Author's note: This story is part of a "Cars parody AU" that I've wanted to write about for a long while.
Most of the characters in this AU have been exaggerated or altered from established canon. So don't be alarmed if some of them act OOC.
The idea for this fic was loosely derived from the "Lights Out" Cars storybook, which in itself is based on the "Cars Race-O-Rama" video game.
Essentially, I'm trying to modify a pre-existing Cars story with certain parodic elements. Or at least that's what I envisioned this story to be when I started writing it.
If Lightning Mcqueen loved one thing in life, it was racing. Every year, he competed in the Piston Cup, which hosted events on Sundays for a large portion of the calendar. But it wasn't enough. Despite his grueling schedule, the young hot rod wanted more of the high speed thrills.
While most race-cars typically had their Summer vacations during the off-season, the Rusteeze machine instead opted to spend his time challenging the Radiator Springs townsfolk to all kinds of competitions.
Of course, because most of the townsfolk didn't race, they always refused him. But there was one car who knew a thing or two about racing who also happened to live in Mcqueen's backyard...
"Come on, Doc! Just one race?" Mcqueen asked the grumpy Hudson hornet one day.
"No way!" Doc scoffed, "It's hot as hell outside, and my engine is boiling as it is!"
"Aw, come on! Why not do it for old time's sake?" Mcqueen whined, "We could do it when the weather's nicer, y'know? It'll be just the two of us!"
"Old time's sake?! Pah!" Doc spat, "There's a reason I don't do this kind of crap anymore, kiddo. Or did you not remember when I showed you that lousy newspaper?!"
McQueen sighed melodramatically. It had been an agonizing ordeal just to get Doc Hudson outside of his shallow husk of a garage. After plenty of arguing, the old hornet had finally settled with a simple Sunday drive. Both cars felt bitter about the ordeal, and it seemed that Lightning's hopes were going nowhere fast.
But the next morning saw a surprise in the mailbox for Lightning Mcqueen.
"What's this?" Lightning asked aloud, as he peered at the crinkled envelope addressed to him.
The sender was listed as Chick Hicks, one of Mcqueen's biggest rivals.
Surely he had some shit to settle, otherwise he'd be minding his own business. At least that was what Mcqueen assumed to be the case when he opened the letter.
It read as follows:
"Come meet me in Motoropolis on July 9th. Mano-a-mano, winner take all. ~ C.H. #86."
Was this really a personal invitation to a race with Chick Hicks? Mcqueen couldn't believe his luck! And July 9th was only in a couple days! Whooping with delight, he raced over to Flo's Cafe to inform all of the others.
No doubt, they'd never hear the end of it.
