This chapter was a request from a few friends on Tumbler alliswell21, noneyabidnes, and justajjfan
A bit of Corky or should I say Corkys...
I do not own the Hunger Games...
Peeta needed to relax. He was still keyed up about the reaping, Thread nearly arresting Katniss, and their engagement. Gale Hawthorne toasting with his best friend came out of left field. Such a different ending to how he expected the day to go.
This morning he woke up thinking someone in the district was going to be reaped for the 74th Hunger Games. In his heart, he had a sinking suspicion that someone Katniss or he cared about was going to be picked. They had a stay of execution, so to speak, until next year. That was unless the rebellion took place and the government was overthrown. It was wishful thinking, but Peeta was confident that it could happen.
He rubbed his face. They needed a miracle, a knight in shining armor. Peeta grabbed his sketchbook from his table and sat on the bed. He began drawing Corky with his fluffy tail and his different expressions, then finally Corky dressed in a miners outfit, in an apron with a rolling pin in his hand, and finally with his interactions with Katniss.
Peeta recalled the first time Corky and Katniss went head to head. He was throwing small twigs and the shells of nuts at her. That's how it began, their interaction because of Corky. It was his luckiest day. He drew Katniss' scowl as she peered up at the tree, and a righteous squirrel protecting his territory.
That was the first night she stayed with him, the first night he'd slept with his arms around her. Her broken 'stay with me' was seared into his heart and mind. Peeta next drew Corky and Katniss in a full-on snowball fight. His shoulders shook as he recalled her outrage. Next, he imagined and drew Corky hanging from the ceiling, stealing his dad's nuts like a super sleuth. His dad screaming, "MY nuts, someone stole my nuts! "
Peeta laughed so hard it drew Corky's attention. His head popped out from underneath the bed.
Peeta continued to draw his next memory, his father's trap. His dad ended up outside with garbage on him. Corky, however, outfoxed Primrose's cat.
Corky scampered out from underneath the bed and climbed on top. Then he climbed to Peeta's shoulder to look at the drawing. His nose twitched and his eyes narrowed as he beheld the images Peeta had drawn.
"That's you," Peeta said.
Corky gave him a strange look. He shook his head slowly then scampered down to the window.
"What is it, buddy?"
Corky lifted his paws up and pointed to the window, indicating he wanted Peeta to open the window for him.
"Are you sure, it's pretty cold outside?"
Corky nodded.
Peeta opened the window for him and watched Corky gallop away.
Peeta suddenly envisioned Corking as a noble knight. Bemused by the idea, he grabbed his sketchbook and began drawing Corky in a suit of armor.
As he drew Peeta began composing stories, grand adventures of Corky the Knight. Peeta paid close attention to the details, the proportion was important.
Drawing helped Peeta process the day, helped him see his brother was right. It enabled Peeta to comprehend that love bloomed in the most unlikely places.
Slowly the image of Corky with his suit of armor took shape. Peeta smiled to himself. He drew him a shield and a miniature sword, the crest on the shield contained a loaf of bread with a crust of fruits and nuts. When he finished he put his sketchpad aside and climbed under the covers.
Peeta woke up to find Corky sitting on his chest. He wiggled his nose. His little paw held one of Peeta's father's precious nuts.
"Corky, what's wrong pal?"
"If you must know, I'm going to get revenge on Thread."
Startled, Peeta sat up in his bed clutching his sheets to his chest. Corky deftly jumped off his chest and landed on the bed. He cocked his head, his tail slowly dancing from side to side.
"YOU CAN TALK!"
"Of course I can." Corky sounded nasally, like a wiseguy. "All animals can talk. You, humans, are the ones that ain't listening."
"Oh." Peeta wasn't sure what was going on, but he wasn't about to cross Corky.
"I just wanted to tell you that what happened ta'day between your mate and that character Thread was positively appallin'. I think the guy," Corky shrugged his small shoulders as he spoke, "needs to be taught a lesson. And me and my brotha's are going to handle it."
"Wait," Peeta said confused. "What, you have brothers?"
As if on cue a squirrel dressed in black with a set of tiny night vision goggles descended from the ceiling. "I am James Double O Corky at your service."
Another squirrel appeared wearing a suit of armor. "I am Sir Corky Reginald, at your service, my Liege." He bowed dramatically.
Another squirrel flew through the air and landed on Peeta's knees, dressed in a white camouflage military uniform. He was a big burly squirrel. "I am Comando Corky!" he growled.
The last squirrel slowly climbed up onto the bed. He wore a pair of tortoiseshell glasses that were almost too big for his face. He was the smallest amongst the brothers. He sneezed several times. "Pardon me, I'm allergic to the cold, wool, oh and chickens."
