"Rush hour"

When the doors slid open, they poured out into the platform like roaches escaping a shattered jar.

Connie let out a smirk as it was time to begin his weekly activity. Today's victim was the Talon Subway Station, which was mostly active around lunchtime.

The perfect time to strike.

Connie began to move through the hordes of people mingling together. The dim lighting and the slick floor tiles created the perfect stage for this job to go on without a hitch.

His eyes moved from one potential victim to the next. Mainly focusing on anything of value and subtle hints from their pockets or bags.

Whether what he got was valuable or not depended on the blessings of lady luck.

Just like that, he bumped into a man in a suit carrying a briefcase. The force was just right to make him almost fall over his back, but Connie came to his rescue and lifted him up by his arm.

"Whoops, sorry about that sir"

"Watch where you're going. Darn kids"

The man grunted as he walked away, clearly, he was having a long day.

Well, it was about to be worse because in his hand, Connie was holding a silver watch the man wore on his left wrist. He pocketed it away and made off to his next victim.

His hands made quick work extracting valuables such as wallets, phones and jewelry from those who were distracted or appeared lost.

They made easy targets, while those on the move needed a little more convincing.

_There_

This time he bumped into a man wearing a jacket, slid his slippery hand then made off with the goods.

"Hey, watch it pal!"

"Sorry, it's just hard to see in this place. Dim lights and all"

He continued his pickpocketing spree for about 25 minutes. Normally by this time he would have been already caught. But this was not the case since Connie had been a pickpocket since high school. He had been caught a few times during his school days and since he was under aged at the time, these were considered as minor crimes.

And so, he was let off with a slap on the wrist.

What mostly made this work was that Conrad Adre Thorne was described as a 'perfect stranger'. He was the kind of person you would meet then forget in a matter of minutes. He could seemingly blend into any environment without looking out of place. This skill is what kept him a step ahead of the law every time, and he would be long gone by the time his victims realize that something is missing.

_This should be enough to get me through the week. Better go before people become suspicious_

Feeling like he had his fill for the day, he made his way to the exit. He thought of steering clear from this subway for a while, no doubt security is going to be extra beefed up after the multiple reports of stolen items.

_I need to find a new spot to hit. Maybe Celest or Amberwood? Feels like they are going to be a hassle-…. _

As he made his way to the exit, he suddenly bumped into someone. Books, a notebook, EarPods and various other materials scattered onto the ground.

"Sorry"

She mumbled as she dropped to her knees. When Connie turned to look, he saw the girl picking up the stuff that fell out of her side bag. He sighed knowing that this was also his fault even though the bump was not intentional.

So, he hunched down and helped her.

"My fault. I was too busy daydreaming to watch where I was going, so might as well help you out"

There was no reply, and her expression did not change in the slightest nor did she take the time to look at him.

Connie surmised that this chick, is one of those cold women who think they are hot stuff. When dealing with them, he knew not to waste his time trying to talk to them and just kept quiet.

"Thank you"

She responded when Connie gave her a stack of books. She took them and stuffed them in her bag along with everything else.

During that 'thank you' their gazes met for just a moment. Connie's heart skipped a beat.

_Woah. So cute.... She's too cute_

She had light blue eyes piercing through her oval shaped glasses, which highlighted the sharp angles of her cheekbones and the curve of her lips. She had a stern cold look that has surely broken many hearts, and Connie did not want to add to the list.

Even though she was the most attractive girl he had ever seen in his entire life.

"By the way, name's Conrad but my mother calls me Connie"

He said with a smile but in truth, after that. He just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

_Why did I say it like?! Great, now she's gonna think I'm a mama's boy_

But she did not say anything. She just slung her bag over her shoulder, stood up and gave him a quick grateful bow. She then began to walk away from him.

"Uh, can I also get your name? Your number maybe? No?"

Again, there was no reply.

She kept on moving. When Connie assessed her, she looked very young, and that Emberwind Secondary School uniform was a dead giveaway. He stared at her till she disappeared into the crowd.

His face went from flustered to smug before turning to walk to the opposite direction, towards the exit.

"Women"

But then again, he is the twenty-year-old man that's hitting on high school girls. She was a high schooler, potentially making her a minor. If someone had caught witness to this, no doubt they would have filed a case against him.

Then again, not all high schoolers were under aged though. Some would even become a full fledge adult while still in school due to the repetition of grades. But, she still looked way too young.

