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Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion… every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.

—John Henry Jowett—

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It was a nice afternoon, really. A steady breeze from the east with low humidity and a dry heat made it tolerable to be outside. The only thing that bothered Storm was that there was no track at Willy's Butte. It was just a clay road around a lank mark. If Storm hated anything more than Cruz's winning streak, it was dirt.

"This is it?" he a couldn't help but ask, feeling somewhat let down, but not surprised.

Lightning rolled his eyes. "What were you expecting? A stadium?"

"Something at the very least since a certain former Piston Cup Champion had made this place his headquarters years ago," Storm replies. "But hey, it's fine just the way it is: it matches the town."

Deciding not to reply, Lightning cleared his throat. "Ahem… for the start of today's training we will be taking a three-lap time trial!" he announced. "This will be a timed race so make sure to stay in your lane. That means no foul play and absolutely NO thrashing or nicking!" he empathized that bit while glaring directly at Storm. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, I got two."

Lightning looked more put out by the second. "What is it?"

"What's this "we" McQueen? I am only racing Cruz."

"I always ride along," Lightning rode over to join them at the starting line. "That's how I am able to track Cruz's time. As long I am within a fifty-foot range of you guys, I should be able to track your progress."

"Is that so?" Storm glanced over at him with false concern. "Then surely an elderly car such as yourself will have trouble keeping up with youngsters like us, will you be okay?"

Storm had expected Lightning to take offense, but he didn't. Instead, the veteran laughed, "I'll be just fine, Storm, but I suggest you worry about yourself!"

There was something ominous in his reply that Storm couldn't shake. "And my second question is what's with the tow truck?"

Lightning narrowed his eyes at him. "Mater," he corrected with noticeable irk. "Will be our flagman. Ready, bud?" he called.

"Ready!" the tow truck replied. Mater hung out the flag. He had attached a white flag to his tow cable although to Storm it looked more like a rag on a pole.

"Okay! On da count of four ya go!"

It felt good to gun it like this after spending nearly, a week in a cramped trailer. Storm revved up his engine. Ready and eager to serve McQueen and Ramirez a hot slice of humble pie. He would complete the laps, win, humiliate them at their own games and then leave town in the dustpan where it belonged.

Simple as that.

"4… 3… 2… 1… GOOO!"

When the dust settled a dark blue car could be seen still sitting at the starting line.

"…Lightnin'?" Mater gasped. "Why are ya still sittin' at the finish line!?"

"Oops, I must have blinked and missed it."

Mater couldn't help but wonder if Lightning drunk a pint from Fillmore's secret stash again. "Didja not hear me ither? I yelled go!"

"Don't worry, about it pal," Lightning rocked back and forth on his tires without a care. "Oh, and that reminds me… Mater, you have your towing cable with you, right?"

"Dun I always?" Mater asked, a little confused by Lightning's question. "Why you ask-"

A loud cry of surprised pain pierced the air from the far distance.

"OH MY GOSH!" Cruz cried out. "Storm! Are you alright?!"

"That's why," Lightning replied, thoroughly amused.

Mater's eyes bulged. "Ohhh…"

A moment later Cruz could be seen speeding on the horizon back towards them. "MR. MCQUEEN! STORM'S IN THE CACTUS!"

The smirk on Lightning's grill evolved into a full gleeful grin. "Let's go get him."

Storm's engine roared furiously as he tried in vain to reverse, but the drop was too steep and the cactus patch too thick. It only caused the sand to kick up. He coughed, trying to clear his lungs.

"You never learned how to skid, huh?" Lightning called down to him. Ugh... Cruz had apparently gone back for "help". It must have been so satisfying seeing him like this.

Storm gritted his teeth in rage. He knew. That muffler clot McQueen knew he would likely end up like this.

"What did you do instead?" Lightning's taunts continued. "Trained solely on how fast you can go around in a circle in virtual reality?"

"That's all that mattered!" Jackson snarled. Really it was. All their races were in an oval on a paved track. No sharp turns, no dirt, no mess. It was simply how fast you ride while staying balanced on a perfect line.

Lightning shook his head. "Speed is only a part of racing! You need skill too, that's old school basics—oh, wait, I forgot. It's nothing to learn from the past, right?"

Cruz peered over the ravine. "So, since Storm lost control and kissed cactus… does this mean I win?" she asked hopefully.

Lightning nodded. "Yep, it does."

"Yay! One for Cruz and the veteran racers!"

"Hmph. Don't let it go to your head…" Storm muttered grumpily.

"Pull him up, Mater and let's get riding!"

"Right on, Buddy!"

A second later, Storm had never felt so violated in his life. "AAACK!" Getting towed back up a hill was bad enough when Mater had pulled him back up to the ridge, Storm couldn't even meet Cruz's eyes.

