Guess there's no changing your mind…"

"Raindrop, if this mind could change, I'd be at the race already."

Raine nodded, "Alright, I guess I have no choice."

"Not really."

Raine smiled and realized how easily that old man could convince her. If he asked her to drive off of a cliff, she'd probably do it…rhetorically speaking that is.

She gave the Doc a 'darn you' look then turned to write down the test results.

Doc felt a shudder go through his engine and moaned.

"Last time I order gas from somewhere I've never been."

Raine stopped and turned to him, "Excuse me, but did you say order?"

Doc nodded and groaned again.

"I ordered some tanks of gasoline from Flo, well, not from her personally, but she had them ordered for me."

"…Go on."

"I had one that day of the race, and I haven't felt so sick in my life. Must've been some bad gas or something."

"How much did you order."

He shrugged, "A couple of cases, but I think I might've taken it back to Flo, it was terrible."

Raine stared at him…could it be? Someone…poisoned the gas before he got it. She was sure of it, there couldn't be any other reason for this.

"Doc, do you by chance know if Flo put that gasoline on her market?"

"No, she refuses to sell bad gasoline, why?"

"Think she still has it."

Doc shrugged, "Maybe, I'm not sure." He stopped when a wave of nausea overtook him, after that he passed out.

Raine winced; she'd have to clean up before she thought of going anywhere. She looked to the charts and discovered something, her eyes widened and she quickly phoned McQueen.

Lightning dashed into the clinic, almost running into some of the equipment and knocking over some medical books along the way.

"Raine! You called? What's wrong?" The mustang was at the clinic's pathology lab, typing away at a nearby computer.

"You won't believe what I just found on the tank fluid analysis..."

Lightning rolled over next to the black car, peering over at the results.

"There are traces of Copper Sulfate in the fluid sample I just took from Doc's tank...At first I thought he had some kind of infection, because of the symptoms, but I also know that this substance will have the same effects at a certain level..."

She glanced at the racecar fearfully.

"Lightning, did Flo throw away that can of fuel that Doc ordered? I need to do a toxicology exam on it."

Lightning was confused now.

"Wait. So are you saying that someone set this up?"

"...I don't know. I mean, I know it's kinda strange that Doc had these symptoms 'before' the Piston Cup Finals...but who would want to harm him anyway? All I know is that I can remove the selenium from his system, so he'll be ok. That's what we need to focus on right now."

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The day of the finals came, and Raine, true to her word, sat atop the Crew Chiefs pedestal. There was still nearly a half an hour before the race started, but racers were still looking jumpy anyway.

Raine watched as Lightning paced back and forth, there wasn't much she could do, she'd be scared if she were her crew chief who had no experience too. She sighed and backed off the pedestal.

"I'm getting a drink, don't worry Lightning, you'll do fine."

Lightning smiled, "Thanks Raine."

Raine wandered off to the small gasoline tanks in the pit area, she lifted a nozzle and began to drink. Nearby, she heard Chick Hicks and his pit crew laughing amongst each other. Without meaning to, she listened to the conversation.

"Man Chick, that's some dirty work you did there, it must have been hard to pull that off with the old Doc."

Raine stopped drinking, she was paying full attention now.

"Do you think it worked? I mean, McQueen did find another crew chief."

Chick chuckled, "You mean that mustang? Nah, she wont be a problem, it's not like she's professional, and she wont be much help to that loser of a race car McQueen."

Raine wanted to chuck the nozzle at his head…but he was right, and it wasn't like she could help Lightning relax.

"Anyway, the fact is, I fooled that show car who owns the V8 café in that dust bowl of a town that I had top notch fuel. It's not like she or the old geezer could see it had no professional label on it. And who would suspect a poisoning from a show car? Nobody, and with Doc in bed, and people thinking it's just a lame old flu that'll pass, I can win the race and the Doc'll be down for the count…his checkered flag has waved it's last wave, Race is in the bag boys!"

They laughed and returned to their pit, leaving Raine.

A very pissed Raine.

She felt white hot anger boiling inside her, she wanted to pounce that good for nothing son of a—she took a few deep breaths, she couldn't do that, not in front of the reporters…or Lightning wouldn't even have a chance.

She moseyed on over to her original place, but first, she stopped next to Lightning and whispered.

"Kid, want to make Doc proud? Hell, do you want to make me proud?"

Lightning looked at her perplexed, "Uh, yeah, of course I do."

Raine clenched her teeth, "Then win this race and kick that son of a guns bumper out of his egotistical freak show and show me what you got, or Doc doesn't have a chance...do it for Doc, Lightning...do it for Doc."

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YAY! I'M DONE I'M DONE I'M DONE! passes out