The Thin Line

Unnoticed

Daniel Valentine was by no means ordinary. Ordinary teenagers weren't skilled pick pockets, con artists, or cat burglars who could pick almost any lock and escape situations that would make Houdini jealous. Yet Daniel also wasn't extraordinary; he didn't have super powers, enhanced senses or abilities, wasn't an alien, a super soldier or whatever else there was to be in the strange yet dangerous world he lived in. A world of super heroes who saved the world from the villains who threatened it.

By all means, he shouldn't be the person he is.

Daniel had a picture perfect family. A Mother and Father, and two older twin siblings. His Father was a highly respected judge, his Mother, a known general surgeon, and his two siblings attended a top ranking university. His sister studying to be a biochemical engineer, and his brother a theoretical physicist, both were already in their third year of college.

They were the pride and joy of his parents and they all knew it.

Daniel, however in every way of the phrase could be regarded as the black sheep of the family. He was in his first year of high school, had barely passing grades, fell asleep in class, skipped, or plain never showed up. He was very much the opposite of his elder siblings, with their perfect attendance, perfect GPA, and their all in all involvement in school clubs, events, and competitions. They were the poster children for the perfect student and child.

Daniel was fine with that. He had long since accepted the fact that he would never measure up to them.

His parents and siblings had come to recognize the facts he had realized sometime in his second to last year of elementary school, in the fourth grade. They had since then stopped caring about his overall academics and actions in general. Why pay attention to a failure when you already know he's going to fail.

Even though Daniel and his family shared the same last name no one would have thought to have connected the dots. Since Samantha, his Mother; Richard, his Father; and Elijah and Elisa, his elder twin siblings were so radically different compared to Daniel in both demeanor and appearance. His parents and elder siblings exuded confidence and acted in such a manner that demanded people's attention and focus.

Daniel on the other hand didn't exude confidence, he didn't act in a manner that demanded people's attention and focus. Daniel didn't receive any kind of attention at all. He was just another nameless face in the crowd.

In short, people did not notice Daniel Valentine.

Daniel was completely okay with never being noticed, it helped with his heists and jobs. He was practically a shadow, something that was everywhere and yet never given a glance.

If no one noticed, no one would ask questions. Besides it wasn't like anyone would ask questions anyway, no one cared enough to notice him much less question him. It wasn't like Daniel had friends. He was a loner.

If his family were ever to discover what he did in his private time, their apathy would certainly turn to disgust and disdain.

They were complete believers that everyone had the same opportunities and could achieve what they did if others only tried hard enough.

To Daniel it was a nice philosophy... If he could completely disregard the faults of the world he lived in, and were ignorant to the knowledge that not everyone started off on the same playing field and had unique pasts and experiences that made people who they are and shaped the way they thought and could think.

Yes, if his family were to find out that he was an adrenaline junkie and a thief/ mercenary, a good one at that, they'd be disgusted. Stealing what you could work for and buy yourself completely went against everything they believed in.

Yet it wasn't like Daniel actually kept most of the stuff he swindled and stole. The things he kept tended to be momentos of the particular job and objects that had caught his eye. He was almost like a modern day Robin Hood. If Robin Hood based targets on how much of a thrill they could give him of course. He usually gave away the clothes and other things he didn't need to the homeless and poor of his city, or sold the more expensive things to fund his activities. Other villains and heroes knew of him yet none were close, none knew the man or woman, or is the better term teenage boy, behind the mask personally.
They didn't even typically see him well enough to determine his gender. What could he say? He could always pull off the androgynous look.

He mostly stole from people who were rich enough to replace the stolen items ( they tended to have the best security systems, those were always a rush to crack), people he thought were assholes, and swindled those he thought deserved it or wouldn't miss it.

In fact the first person he ever pick pocketed, the first theft that inspired him to become who he was today had been a complete asshat.

I am super sorry for uploading this after just about 3 and a half months. School has been absolutely hectic.

Thank you to dreamydaze who actually commented on this story, I probably wouldn't have ever uploaded if they hadn't said something.