Lightning stood outside on his office balcony where he was staring out at the dirt track he use to race on so long ago it seemed now. The door behind clicked open and he turned seeing Cruz. He sighed and went back to staring out. Cruz stepped up beside Lightning and joined him quietly. Staring out early morning.
"So?.. Guess the race season starts next weekend.." She reminded. Lightning nodded with a "Yup." She wasn't sure what Lightning wanted to do so asked "Do you?.. want to?.. Help me warm up and run some practice laps?" She offered trying to get Lightning out of the depressing realization that his academy actually could fail because of his issues with Cal. Lightning took a deep breath and glanced, stared, gazed at Cruz and her warm smile. He himself, slowly smiled answering softly and rather an unexpected answer "Nah.. Just. Don't feel up to it today." Cruz frowned.
Lightning was getting depressed because of his failure to create this academy. Cruz placed her hand on his shoulder. Her heart broke seeing a part of Lightning she rarely saw. A broken spirit. "Mr McQueen.." She muttered knowing that would grab his attention and it did. "Please don't give up.." she whined. Lightning sighed replying "Maybe that's just where I'm at Cruz. I can't compete with Cal and dinico? I can't afford to send hundreds of students here for free. I spent everything in this place. Those new simulators aren't cheap and I just.. I mean I guess I could give out a few but what then? Maybe I just wasn't meant to continue Doc's legacy like I thought." Cruz hurt hearing that. "Maybe.." Lightning added and stared at Cruz. Cruz just stared at him back. Confused. Unsure what he was thinking.
Lightning sighed then admitted "Maybe?.. Maybe you should go to Cal's school. Ask if he would hire you.." Cruz felt a pit in her stomach. Not another word was said between them. So she left back into his office and shut the door. Seeing Lightning feeling like such a failure and giving up on something amazing. But she didn't know how to knock any sense into him. Not really. But... She did know someone who did. As much as she did not want to see her...
Lightning sat outside for a while then back in his office he sat inside the car in his office. Leaned in the seat, eyes closed. He had to find real passionate students. Who didn't want to just race for the fame and glory. But for the drive. How and where was he going to find that? "Hey Lightning." "AAH!" "AHH!" BOTH JUMPED! THUD HIS HEAD ON THE CEILING OF THE CAR AS SALLY JUMPED BACK A STEP! Lightning rubbed his head and snapped "Don't do that!" as he stepped out the car. Sally blushed apologizing "Sorry.. I didn't mean to to scare you there.." Lightning's eyes widened "I wasn't scared? You.. Surprised me." Sally snickered and nodded with a smile. Lightning leaned on the car's fender "What are you doing here?" He asked. Sally shrugged answering "Cruz."
"Oh." Lightning was a but surprised by that too. Sally smiled but got right to it, "So what's goin on? What's happening?" Lightning sighed with a frown admitting "Cal is.. Doing his best to make sure I fail. And he's succeeding. At this rate the academy won't last but a few years." Sally nodded reminding her ex husband "You do kinda deserve it a little. I mean come on, if the tables were turned? And he took.. Cruz away from you?" Lightning raised a brow. Another surprise out of her mouth. "Wouldn't you want to get even?" Sally asked. Lightning thought about it. Maybe.
It was silent. "Part of me thinks I should quit. I won't lie. Im too old for this.. Too tired and maybe this is the final faze for me, you know? Time to give up and just.. Enjoy whatever is left of me... Running a full on business about racing is NOTHING like actual racing. Nothing like I thought it would be." Sally couldn't help giggling asking "Well what did you think it was gonna be? Checkered flags and adoring fans?" Lightning stared but it wasn't a happy stare. Sally sighed seeing that look. She had seen that look. So she shrugged and said "Fine. Give up." And started walking away. Lightning was immediately confused and stopped her asking "Woah, wait? That's it? That's all you are gonna say?" Sally turned and smiled a little as she explained.
