This fic, is brought to you by the song Thunder by Imagine Dragons and the one review on my other Chick Hicks story. Enjoy.
He found it amazing, even though he and Chick didn't race against each other anymore, and hadn't for years, they still treated each other like rivals.
On Chick's TV show, Hicks was always boasting over his one win and making jokes at his expense.
While if he was questioned about what he thought of Chick's show and how Chick portrayed him, he would simply send a jibe at Chick about being washed up, old, or still coming in as thunder after lightning.
His favourite jibe to send Chick's way, was that thunder was doing what thunder did best, follow lightning.
He had never been invited onto Chick's show before his crash. Which had left him not expecting to be invited onto it with Cruz, after their shared race. He could say that he was honestly looking forward to it, mainly because he wanted to exchange barbs with Chick in person again.
It was different than anyone else whom he would exchange friendly banter with. It was more like how Storm treated him, except he was Storm and Chick was him.
When he rolled into the lobby of Chick's studio, he met up with Cruz who was already here, and talking with someone who worked here. Even from the distance he could see she was nervous, practically vibrating with pent up energy. He didn't blame her, Chick still had quite the reputation from his own rookie year.
"So, are we just about ready to go into the studio?" He asked as he pulled up beside Cruz, making her jump a bit.
"Mr. McQueen, you startled me. We'll be shown to where we're being filmed in a few minutes, Laurie was just explaining it to me." She motioned to the other car with her tire. He watched her nervously grind her tire into the floor, as the other car drove away for a moment.
"He won't do anything to you, you know, other than possibly try to get in your head."
"Oh! I'm not worried about him, you on the other hand." She said moving from surprised to starting to smirk.
"Whoa, we're not talking about Storm here, this is Chick Hicks, if anything he should be worried about me. He didn't come up with the thunder thing by himself you know, that was all me, he just ran with it and knocked off my shtick." He had held a tire out to stop her train of thoughts.
"Ummhumm, we'll see Mr. McQueen." She rolled her eyes at bit at him.
Laurie, the car Cruz was talking to, was back and spoke to them."We're ready for you, if you'll just follow me." She showed them to the stage door. "You can just go on in, they aren't filming yet and won't be until you're in and set up."
"Thanks." He replied as Cruz held back a little.
"Hamilton, play the song Thunder."
"Playing Thunder."
He just looked at her with slight confusion before she started to drive into the room with a small satisfied smirk on her face.
"What are you doing Cruz?" He asked as they drove into the room they'd be filming in, the song playing from her speakers loud enough for everyone to hear.
"What? It's a good song." She said loud enough for everyone in the room to hear her over the song. While Chick's crew stifled their laughter at the song, she said only loud enough for him to hear, "I'm getting in his head, besides it's fitting isn't it? You're Lightning and he calls himself Thunder, which as you just oh so kindly pointed out, he got from you, which makes it extra fitting."
"Yeah it is, let it play." He replied with a smirk, loud enough for everyone to hear. To Cruz only he said, "if this song was out then, I probably would have made it my theme song. Come on, let's get this interview over with."
"I want to talk with his crew for a moment." She told him before starting to pull away.
"Alright." He shrugged before he drove over to where Chick was, leaving Cruz to consort with Chick's crew for the moment. Chick looked like he was apparently sulking about having him and Cruz on the show. He was sure the song playing wasn't helping anything.
"So, who do I owe the pleasure to, of finally being invited onto your show?"
"Not me. Oh no, not me at all, the producers wanted you on." Chick shook his hood a little.
"I'll make sure to thank them then. As you can tell, my protege is as much of a tire full as I was when I started. I'd watch your tongue around her, she has some pretty nasty trash talk hidden within her, particularly if she thinks you old and decrepit." He replied motioning over to Cruz.
"Mr. McQueen, are you telling tales again?" Cruz asked as she drove up, the song just finishing as she parked.
"No, of course not. What do you take me for? An old geezer?" He teased.
"Yes, and arthritis ridden, slow, and hearing impaired, we've been over this before, you are getting old if you've forgotten all that so quick." She said in a serious tone, but with a playful eye roll.
"Gee, thanks Cruz, anything else you want to add in front of my old rival?" He asked dryly.
"Umm, nope. Not that I can think of right now, except for the fact that are you sure he can actually hear this? You have enough trouble hearing me and he's even older than you." Cruz said while tapping her tire like she was thinking.
"Keep your rookie under control McQueen. I hope you know who you're talking about girl." An already steamed Hicks said.
"You mean Chick Hicks, in your words, Piston Cup champion of all time?" She asked in faux innocence.
"Yes."
"Nope, never heard of him, I think he's a fictional character. The only Chick Hicks I know of, has one ill gotten Piston Cup, that very easily could have been Mr. McQueen's had he chosen not to stop, and a washed up, brittle, old green racer who is still coming in as thunder after lightning."
"You!" Chick rolled forward, to do what he wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to let things get violent.
"No fighting on set, aren't we supposed to be doing an interview? And Cruz, that's enough, stop riling up our host." He scolded lightly.
"Yes, Mr. McQueen." She recited back at him.
"You were laying it on a bit thick there." He whispered over to her.
"I know, I couldn't help myself though, I can see why you liked taunting him, he's easy to fluster." Cruz whispered back.
"Just tone it down during the actual interview, okay?"
"Yes, Mr. McQueen." She rolled her eyes at him. They drove off stage, so they could start filming.
oOoOoOo
"Welcome to Chick's Picks with Chick Hicks. I'm your host Chick Hicks, Piston Champion of the ages. It's that time again where we get a surprise guest on the show and this time it's double the surprise. Today we have both Lightning McQueen and his rookie Cruz Ramirez to talk about their race they won together and how Tex Dinoco has bought Rust-eze and what that means for the racers." Chick sounded less than enthused, giving an almost monotone performance to his normal intro.
As they entered, someone started to play Thunder again just a short snippet of the song right about where it was talking about lightning before thunder. Obviously having taken a cue from Cruz earlier. He could see Chick getting blustered about the song playing.
This was going to be a fun interview, he was sure.