DISCLAIMER: I do not own the film "Cars." "Cars" is owned by Disney and Pixar Studios. However, the new characters in this fic are own by me.

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Chapter 2: Who is this kid?

By morning, the town was buzzing with curiosity about the mystery Jeep Mater had brought in the previous night. When Sally had raced into town stressed out and panicky, everyone had fear for the worse. But when Mater came back, they found out the damage was far more severe than anyone, including Doc, could have expected. His frame was slightly bent, as were his axles. The rollover had punctured his gas tank, jacked up his engine and destroyed his gearbox, and his drive shaft was hanging on by a thread. Flo had almost passed out at the sight of him, and even Sarge, a Korean War vet who saw worse injuries in battle, shuttered when Mater passed by with the young vehicle in tow.

Doc had to work through the night to keep the gas-guzzler alive. But during the operation, Doc had noticed things that struck him as odd. The big one being that the wear and tear on the young Jeep was more consistent with cars his age than teenage cars. Granted, Doc knew that pick-up trucks and SUVs took more abuse than cars, but even the extent of wear on the Jeep was baffling. Heck, this car is only a little younger than Lightning - in SUV years, Doc pondered as he patched an spurting oil leak. What has this kid been doing? Could he be a runaway? Or even a criminal on the run?

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"He's awake." Doc told the three tired vehicles as he stepped into the waiting room.

"That's good to know," Mater said. "How is the little squirt?"

"Well, he's talking clearly, so I'm guessing there's no brain damage," Doc said, still wondering about the SUV.

"What did he tell you?" Sally asked while holding back a yawn.

"So far, all I got out of him is his name. Crimson Alpines," Doc replied.

"You're not going to ask him anything else?" Lightning asked.

"Not until Roger comes back with the kid's file," Doc said. "There's a few discrepancies with this car that's a little odd."

As if on cue, the young Ford sedan, donned in his state troopers hat, came through the door, a folder latched onto his bumper. "Roger, what did you get?"

"Not much, Doc," he said, dropping the folder in front of the Hornet and opening it. Inside was Crimson's picture and record. "Name is Crimson Rocky Alpines. Born March 23, 1999 in Denver, Colorado. Not a mark on his record. He's pretty young; 18."

"He's 18?" Lightning asked inquisitively. "How can that be? I'm a 2001 model, and I'm 23. I thought the kid was a '99."

"SUVs and pick-ups mature slower than cars, Lightning," Sally explained to him.

"18?" Doc muttered to himself before looking back at Roger. "Are you sure this record is accurate?"

"I'm sure of it, Doc. Why?"

Mater could tell Doc was onto something. "Whatcha thinking, Doc?" he asked.

"Well," Doc explained, "During the operation, I noticed that a lot of Crimson's body showed signs of wear."

"Yeah, so?" Lightning said, "He's a four-by-four; more than likely, he goes four-wheeling in the mountains. That'll put some strain on your body whether you're young or old."

"No Lightning, this is not wear and tear from weekend mountain climbing," Doc said. "This is more consistent with old service vehicles - city police cars, city fire trucks, tow trucks, 18-wheelers- and I'm not talking about vehicles born in the 90s or 80s. I'm talking cars my age."

The four cars in front of him paused as they processed this information.

"...what! Your age?" Lightning said, flabbergasted.

"Doc, that is impossible," Sally added.

"Uh, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss that, Ms. Sally," Roger said. "At the academy, we were shown pictures of cars that had driven nonstop for more than 3 months; usually they were tuners hopped up on NOS, though. But it is possible for a vehicle to get that much wear and tear from highway driving."

"So, what are we gonna do?" Mater asked.

"Well, Crimson is not going to be leaving anytime soon," Doc said. "I managed to patch up his gas tank, fix his drive shaft and gearbox, and pound his frame back into the right shape, but his axles, shocks, and suspension have got to be replaced. His engine and exhaust system really need an overhaul, and his fluids need to be flushed. Luigi is going to come by later today to fit him for tires, and I called Ramone and told him what shade of red he needed to order, as well as a new winch for the kid."

"How long are we talking?" Roger asked.

"5 days, at the least," Doc said. "Parts are coming in from Detroit."

A scraping sound from the operating room caught the attention of the five cars. They quickly drove over and popped through the doors to see Crimson trying to drive around on his right front rim, pieces of the shredded tire still clinging to it. He noticed the crowd staring at him, a look of embarrassment on his face. "Hi," he said, smiling weakly.

"Hi," the four other cars said back.

This is gonna be an interesting week, Doc thought.