"Lightning this isn't suppose to be easy. This is a real challenge you made yourself here. Definitely out of your element a bit here. But this isn't your final faze. You just set new goals for yourself that are.. Harder to reach. So you gotta push harder. Look at this place! You're right, it's not like racing, because when you raced you had deadlines and had to follow and do what your sponsors told you to. You didn't have to go behind the scenes back then. You were given a check list and you checked off each box easily for a long time. But here!? YOU are in charge! You decide what you do. You are going to struggle here. But you always push. You expanded everyone's expectations of you Light. I loved that about you. How.. You always pushed harder, putting a little more effort in with each lap, each race. Going further each time, You'd check off a box then extended that goal each time and broke every barrier that was put in front of you. You programmed yourself to push past your limits and gave more than anyone ever expected! And THAT!, That's what seperated the average from the great.. From you. Pushing yourself harder, doing that one more lap, adding a challenge like? Driving backwards or jumps!? You never stopped growing!
Here you are with this academy!? And you have set a new goal for yourself, a new challenge for yourself. And once again you have expanded everyone's expectations.
This is not your final faze! This is exciting and maybe the best part! You are still growing! And you will have to push again. You need to set the target and let yourself be open to learn from this new faze. You can't grow without challenge? And you can't expect to know everything? Get out of your comfort zone Lightning and let yourself grow! Push yourself! You can't expect that checkered flag to just drop? You gotta start the race first. You got here through hard work, sacrifice, dedication, discipline, relentlessly... You got here. To your goal of becoming a champion. My champion...
You have a new challenge ahead now. It's not going to come to you? You have to race to it. You gotta start the race first. Nothing is stronger than you. Than that will you had. You will prevail. I know you will win, if you don't quit. And when you feel like quitting? Remember why you started.. Remember what you're doing all this for." For Doc. Sally smiled and continued "You are strong enough. Don't stop because you fear failure? Face that. No excuses. Stop saying you are too old, or tired, or that it's too hard? Remember there are so many people counting on you that you probably don't know yet. I'm counting on you.. Quitting isn't a Lightning McQueen thing. Quitting is for those with no heart. You have the biggest heart out there for this and YOU DO NOT QUIT! Make an oath to yourself, to this academy, to your future students! To your family...To Doc.. That you will give your best before you give up!
I know it looks impossible right now.. But stick this out. Go get what you want. Chase down that flag. Because I know.. You can win if you don't quit. The Lightning McQueen I knew would never quit.. There is no failure here Light. You just.. Quit. Or you keep going and push on. You have to decide." Lightning Snickered and hugged her. "You are my inspiration Sally. I'm always going to need you." Sally's eyes widened hearing that. Part of her wanted to push away, part of her wanted to stay in his arms. Luckily he pulled away not making her choose between that. They stared in each other's eyes a moment quietly. "Thank you." Lightning muttered with a half smile. Sally nodded "Welcome.." She meant what she said. "Sally..."
He began. Sally quickly shut this down interrupting "I should get back to work.. Busy being the mayor and all and the re election coming up." She blushed a little. Lightning brushed her hair behind her ear. Sally frowned and whined "Stop.. Don't." Lightning sighed and stared. He wanted her back. He had no clue how to. "Please don't marry him.." Sally just stared into those begging blue eyes and answered "I.. I love him Lightning.. He is the best... Person sense you." Lightning didn't really know how to respond to that at first. But had nothing to lose admitting "Oh please.. The guy's a jerk. I mean what kind of man steels you from me like he did?" "What?" Sally muttered confused. Lightning sounded and seemed a little hurt and angry
"Francesco took you from me and any chances of us getting back together when he came here. He knew we were in a bas place and stepped in." Sally shook her head and scolded "No one stepped in or.. Took me away from you. You did that to yourself when you chose Cruz, Lightning. You lost your chance the moment you ran to her instead of.. Know what? No. I am not doing this with you again. I hope you find what you are looking for Light...I really do." Sally said with a bit of a frown.
She turned and beganto leave but stopped adding. "Stop copying Cal and his school and run this place like you own it. The full McQueen." she smiled. "Remember?" she asked. Lightning smiled. He did. "Bye Light." She muttered lastly and left. Lightning was alone again. He wanted her but.. It was time to let go and she was right... Time to run this school like he owned it. Not mock how Cal was running his and not like your average racing school...