He sighed deeply.

_Now I feel bad for swiping this_

From his hand he revealed a rectangular box used for housing a deck of cards. At the time that was the only thing that looked valuable enough to steal. Or so he thought.

Connie made a quick exit from the Talon Subway Station and went straight to the place he usually went to after a successful job.

"Draven, buddy. Got some merch for ya"

"More stolen stuff I take it"

"Come on, can't blame a guy trying to make a quick nova. You're the only pawn broker I know"

The old man scornfully greeted Connie like he usually did. He just bared with it because Draven was the only pawn broker in the area, he knew that does not have issues with selling stolen goods so long as they do not trace back to him.

In other words, Draven was his only customer.

"What do you have for me this time?"

Connie emptied out all of his front pockets and scattered the items on the desk. They were not much but it still was a good hall. Draven leaned over then began to inspect each item he got his hands on.

Connie witnessed him work for a bit before he gave a prideful smirk as he said.

"So, goods stuff right?"

There was a moment of silence. Draven pulled out his calculator and began typing in numbers. Then he showed the end result to Connie.

"Mm, a silver watch, 3 Nyssa brand phones among others cheaper models and some jewelry. All of that combined should fetch around…"

"86 Nova! Are you shittin me old man?! You know damn well how expensive Nyssa is! That much wouldn't even cover 1 phone not to mention 3 of them!"

Connie banged the surface of the desk in frustration when Draven showed him the results.

Nyssa.Inc was one of the biggest corporations that has greatly impacted the world with its technological innovations, there are very few companies in the same field that can compete with it. And so, any appliance under its name sold for a very high price. 

"Alright then, did you remove their trackers?"

Even after that outburst, Draven remained calm and collected. Whereas Connie began to dwindle after realizing he had not done that, nor did he know how to do it.

"Well, I. Uhm. I did not"

"Like I thought. It's a hustle to remove them myself. 86 Nova is the best I can give you for the trouble I'm going through"

He was right though, after all these were stolen materials and he was risking his neck purchasing them from him. And so, Connie leaned back from the desk while collecting his composure.

"Fine I'll take it but…"

From his back pocket he pulled out the deck of cards and handed them over to Draven

"What about these? How much would you buy em for?"

Draven examined the box and the cards inside it. He felt a chill run down his spine the more he assessed them but shrugged it off as nothing. He returned the box to its former state then handed them back to Connie.

"I must admit. I've never seen cards like that before, they have a peculiar design. It's a first for me."

Connie's eyes lit up as soon as he heard that. His heart raced but he still kept his composure.

"So, what you're saying is, these are rare? If so, then they're all yours. For the right price of course"

The possibility of these weird looking cards being rare meant that they ought to be crazy expensive. Connie held the higher bargaining power in this exchange. He himself was not sure whether or not this was the right move but if these cards were profitable then jolly ho!

But that was not the case. Draven just stood upright and crossed his arms with a stoic expression.

"Nice try kid. I don't take those kinds of gambles. Take the cash and get out"

Connie closed the door as he left the place and that was the end of their interaction.

"86 Nova? Damn that greedy bastard."

Combining the money he got from the stolen wallets, his total would sum up to 206 Nova. It was not a lot of money, but it was a decent amount.

He threw away the wallets along with their IDs and other cards in a trashcan somewhere. Keeping them with him was a risk. Also getting into card scams was not something he wanted to get into.

Too complicated for him.

****

"Here we go again"

Connie exhaled a breath before he edged the front door open with caution not to make a sound, but the creaking hinges were against him. Thankfully it was not loud enough to draw attention.

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him painstakingly slowly.

_Just gotta make it past the kitchen door and stairs then I'm home free_

His first obstacle was his mother, he could tell that she was busy in the kitchen by the mouthwatering smell of food in the air.

The second was the creaky floorboards and squeaky door hinges. Thankfully, he knew the layout of the house mapped out in his mind. He did spend his entire life here after all.

_Quick and stealthy_

Connie slipped off his shoes and held them on one hand as he tiptoed across the hardwood floor. His bedroom was just a few meters upstairs. To ensure his success, he made sure to avoid the middle of the hallway and stuck to the walls where his steps were muffled by the carpet runners.

