AN: I...don't have twitter? So not sure that reads ok, plus FanFiction doesn't allow the 'at' symbol?
This takes place the day after 'Good Times'
There was a line of people waiting in the lobby of The Wheel Well. The patrons were incredibly understanding as Sally stood behind the counter and apologized in a professional tone once again. Apparently the computer systems had gone down, and all online reservations were being painstakingly figured out on paper.
One woman sitting closer to the main entrance was more interested in the back of the black t-shirt of the young man staring out the windows. She read over the back inconspicuously as he took in the breathtaking landscapes of the valley below them.
A large number 7 was superimposed over what looked like the Army Airborne jump wings insignia. A Wings Around the Globe Rally banner was printed above a list of the stops made during the race.
Radiator Springs was pulling in all the racing world celebrities.
"Ok, I think we're finally getting somewhere." Sally commented to herself, using her phone to get into the administrative profile of the hotel websites.
"Um...Jetstream?" She asked with a raised brow. "Is there a-"
The woman who'd been reading the shirt jumped when he spun around and nearly ran to the counter with an exclamation of surprise.
"No! Uh- no. It's...Crophopper actually?" He scratched the side of his head with a grin. "Old inside joke and you know since they were online reservations I-" He spoke so quickly Sally almost wasn't able to keep up with him.
He drummed the counter top with his fingers. "Yeah, it's not really that important I guess- anyway it's Crophopper."
"Crophopper."
"Yup. Dusty Crophopper."
"Hey look, it's Flyboy."
Everyone in the lobby turned to see the group that had just entered through the main doors. Bobby leading while Lightning brought up the rear.
Phones were taken out of pockets as posts were made to facebook, twitter and any media platform possible.
Dusty Crophopper in Radiator Springs? #bestvacayever
Younger fans attempted to take photos of the group at the counter without being seen, but failed miserably when Lightning noticed.
Selfie with Lightning and Cal? #ICanDieHappy #lightningmcqueen #calweathers #pistoncup
LightningMcQueenOfficial: pistonfan22 All you have to do is ask! #wedontbite
HudsonHornetFan: LightningMcQueenOfficial Can you convince Mr. Hudson to get a twitter?
LightningMcQueenOfficial: HudsonHornetFan Working on it! #DidYouJustCallHim #MrHudson #ILOVEIT
"McQueen, get off your phone." Cal complained.
Jr reached over and snatched it from his hands. "Aw- it's password protected."
Lightning grabbed it back. "Yeah- so you guys can't ruin my image!"
Sally cleared her throat roughly, gaining Lightning's attention before she cast a meaningful look toward Dusty.
"Sorry. You were checking in weren't you?" He asked sheepishly.
Dusty grinned and attempted to cut his attention between the two conversations, answering Sally's questions while keeping up with the Piston racers behind him.
He confirmed the type of room he'd reserved before turning and answering a question from Jr. Looking back at Sally again he stalled, "Uh-...yeah, no smoking-...that is what you asked right?"
"Yes." She smirked, checking out the form.
"-And then we can take him to the Butte."
Dusty's brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, the what?"
Sally tilted her head with a pointed look at the boys.
"C'mooooon, Crophopper. We haven't got all day." Bobby whined.
"Will you just give me a minute?"
"We don't have a minute."
With an exaggerated sigh, Dusty pulled his license out of his wallet and handed it to Sally as the others were threatening to leave without him. He leaned over the counter as he slid the identification card across. "I'm really sorry you deal with that all the time."
Sally grinned. "You get used to it."
They showed him all of Radiator Springs, piled in the bed of Bobby's pick-up, which of course got them a warning from Sheriff.
Which of course they ignored.
"The judge is basically McQueen's dad." Was the explanation Dusty got. "I don't think riding in the back is going to land us in hot water."
"We should take him to the Butte."
"No, the falls."
"We were just past the falls-"
"Do you guys live here, or do I?!"
"I'm sorry, but again...what is a butte?"