That evening, Lightning, Cruz, Luige and Guido were having dinner at his academy. Thinking of ways to stand out and grab more students attention and keeping them from Cal's offer. "Guys I just don't know how to make racers look at my school and say, Hey! I want to go there and not just because of McQueen." Cruz shrugged explaining "Well that's how most students will have to think anyway? Most want to be like Storm.. And Cal is co sponsoring him." Lightning glared at her but she was right. Luige slapped the table saying "This Cal is taking all the good ideas!" Cruz frowned because it was kind of true. Lightning sighed replying "I know.. That's why we gotta do things so differently... So? Unconventional that people want to come here."
Luige and Guido glanced at each other a moment. All of them thinking. Then Luige asked "How do you plan to even get any students when there are no more here? Cal has them." Lightning shrugged. Cruz butted in answering with ideas "Oh! Online! Definitely. Everyone is online! We just need you to make a come back." Lightning glared reminding "Yeah uh.. I already tried that and it didn't work." Cruz rolled her eyes correcting "Not exactly a racing come back, more of an image. You have fans but after... A few set backs.. A lot of people know you as the guy who.. Um.. Slept with his trainer..." She smiled awkwardly. Lightning rolled his eyes again and asked "Okay how? What would I have to do?" Cruz sat silent a moment before blurting out.
"Get there attention." Lightning raised his arms and shouted "Was this place not enough!?" Referring to the academy. Cruz snickered explaining "It is... But I mean like Twitter, Instagram, facebook, tik tok." "Hey, I know time is money but we don't have a to rush it Cruz." Lightning snapped. Cruz raised a brow then laughed correcting "No, Tik tok. It's an app. On your phone?.." Lightning just glared, ignoring that. Cruz smiled explaining "Look, we just need to record you doing some old tricks and racing techniques online and show you, and.. I. Have moved on from all that drama and show the world of young racers that you WANT to teach them what you can."
Lightning nodded. It didn't seem like a bad idea. "So what do I do first?" he asked. Cruz bit her lis thinking then answered "First, I will personally create you a bunch of different accounts on social sharing sites. You will need to get in the habit of updating your status a lot." "My status?" he asked. Cruz nodded continuing "And to grab their attention you will need to do something big and public first! Around people who will record it and post it and review it on their own." Lightning sat down asking "Well who and where are we going to find people that love their phones like that? Because that leaves most of Radiator Springs out. Most people that come here come to get away and most the people that live here are"-"Old." Cruz interrupted.
Luige and Guido glared at her as Lightning muttered "I was going to say.. Mature..." Cruz couldn't help smiling but hinted "There is one place in this town that is FULL of young racers that absolutely love playing on their phones for attention." Lightning just stared. She couldn't be serious. Luige raised a brow asking "You mean the racing school?" "Cal's school? Seriously?" Lightning followed. Cruz nodded explaining "Yep. You have already had a few hits from a few students before. You are still famous and still remembered as a champion. Just.. They need reminded." Lightning sighed but nodded and asked "How am I suppose to get into Cal's school and grab their attention without causing more problems?" Cruz had to think. All of them did.
Guido spoke to Luige who spoke aloud translating "A truce?" Lightning shook his head answering "No, Cal won't be up for that.." Cruz then snickered as it hit her and she stood up saying "Oh my gosh! That's it!" "Really?" Lightning asked a little in disbelief. Cruz laughed a little answering "What? No. No that is definitely not it. But we are so silly! It was right in front of us the entire time!" She paused with a huge smile on her face. Lightning, Luige, and Guido just stared... Waiting... "Well?" Luige asked. Cruz giggled replying "Right, sorry. But the answer is soooo easy. A challenge." Lightning crossed his arms intrigued as Cruz continued "You need to walk in there, mid day, in the middle of one of his lessons and challenge Cal to a one on one race."
Lightning snickered replying "He is never gonna do it." Cruz smiled "Oh he will. Because you will challenge him in front of his students. You can't be afraid to mock him a little. Make him want to. Do it somewhere public. His own students will do all the work for us. He wants a rivalry, you give him one." Lightning sighed but was definitely thinking about it. "I haven't raced in forever." Lightning reminded. Cruz shrugged saying "No pressure.. All you gotta do is win." Lightning nodded slowly. Right... Win...