"Since you're here, Mater," McQueen turned towards the tow truck. "Why don't you take over for the next part of Cruz's training?"

He gasped. "Well dadgum!" Mater cried excitedly. "You mean it?!"

Lightning nodded. "Yeah, she's eager to show you how much she's improved on her driving. Right, Cruz?"

"Sure!"

"Ugh..." this was getting beyond pathetic. "What could the tow truck possibly teach us?" Storm muttered.

Lightning was about to retort when Mater jumped in. "There's lots ya can learn from me!" He wagged his rearview mirrors like an elephant fanning itself. "I'mma the world's greatest backwards driver fer a reason!"

Storm blinked. He was what?

"Everyone to da Copperfields! On da pronto!" The tow truck took off.

"Where…?"

Lightning followed behind Mater. "We're going to do some more driving techniques, you're coming or not?"

"Sure…" he said, but Storm had never felt more unsure. How much of this was real and how much of this was a setup, he couldn't help but wonder.

"Is this really how you train?" Storm whispered to Cruz. "Or are you all trying to mock me?"

"Huh? Why would you think that?" Cruz wondered. "This is all real. I know the training is a bit… ahem, unconventional, but it really builds a racer's skill. As Mr. McQueen said, speed isn't everything."

"How did you get McQueen and the tow truck to start training you?"

"Oh, no, it's the opposite!" Cruz laughed. "Before I became a racer, I was actually Mr. McQueen's trainer! I, however, participated in his training regiment when he took me to a rural place called Thomasville. There we trained together under Smokey. It was some of best training I could have ever received! The Simulator got NOTHING on this!"

Bah, ridiculous-

But then Storm paused as he remembered Cruz did come out of nowhere with nothing but this wacky training. He was already superior to her in every way so if he could survive the training, he would be put lightyears ahead of her.

"I guess this means you're going to be stuck with me, Ramirez," he told her. "I not leaving until I master everything thrown at me. Show me what these oldies can do."

The yellow coupe broke out into a wide grin. "For the first time since you've been here, I actually like the attitude you're projecting!" Cruz bopped tries with him. "Use that for the next lesson!"

Welcome to da Copperfields, home to our historic landmark of da Dolly Lolly Windmill!" Mater motioned to the aluminum monstrosity blowing slowly around and around in the breeze. "Isn't she a beauty? Been flowin' for forty years!"

"Hah…" Storm decided not to answer that.

The field was still a dirt track much to Storm's displeasure, but at least it appeared more like a course of some kind. It was fenced in with wire and rusty poles. The track was littered ramps and other obstacles. Almost like a boot camp of some sort.

"Today we race on da circuit! Yer job is to show off yer skill by stunt racin'!"

"…stunt racing?" Storm repeated. He's never heard of a thing. Was that a clown circuit? Like who took that type of racing seriously?

"Nuthing shows off a racer's skill better than a jump!" the rusty hillbilly insisted.

"I still haven't won against him," Cruz admitted. "It's pretty tough."

Currently, Cruz and the tow truck had their backs to the starting line. Storm blinked. Yep, they were still facing backward. "... Ramirez, what are you doing?"

"Come on, Storm! We're about to start!"

"Fine..." he muttered as he parked beside her. It seemed a little backward to Storm, no pun intended, but if they wanted to race the course from the finish line to starting line then who was he to object? He had agreed to this insanity the moment he stepped a tire in town. Storm glanced to the side. McQueen was sitting this one out as he appointed himself the designated flagman.

"On your mark," Lightning sounded out. "Ready, set, GO!"

Storm sped off. Manvouring around the ramps and the random cactus or boulders.

"Hey, genius hit the brakes!" McQueen ordered.

Storm broke off in mid-speed and skidded to a halt. Although he was off to a head start, Storm realized no one was behind him. He glanced to the right and then to the left. No one was beside him either.

Lightning rode over to him. "You're going the wrong way!"

The dark racer blinked. "What…?" feeling more confused and stupider by the second.

"You don't drive a course backward, you literally drive backwards!" Lightning explained with an eye-roll. That's the training: you got to race Mater's course driving backward!"

Storm's jaw dropped. "That… that's the stupidest thing that has ever come out of your mouth, McQueen!" he retorted.

Lightning sent him a challenging smirk. "Ah, but can you do it?" he replied.

Storm huffed. He would be a moron to fall for the taunt, but his pride wouldn't let him back down. "Of course, I can!" He tried to reverse. Strom managed to hold it steady until he began to swerve ten feet later.

"Watch it!" Lightning exclaimed. "You nearly backed into me!"

Once Storm straightens, he began to accelerate his pace. "Pity I missed."