"Butte it is then." Lightning decided, hitting the roof of the truck to get Bobby's attention.
Coming over the ridge, Dusty took in the dirt track and monolithic rock formation as the truck rolled to a stop. Jumping over the side of the bed, he felt a jolt travel up his ankles as his feet landed firmly on the ground.
"That is a Butte." Lightning said proudly, crossing his arms.
Dusty could certainly appreciate it, maybe not the same way they did but he understood the connection. Even aside from the racing aspect, the landscape surrounding the track was incredible. He had to throw in some levity, though. "Huh...is it usually that messy?"
"Uh- no...no it's not." Lightning cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. Evidence from the gathering the day before was still scattered through the infield. Lightning started down the bank.
"That's something we would be in hot water for."
It didn't take long to get the area cleared, though, and they packed it into the back of the truck to take back into town. When their task was completed, they went back to their debate on where to go next.
"I think we should go back to the falls, isn't there a hiking trail back there?"
"Yeah." Lightning nodded in confirmation. "It's pretty nice actually, was an old logging road back in the day."
They decided unanimously to make a day of it, separating briefly to grab backpacks or anything they felt they would need with them and piled back into the truck. Driving back toward the falls, Bobby parked in a decent sized pull off where Lightning found the start of the trail easily.
They walked in silence for some time, taking in the scenery. Looking ahead, Dusty was surprised to see they were already passing a 2 mile marker.
"Get off your phone, McQueen." Bobby hounded this time.
"We're supposed to be enjoying nature."
"Yeah well if something eats me out here, I at least want people to know where to start looking."
"That's optimistic." Dusty replied.
"It's a marked trail. Nothing's going to eat you." Cal added.
"You guys don't ever watch those murder shows do you." Lightning asked.
"Wow, Lightning."
"That's murder, not animal attacks."
"I'm gunna murder you if you don't shut up!"
"Bad idea, my dad's a judge."
"What, does that make you untouchable?" Jr teased.
"Uh, yeah, basically."
He received collective groans in response.
"I'm gunna find something to feed him to..."
The trees opened up to reveal an open cliff face, and the group lined up to look down at the rushing water below them.
"What was that about phones?" Lightning asked no one specifically as they all stood taking pictures.
"Don't even-."
"This at least is picture worthy. Whatever you were doing earlier wasn't."
"I have no cell service..."
"We're taking pictures, not making phone calls."
"Don't fall!" Bobby shouted, grabbing a hold of Dusty's arm. The pilot had jumped and braced his feet instinctively even though they weren't that close to the edge.
"Ohhh...that- that is not funny."
"What- you're not afraid of heights are you?"
He was silent a moment. "I...might...deal with vertigo."
The group fell silent, aside from a muttered chorus of incredulity and apologies.
Dusty brushed his sweating palms over his jeans, making light of it. "It's fine, no big deal."
"Still, man. Sorry."
Lightning wasn't exactly tactful, though. "But you're a pilot."
"Shut up, McQueen."
"That's different...it's hard to explain." He shrugged, ready to change the subject.
"We'll just throw Lightning over the side, maybe then we'll have a clear shot at the Cup next season." Cal punched his arm playfully.
"I told you it's a bad idea..."
They took the last few pictures they wanted and took in the view of the cliff faces across from them. The sound of the water below echoed through the canyon, distorted as it bounced off the canyon walls.
"What's that sound?" Lightning asked.
"I don't hear anything." Cal replied.
"I only hear the water." Jr added, looking over the edge.
"No...I hear it too." Dusty shook his head, looking across at Lightning.
They realized what it was too late. The strange ripping sound was coming from directly beneath them. The ground suddenly gave out and with shouts of surprise they fell nearly 30 feet down the cliff side onto a shallow ledge. As the dust settled, they coughed and set themselves to rights.
"Everyone ok?"
"If you call this ok."
"You know what I mean."
