Penelope's Problem (Rise AU!)

A six year old girl named Penelope watched as three boys from her class played. She longed to join them. But she couldn't for one reason. One particular reason she was different from anyone else.

"Daddy?" She asked, turning towards her father, who lowered his phone.

"What if I'm careful? Can I please play wit' the boys then?"

Brooklyn sighed. It physically hurt him to have to see his only child like this. He bent down to her level.

"Now, princess," he started, sadly. "There's a reason you can't play with those boys. Do you remember what that reason is?"

"They play too rough." She said.

"And why is that bad for you?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"'Cause, I've got a weak....spinal cord that can break easily. And if that happens I'm spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair."

"That's right, dear. Maybe one day, but not today, sadly." He then pulled out a book. "Here, go by that tree and read this."

Penelope didn't argue. The last thing she wanted was to make her dad mad. She was really hoping he didn't start acting like her mother. Now, that was something she'd like to forget. 

She went and sat by the tree and began reading. It was called "Dog Man." It was a pretty nice book about a cop's body with a dog head. Not exactly smart entertainment but-

"Hey, Penelope!!"

Penelope looked up and saw a boy with orange hair, red stripes over his eyes and a horn head band.

"Oh," she said, "Hello, Junior."

"Me and the guys are gonna play some Football. Wanna join? We need a fourth player." He asked. She looked over his shoulder.

"I...don't see a football." She said.

"Oh, we don't have one. We're just tackling each other." He explained. Penelope winced and shook her head.

"N-No thank you. I'm kinda busy reading my new book." She kindly declined.

Junior scoffed.

"Lame. What could be more fun than tackling your buds?" He asked.

Penelope got annoyed.

"I said no, Junior!" She snapped. "Besides, it's too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Junior asked. Then, he had an idea. He grabbed Penelope by one of her pigtails and pulled her.

"Hey, what the-?" Penelope was shocked. "Release me at once! I was in the middle of a task!"

"Yeah," Junior said, rolling his eyes. "A boring task.

"Unhand me at once! Or you shall feel my wrath!"

Junior did not heed her warning. "Sure, you will." 

Penelope struggled against the fellow six year old's tight grip.

"Lemme go, Junior! My daddy says I can't play rough!" She tried to pull away.

"You won't!" Junior said as he pulled her away.

He and Penelope walked up to the boys.

"Hey, Joey!" He shouted at the five year old. "Get pillows, socks, shirts and a buncha soft stuff from your house!

"Okie-doki!" Joseph shouted over his shoulder as he ran to his house.

"Cody," Junior started as he turned towards the 7 year old. "Go ask your mom for 20 bucks!"

Cody tilted his head. "Why?"

"Don't ask why, just get it!" Junior urged.

Cody rolled his eyes and went in. He came out with a fistful of money. 

The four went to the store. 

"Hey, Penny, what's your favorite color?" Joseph asked.

Penelope blinked in confusion.

"Uh, purple?"

They looked at all the backpacks. Then, they found it. A purple backpack with black squares.

"Perfect." Junior whispered.

They grabbed the bag and bought it. Once back to the park, they stuffed all the soft stuff Joseph brought into it. They put in on Penelope and pulled the straps so it wouldn't fall off.

"Viola! One battle-pack for one soft-spine girl." Junior said with a smile. "Now for the test."

He shoved the girl to the ground. She fell on her back and the backpack took most of the damage.

"What. The. FUDGE, JUNIOR?!?!" She demanded as she got up.

Junior ignored the steam coming out of her ears. "Did that hurt?" He asked.

"OF COURSE IT HURT! YOU JUST SHOVED ME!!!" She yelled.

"No, I mean your back." He explained.

Penelope thought for a moment.

"No. It felt quite nice actually." She admitted.

Junior clapped his hands.

"It worked! Your back is protected! Now you can play with us!" He said in excitement.

Penelope's eyes widened. Finally. She didn't have to worry. She was just like everyone else!

"Wow. Thank you." She said as she hugged her new friends.

Little did she know, a very proud dad was watching, holding her book.

10 Years Later...

A sixteen year old girl named Penelope was reading the newest book in the "Dog Man" series. She smiled in nostalgia when she heard Cody screaming.

"Uh, Penelope?" Called out another sixteen year old from downstairs. "A little help?"

"Coming!" She called. "Battle-pack. Activate." 

A purple robotic pack attached to her.

"AHHH! MY GRAFFITI!"yelled a fifteen year old Joseph.

"PENELOPE!!!" Junior called again.

"I'm coming I said! And do NOT touch it!" She shouted.

"I'm gonna smash it if you don't get your BUTT down here!" Cody snapped.

"Don't you dare!" Penelope argued.

"You owe me new paint!" Joseph whined.

"Yeah, yeah." Penelope said rolling her eyes.

In a trophy case, there were the earliest versions of Penelope's tech. It was all tech based. Except for one thing. An old purple backpack with black squares.

The end.