"Ha, ha, you're so hilarious…" Lightning forced out a fake laugh. "Oh, and watch out for that Barrel Cactus-"

"AHHHH!" That needle ball stung worse than the pit of cacti he fell into earlier.

"Hey! You okay?" the question didn't come across as mocking, but Storm wouldn't have none of it.

"Leave me alone, McQueen!" he winced as he pulled forward, jerking himself free. "Ugh… it's… it's just a setback! Nothing to…agghh… worry about!"

He could hear Lightning scoffing again. "Fine, I guess that means you're well enough to continue," the veteran replied coolly.

"That's right, I am!" Storm ignored the pain in his rear as he continued reversing through the course. Eventually, he found his way back to the starting line and then past the mark only to back into a boulder. "Ugh!" he hissed in pain, squeezing his eyes shut. Storm heard tires driving towards him.

"Listen, for your first time, you're doing great, Storm," Lightning complimented him gently. "But you're not going to be a pro overnight. You got to ease into it-"

"I said I'm fine!" he growled. Why hasn't McQueen taken a hint?

"Stop being stubborn!" Lightning retorted. "Just listen for a second! The trick is to use your rearview mirrors-"

"I don't need counsel from a washup like you!" Storm backed around the boulder and tried to pick up the pace again only to back this time into a crater. "Grrrrr!" Storm was borderline ballistic at this point and what McQueen did next didn't help.

Lightning rode backward with ease all the while smirking at him. Storm wanted to blowtorch that stupid grin right off his face. "Say it with me, KA-CHOW!" he sped up and passed him.

"YOU!" Storm increased his speed as well. Blindly trying to catch up.

"Wait, Storm!"

"Just wait till I pass you!"

"STOP, IDIOT-"

"I'll show you! All of you morons whose-"

Storm came to a definite halt when he backed into something hard, something prickly and very, very painful. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" He let out a cry that could be heard for miles around.

"Here, hold my tire," Cruz offered.

"I don't need to hold your tire!" Storm growled stubbornly. What He wanted to do is run over something, preferably McQueen's face. Why was she even here anyway? This was humiliating enough as it is, and Storm thought he had blackmail on her. If this got out in the media, he wouldn't be able to show his face for a month!

"It'll help," Cruz insisted patiently. "This is going sting a bit…"

"I said I don't—OOOW!" he howled when Ramone yanked out a large piece of cacti.

"Keep a stiff upper lip kid!" Ramone called from the other side. He was busy extracting thorns out of Storm's bumper. He yanked out several more causing the racer to wince. "Stop tensing, it makes it worse!"

The dark racer groaned as he forced himself to relax. "…how much do I have left?"

Cruz glanced behind him. She involuntarily winched at the sight. "Uh…you don't have that much…"

"You're lying aren't you?" Storm deadpanned.

"W-Why would I lie?"

"You can't even look me in the eye-eeeee!" he shrieked rather high pitched.

"Ha, ha, he sounds like a gurl!" Mater hooted.

Why was that retarded rust bucket even here? No doubt to witness his humiliation and report it back to McQueen.

Storm sent him a murderous glare. "Congrats, tow truck," he spat. "You're officially on my hit list. Right after McQueen-"

"Storm!" Cruz gashed, aghast.

Instead of being afraid for his life like he should have, Mater laughed. "Yer sure funny! Imma startin' to like you already!"

"Grrrr! Tell him to get lost already!" Storm growled to Cruz.

"Mater, will you please wait outside?" Cruz asked. "Storm needs a little privacy right now…"

"Ah, okay. I was just tryin' to keep 'im company," the tow truck wilted as he rode towards the door. "See ya back at da Coppersfields! I'll even elp ya train if ya want!" he offered and then left.

Go back? Was this truck insane?! No one in their right mind would go back to that pain course unless they were trying to land a permanent disability check. He liked all his original parts thank you very much!

"It'll be okay, Stormy," Cruz told him soothingly. "I'm right here. You are a fluffy cloud. Nothing can hurt you! Say it with me, "I am a fluffy cloud, I am a fluffy cloud!" It'll help! Now breathe!"

"Wait…" Storm interrupted her.

"What?"

"Did you just call me, Stormy?" he asked, incredulous. "… like seriously?"

"Oh, you don't like it?" she realized. "Then how about I call you, Jacky?"

Storm sent her a long, hard look.

"OOOUUCH!" he howled when Ramone extracted another thorny patch without warning. Storm reached out his axels on impulse. His tire intertwining with hers. Okay, he did touch her tire, but he did NOT grab it and he certainly did NOT need to squeeze it. He had nerves of steel, no, of titanium—"GAHH!"

"It's okay, I got you!" Cruz soothed. "Squeeze as hard as you need."

He ended up squeezing her tire the entire time. Of course, if any car asked Storm about it later, he would say otherwise.