Glad to see no immediate injuries, Lightning dug in his pocket for his phone, as he keyed through the contacts he held the device up in hope of a better signal.
"I got nothin'..." Cal put his phone back in his pocket, the others nodding in agreement.
"There's gotta be some signal."
They all spent the next half hour attempting to make a phone call, to anyone.
"What's the point of paying for emergency cell services if you don't have a signal?" Jr asked rhetorically, lying on his back and staring up the cliff face.
"My battery just died." Dusty commented from where he sat, his back pressed firmly against the cliff wall. The fact that Bobby and Cal were practically hanging their legs over the edge was driving him crazy.
Lightning stood up and held his phone up higher.
"Sit down, McQueen, before you do die. If we live we'll be blamed for it."
"Would like to stay on your ol' man's good side, thanks."
Lightning messed with every possible setting he could think of, accidentally tapping one of the apps.
"No phone service...but we got 4G..."
Four heads all turned at once to look at him. He grinned sarcastically in an I'm not kidding manner.
He held the phone up to get everyone in the shot and trained his expression to look as hopeful and as desperate as he possibly could. "Say cheese."
"I really am going to murder him..."
"Uhhh...Doc? You might want to see this..."
With a sigh, he looked up from the engine of the Hornet and spotted Ramone in the open doorway of the garage. Glancing at the phone in his hand he rolled his eyes and reached for his tools again. "Whatever happened to dial phones?"
"No, man. You need to see this-"
The tone of his friend's voice struck a nerve and he straightened again, an uneasy tension spreading through him before he even knew what he was supposed to be looking at. The fact that Sheriff's cruiser and Mater's truck had just flown past didn't help either.
Or the fact that Sheriff had just turned the sirens on.
The picture showed 5 very unhappy young men. Lightning must have taken it, being the closest to the camera, and posted it online.
No cell service. Stuck in the woods. Please get this viral or contact authorities. #boost #signalboost #NotKidding #WeNeedHelp
Doc threw the tools on his desk and slammed the hood of the Hornet closed. "Get in."
They peeled out of the garage and had caught up to Mater and Sheriff in no time. Doc glared through the windshield, holding the wheel in a white knuckle grip. "What time was it posted?"
"Half hour ago-."
He grit his teeth, swearing lowly and hugging a turn so tight that Ramone cringed. "How do you know I could tell anyway?"
"I'm not completely illiterate with modern media."
He drove impatiently behind the tow truck and swung into the gravel pull off beside Bobby's truck before getting out and slamming the door. Ramone had never seen him so wound up.
Sheriff was on his radio, calling in the truck vin to get an official report started while Mater sized up the width of the old logging road.
Doc turned back toward Ramone. "Let me see that photo again."
He pulled his phone back out, turning it on it's side to get the photo bigger as the three of them studied the image.
"I can' tell where it is-" Mater started, but Ramone zoomed in over the boys' heads where the rock ledges on the other side of the river could just barely be made out.
"The cliffs-" They all said in unison, and Doc was already heading back to the Hornet. He waved an arm to get the Sheriff's attention and pointed down the logging road.
"Doc." Mater started hesitantly. "I dunno if the truck'll make it back there. 'S awful sandy and the four wheel drive hasn' worked since '99..."
Doc eyed the truck from where he'd stopped at the door of the Hudson. "Four wheel and sand don't mix anyway." He paused. "You mean you never replaced that drive shaft?"
Mater shrugged helplessly. "Never needed to-"
With a set jaw and deep scowl he continued after getting back into the car. Leaning out of the rolled down window, Doc spoke over the sound of the siren of Red's engine that was just now making it up the hill.
"Let air out of your tires. Get back that road as far as you can without getting stuck." He jabbed a finger down the logging road before reaching for the stick shift.
"Doc, I don't even know if we can make it back there." Ramone frowned from the passenger seat.
Backing out of the pull off, the Hornet threw gravel as it tore onto the logging road.
"The hell we can't."
AN2: Two parter!