Kachow!

"Oh, it does not hurt. I do not really think about it at all, honestly. I simply..."

Palomine slipped beneath a nearby door, then did it again. Thanks to her collapsible bones, she was unfazed.

“Uhh… y-yeah. Sorry, it just looks really… really painful.” He shuddered. “I’m considered a medium-sized breed by most dogs, so there are some things I can squeeze under, like the fence when Mater and I go cow-tipping, but…”

He blinked and cocked his head, his eyes meeting the ceiling thoughtfully.

He fought to remain calm, watching the little ones gather together.

“Célestine? O-ok. Hey, it’s alright, Océane,” he tried to comfort her, putting his paw next to her because he couldn’t hug her and smiling, though he was definitely freaking out, too. “I’m sure we’ll find her pretty fast. My name is Lightning, ‘member?”

His pupils were tiny, but he somehow managed to keep his smile strong until he rose and turned away so none of them could see his expression- scared.

McQueen whipped his head around. “Do you guys know how to track each other by smell?” he asked in a tone he wished sounded a little calmer, but it was more of a half-too-fast, half-extremely serious. He’d always been able to use his nose, like all dogs, but Sheriff and Sarge had been teaching Lightning how to track certain things down; and, indirectly, the sled dog was hoping it would come in handy for Hudson. That pup was always wandering off…

"Like Crumb Chase!" cried Wolfgang. It was a game in which someone hid something smelly, and everyone had to find it using only their noses. Little did they know, it was a game preparing them for this very scenario! "He means like Crumb Chase!"

"Lilou is the best at it," Brigitte pointed to her sister.

"Yeah!" Thierry piped up. "She smells really good! Er, she's good at smelling. We won't even let her play sometimes."

They weren't exaggerating. Rats had sensitive noses, but Remy's was something to behold, and he'd given it to Lilou.

He looked around, getting quite antsy. “L-let’s start now, ok? We’ll meet back here in-… just- when I say. If anyone finds her before then, say it. Readysetgo!!”

The bolt tag on McQueen’s collar jingled with his quick trotting, almost a run, and he headed straight for Hudson’s room; nose in the air, he took several rapid sniffs, but there was no indication that the kitten was in here. Frowning, Lightning turned and continued checking different places.

The husky glanced over his shoulder. “Hmm… I’ll get you guys some sunflower seeds now, and I’ll call a friend to bring some candy almonds over, ‘kay?” Lightning offered, retrieving the seeds and putting them in a small dish- one of Hudson’s from when he was too little to eat solid food- and slid it towards them with his nose. “Here y’go! Just let meeee… grab the phone quick.”

He propped himself up on his hind legs with one paw on the side of the counter, and he put a number into the answering machine-looking thing. It rang a few times, and then it clicked.

“Hello? Oh! Lightnin’, how ya doin’, honey?” Flo’s cheerful, honeyed voice made Lightning smile.

“Hi, Flo! Uh, I’m watching Palomine’s kittens tonight, aaaand I remember you saying you’d picked up some candy almonds, right…?”

“Oh, yeah, a’ ‘course!” the spaniel replied. “Y’need me t’ bring ‘em by?”

“Woo, yes please,” he chuckled, looking back to make sure nobody had scampered off. It didn’t seem that anyone had. “I really appreciate it, Flo.”

“Aw, honey, don’t you worry. I’ll be there in a couple minutes!”

Hanging up shortly thereafter, McQueen hopped back down and wagged his tail. “Alright, guys, my friend’s gonna bring some over for ya! She said she’s got-… a-a few flavors…”

"Someone's missing?"

"Uh-oh."

"Who is it?!"

"HEY! IF YOU'RE MISSING COME OUT!!!"

"Guys!" Auguste piped up. "Get with your buddy...!"

And they lined up two-by-two, like their father taught them, and everyone held paws with their assigned buddy except for one rather terrified-looking kitten!

He fought to remain calm, watching the little ones gather together.