"Chickens?" Peeta repeated, mystified by what he was witnessing.
"Yes, chickens." He sneezed twice and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his snout.
"That's my kid brotha Virgil. He's the brains."
Peeta wasn't sure what to make of the little assembly on his bed, but when could he ever stop Corky from doing anything that he set his mind to.
That's when it all began, the trouble for the Peacekeepers and for Thread. Peeta was cleaning the counters when he saw the squirrels scurry around the all-terrain vehicle. He watched them stuff potatoes inside of the tailpipes. When the Peacekeepers drove them the all-terrain vehicles kept getting stuck in the snow all over the place. Peeta didn't know how Virgil engineered it so the potatoes disappeared, but they did.
On more than one occasion they'd tied the laces of the Peacekeepers' boots when they stood in formation. Their weapons jammed up mysteriously. Things began missing and many of the Peacekeepers were convinced they were being haunted. Peeta overheard the Peacekeepers muttering about hearing scary noises and floating objects in the barracks. They refused, at times, to follow orders.
Thread would've court marshaled them but the massive amounts of snow blocked the train tracks and the frigid temperatures impeded any flights. Thread had them shoveling snow and peeling potatoes as a punishment. If they only knew James Double O Corky was responsible. He zipped down and removed items right from underneath their very noses.
Thread became increasingly frustrated. And his weapon kept on jamming on him and he couldn't understand why. Peeta knew it had to do with Corky who took to wearing a utility belt. He had all sorts of gadgets and little tools that came in handy.
Then one night he saw Corky and his brothers racing toward the barracks, and he knew they were up to something.
James Double O Corky descended from the ceiling and inserted a liquid inside the Peacekeepers' washing machines.
Comando Corky and Sir Corky Reginold were causing mayhem in the barracks. Corky was the lookout. He saw Thread heading toward the machines. He needed to divert him. Quickly, he knocked down a lamp.
"Who's there?" Thread growled.
Corky scampered out to stare at his enemy.
"Oh, you." Thread laughed. "I thought you'd be hibernating."
Corky cocked his head to the side, he pulled a lever, something he made for such an occasion. A heavy cast iron pan hit the man, knocking him to the ground. This was the perfect opportunity to get his ultimate revenge.
Climbing on top of Thread, Corky took a marker from his utility belt and began drawing a villainous mustache, along with a few choice words on the Peacekeeper's face. The ink of the marker would stay for weeks once it properly dried. Corky grinned when he was done. That would teach Thread to cross Peeta or Katniss.
"Corky, copy, we're done," Virgil called over his two-way radio.
"On my way," Corky replied.
Corky made his way back to the bakery satisfied. He stood by Peeta's bed watching him sleep knowing in the morning the rumors of the haunting would be well spread.
In the morning, the Peacekeepers' uniforms appeared to be their usual white until they stepped out of the barracks. Then they turned a bright neon pink. It was hysterical to see toughened Peacekeepers in a color that stood out amongst the washed-out grays and whites of the district. But it was even better when the pink uniforms began to disappear right off of their bodies. The laughter followed the Peacekeepers as they ran for cover in their undergarments. Peeta never knew men could wear boxers with bows, small bears, hearts, orange stars, and little frogs. Some had tight little white underwear. The lucky ones wore long johns. It didn't matter they ran and were rattled by the vanishing clothing.
The worst of it was Thread who had a silly mustache drawn on his upper lip with the word 'dipstick' written on his forehead and 'moron,' on his cheek. His uniform disappeared in the middle of the grocery store. The entire district now knew Thread wore no underwear under his uniform. He ran from the grocery store naked to the all-terrain vehicle that would not start.
Sir Corky Reginald sat near the vehicle punching holes in the tires so that even if they got it to run the tires would be deflated.
Corky sat on Peeta's bed. He pulled out a harmonica and began playing. His brothers began line dancing to the music. Sir Corky Reginald's suit of armor clanged as he danced. Commando Corky had no rhythm and he knocked them all down.
Peeta laughed. He laughed so hard he woke up from his dream and sat up in his bed. Shirley stood by the bed gazing up at him worriedly.
"I'm okay Shirley, I promise."
Shirley made some noises shaking her head and Peeta swore he understood her say, 'humans are so weird.' Peeta laughed harder.
He got up and wiped his face, unable to shake the fanciful dream. Corky and his brothers were Peeta's new heroes.
As he lay back down to go back to sleep it was clear his dream reminded him that even the smallest could topple a regime.