The kitchen was to his left and he could hear the clatter of dishes and the hum of her voice. He snuck a peak and caught a quick glance of his mother moving around. Her back was fortunately facing him and so, used this opportunity to pass as quickly as he could without being noticed.

The stairs were next.

_Home sweet home_

Having passed the kitchen, he began to pick up the pace. He held his breath as he took a step, then another till eventually reaching the stairs. His eyes now fixated at the top.

Victory was at hand but when he made his move, a trap sprung.

A loose floorboard creaked loudly under his weight.

_Shit! _

Connie's body froze up and his eyes widened. The noise coming from the kitchen suddenly disappeared and then footsteps rushed over.

"Again? Really Connie?"

The shock of being caught straightened him up. This followed with an awkward smile. His mother, Jinah, stood in the kitchen doorway with a dish towel in one hand.

"I really don't understand why my own son likes to sneak into his home like a criminal. You are not a teen anymore Connie. Is it that you're avoiding chores again? Or you've gotten yourself into some mess... again?!"

Her narrow eyes and shouting tone suggested that she was mad. Connie understood her reasons. This was not the first time he snuck into the house and the fact that she went through the trouble of setting up a trap to catch him in the act meant that she was onto him all along.

He swallowed hard; he knew that lying to her at this point was pointless.

If done incorrectly of course.

"I, I was just-"

"You better not lie to me"

"I was just going around the city looking for a job opening. Didn't work out so I was afraid of facing you guys empty handed...again"

His mother, Jinah, slightly softened her expression but it still tinged with anger. When she assessed the sincerity his son displayed, she sighed heavily and the remnants of said anger she had vanished.

Connie sighed as well internally when he saw the subtle change in his mother.

"That's it? And here I thought it was something bad"

"I'm sorry for making you and dad worry. I'll be more open next time"

For a moment she said nothing. Jinah walked up to him then gave his head a pat with her right hand. And yes, her height eclipsed his own. He was short.

She sighed once again.

"I guess we have been putting a lot of pressure on you lately. It's just that we don't want you to end up like your uncle Drake, a bum. But I'll speak to your father about going easy on you"

Connie hung his head as he felt his mother fingers raking through his messy hair and then she flung it down, slapping his head.

For a minute he felt pain erupt from his head, it elapsed the next.

"In the meantime, stop sneaking around the house young man. It's creepy."

"Sure thing mom"

Connie smiled as he said those words. Jinah studied him for a moment before her gaze shifted to the analog clock on the wall.

Its hands pointed almost at six o'clock.

"Go get yourself ready. Dinner will be ready in 5 minutes."

He nodded then hurried up the stairs and straight to his bedroom. After closing the door behind him, he exhaled a long breath.

"Can't believe that worked. She's too gullible. But that won't work forever. I need to cook up a good excuse for next time"

Connie sat on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through his hair. He then threw himself back to the softness of his bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Haah man. What am I even doing?"

His mother, Jinah Rose Thorne, a 39-year-old woman who devoted herself to being a housewife. She once dreamt of becoming a medic before life happened. But she got the next best thing. That was taking full care of her only child and her beloved husband without distractions.

His father, Thal Orion Thorne, a 43-year-old man who worked an office corporate job. The company he worked for was one of those exploitative companies. At times he did not come back home and when he did, he would look like a zombie that has not showered in weeks. It was terrible but at least it allowed him to provide and care for his family.

And himself, Conrad Adre Thorne, a good for nothing 20-year-old. As it stands, it has been six months since he graduated from high school. Sadly, he was not a bright student or even a decent one and so, his final grades could not get him into college. So, he is a grown man living with his parents. The same parents who believe that getting a job would be his only means of living a decent life by himself.

They constantly pressured him to get employed, its reason as to why he developed a habit of sneaking in whenever he came back to the house.

"Screw getting a job. The thought of taking orders from some prick really ticks me off. I could start my own business. But that would take a lot of work. It's too complicated"

It was not that he did not try to look for a place that can hire a high school graduate. On all the times he did so, he was either not qualified or there were no job openings. After 3 months of trying, he eventually gave up and fell to the one thing he spent more time developing.

This was pickpocketing.

Petty thievery.

"Oh yeah, been wondering about these"

He jolted back to his feet and pulled out the deck of cards from his pocket. After pulling them out of the box, he scattered them across the surface bed. His brow furrowed in confusion as he examined their unique designs.

"What kind of cards are these anyways?"