“Célestine? O-ok. Hey, it’s alright, Océane,” he tried to comfort her, putting his paw next to her because he couldn’t hug her and smiling, though he was definitely freaking out, too. “I’m sure we’ll find her pretty fast. My name is Lightning, ‘member?”

His pupils were tiny, but he somehow managed to keep his smile strong until he rose and turned away so none of them could see his expression- scared.

McQueen whipped his head around. “Do you guys know how to track each other by smell?” he asked in a tone he wished sounded a little calmer, but it was more of a half-too-fast, half-extremely serious. He’d always been able to use his nose, like all dogs, but Sheriff and Sarge had been teaching Lightning how to track certain things down; and, indirectly, the sled dog was hoping it would come in handy for Hudson. That pup was always wandering off…

lightning: My burning love for you of course!

sally: …

He couldn’t get a grasp on most of the requests, eyes wide, and startled a little upon feeling Lilou climb onto his head and begin preaching to… him? The others? Both?

“W-woah! Woah! Wait- easy… ok.”

Sucking in air through his nose, Lightning lowered his head to let Lilou down. “Um, how about this? Can you kids decide on… uh- two things that you all like? That sounds alright, and— then we’ll have a vote. Sound good?”

He ventured into the kitchen and searched around, trying to hurry; he found sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and… nothing else in that department. Hoping those would be enough for the kittens that wanted seeds, Lightning turned to face them.

"We want sunflower seeds AND candy almonds!" Wolfgang announced. He was sitting on Thierry, who looked quite annoyed. Two minutes ago, he tried to make the case for bacon strips and Wolfgang quickly put a stop to that.

The husky glanced over his shoulder. “Hmm… I’ll get you guys some sunflower seeds now, and I’ll call a friend to bring some candy almonds over, ‘kay?” Lightning offered, retrieving the seeds and putting them in a small dish- one of Hudson’s from when he was too little to eat solid food- and slid it towards them with his nose. “Here y’go! Just let meeee… grab the phone quick.”

He propped himself up on his hind legs with one paw on the side of the counter, and he put a number into the answering machine-looking thing. It rang a few times, and then it clicked.

“Hello? Oh! Lightnin’, how ya doin’, honey?” Flo’s cheerful, honeyed voice made Lightning smile.

“Hi, Flo! Uh, I’m watching Palomine’s kittens tonight, aaaand I remember you saying you’d picked up some candy almonds, right…?”

“Oh, yeah, a’ ‘course!” the spaniel replied. “Y’need me t’ bring ‘em by?”

“Woo, yes please,” he chuckled, looking back to make sure nobody had scampered off. It didn’t seem that anyone had. “I really appreciate it, Flo.”

“Aw, honey, don’t you worry. I’ll be there in a couple minutes!”

Hanging up shortly thereafter, McQueen hopped back down and wagged his tail. “Alright, guys, my friend’s gonna bring some over for ya! She said she’s got-… a-a few flavors…”

“O-oh! No, no, tha-that’s alright, Mae… I’m goin’ to Luigi’s tomorrow for my summer haircut. But I, uh, appreciate the offer!”

Yeah, he was totally lying. He wasn’t going in until Wednesday. But he wasn’t about to come into contact with an electric shaver when a tiny rat kitten was trying to use it!

A black-tipped ear twitched irritably because a fly buzzed around it, so he snapped his teeth at the bug… which did nothing.

Instead of trying to catch and pin it with his paws, McQueen yawned. “I’ll be fine once I go inside, so I prob’ly will in a few minutes. There’s AC in Sal’s lobby.”

He paused, then, squinting at the shaver.

Y’all, gimme a scene from Cars Dogs 3, and I’ll draw Lightning’s expression in it! For example, the part where he’s flipping out at Cruz because he’s stressed and probably embarrassed about the derby and his career being in jeopardy.

You can include quotes to see his reaction in the scene, too, or anything else you wanna add! I’ll accept ‘em until… whenever, I guess XD