Ashwin Vaidya About
Short Story | Originally published Reddit then on One Picture Notes|Last Updated: 03 December 2023

Most people have some kind of super power. You’re a high level speedster but have absolutely no desire to be a hero. All you want to do is deliver your pizzas anywhere on earth in 30 minutes or less

You don’t make a billion dollars a month delivering pizza. Well, not If you have powers like mine. I deliver pizza anywhere in the world in under 30mins. I operate from my house and make the pizza when the order comes in. My speed allows me to collect the ingredients when I need to make the pizza. I find this more efficient and avoids letting anyone know I deliver pizzas for a living.

However, I don’t deliver pizza to everyone. I am very selective. Large orders are a cause of concern but my speed allows me to do a background check before I start preparing. The last order was from a low life in the Haley square. She paid all the money she had remaining. Sometimes I feel bad to deliver to these people but hey! till the money rolls in. Plus it’s the smaller orders cumulated that make the profit. You don’t get large orders every day.

At the age of 8, I was tested for superpowers and found out I was the fastest human there ever was. Consequently, I was enrolled in the Super Hero Highschool. I got banned from athletics to keep it fair to others. You can’t play against whom you can’t see. Kind of bummed but didn’t like running around anyways. Everyone said I had a bright future. I was even approved for training with the Corp of Heroes. Wasn’t interested so rejected it. My friends said I was crazy and my teachers thought I’ll change my mind. A lot of people could only dream of joining the Corp of Heroes and I threw away the opportunity, they said. The Corp of Heroes already spans four battalions currently. Interestingly, I now work for them in trying to apprehend the drug lord who it seems has replaced the one known as Buffalo Crust.

Every week as part of training, Super Hero Highschool sent its students to locate and prevent crime. It would make you a good Hero, they said. It was during one of these days that after running around looking for crime in the poorest part of the southern suburb I decided to quit. I was feeling hungry and decided to join the line of a pizza shop in front of me. I wasn’t wearing anything that would identify me as a student of Super Hero Highschool or a guy with powers. I don’t like attention. The place was run by some guy named Frank Wells. A guy in front of me ordered a Large Pepperoni, and added: “Mind the filling“. Then came my turn and I order Large Cheeze Pizza. As I was collecting my order the guy behind me stepped forward and said, “One Mexican Green and mind the filling“. This is weird I thought.

I went around the corner, picked up a slice and bit a piece. I left them in mid-air and before gravity could realize the state of the pizza and the box, I returned. My speed allowed me to reconnaissance without anyone figuring out.

“Crafty Son of a Bitch”, I said.

“Mind the filling” was their code word for requesting a drug-laced pizza. I had photographic evidence and a managed to take the list of his frequent customers with their address. I returned to my school and handed them the photographs. Turns out Frank Wells was Buffalo Crust, the drug lord that alluded the entire Corp of Heroes. I was praised by everyone and the commander Mia - Dean of the Corps of Heroes personally came to express her compliments. Lucky me! I passed the schools with high honours and a clean record.

Buzz

Well, that’s my phone. Gotta go for delivery again.

8:31 PM             AT&T          11 Jan 2061

A-13, building #61, East Side, Harbour Bay

10 Chicken Golden Large and mind the filling