[South Dakota]

Ajak was sitting rather leisurely in her house as she was hearing the news from her old radio. She was drinking milk that was extracted from her cattle, and she was doing some crosswords puzzle in her newspaper.

A news suddenly caught Ajak’s attention as she was finishing the crosswords in her newspaper.

“First in a test in the New Mexico desert, and then 5000 thousand miles away in Hiroshima, and then again at Nagasaki came the world shaking explosion of the atomic bomb. Latest reports from the Japanese say that one hundred and twenty six thousand died as the result of the damage done by the single bomb that blasted the city.”

Ajak froze as she heard that specific piece of news. Hundreds of thousands have died again..? The Holocaust, The Holodomor, even from the last century, against the native americans, against the aboriginal people, and many, many more.. and it repeated again, but this time, the mass killings were viewed that it was for a glorious purpose, to stop the invaders.. doesn’t stop the fact that it had killed hundreds of thousands of people in a matter of hours..

A knock suddenly came from the door, making Ajak frown upon hearing it. She put her newspaper on the table, and walked towards the front door slowly. As she looked behind the window on who it was, Ajak sighed, and opened the door for him.

It revealed Phastos, his clothes were messy, as if he had run miles away nonstop. His face looked haggard, his eyes red, and his hands were shaking.

“I- I made a mistake..”

—

Phastos was now sitting inside Ajak’s home, tapping his feet to the ground impatiently, frantic.

“I- I should’ve seen it..” Phastos spoke. “I should’ve seen that nuclear power will be used for weapons, it’s wartime for fuck’s sake!”

“Phastos.. calm down..”

“They hid it from us... Most of them thought they were working for the benefit of humanity.. but when they were about to finish the project, we slowly knew what we’re working on.. we instantly halted the project, but it was too late, it was finished.. the bomb dropped in New Mexico, and many tried to leave, not wanting blood in their hands..”

“It’s not your fault Phastos..”

“Goddamnit!” Phastos slammed the table in anger and desperation. “I should’ve.. I should’ve listened to Pluto.. h-he warned me, I didn't listen, I should not have gone.. Do you understand this Ajak? This is my fault! My inventions led to this, and I didn’t stop it!”

“Our job is to advance humanity Phastos.. the technology they made is not your fault..”

“But it is..” Phastos shook his head. “The powder.. that started it all.. wars after wars.. deaths after deaths.. that is a lot of blood in my hands Ajak.. I should’ve stopped there.. I should’ve..”

“Phastos..”

He went silent for a minute, trying to calm himself down as the sun was getting lower and lower.

“I- Can you accompany me? To Pluto? I need.. I need to go there..”

“You don’t have to Phastos.. it’s too dangerous.”

“No.. No Ajak, I need to go there.. Please..”

Ajak sighed. “Okay Phastos.. let me pack up..”

—

Ajak and Phastos were now in front of Thena and Pluto’s home in Queens. They could see the two from the windows, dancing solemnly in a rather open room. Ajak could hear the music softly travelling through the air, calming the people that heard it, she could see the couple in their own world, not noticing that they’re being watched.

Ajak sighed as she and Phastos continued to the front door, and knocked on it. It took quite a while for the door to open, as they are probably living alone, no maids, no butlers whatsoever in here.

As the door opened, it revealed Thena and Pluto, and they were surprised to see Ajak and Phastos here.

“Hello Ajak.” said Pluto calmly. “Is there something wrong?”

“Boss..” Phastos murmured to Pluto, and he instantly knew what it meant.

He sighed as he saw the state Phastos is in, his turbulent emotion, his haggard look, he knows what is going on. “Come in..”

The four then walked towards the living room of the home. The group sat on the sofas, and Phastos quickly spoke.

“I- I made a mistake Pluto.. I should’ve listened to you..” he said weakly.

Pluto shook his head. “It’s not your fault Phastos.. I knew this was going to happen, but I didn’t tell you, so if anything, it’s kind of my fault.”

“No, you don’t understand..” Phastos continued. “I taught them from the start, it isn’t just you not telling me that it will happen.. my naivety.. my faith in humanity brought this.. I should’ve stopped man.. when the powder came along I should’ve..”

“We both know that all of this is inevitable, Phastos.” Thena suddenly spoke. “Even without your help, they’ll eventually develop the atomic bombs by themselves, even if you stopped them now, in the near future, it’s going to be invented either way. You don’t have to blame yourself, we did our job, you did your job, it’s up to them to bring what we taught to the next level.. Look, I know how you feel Phastos, we all do, we taught them many things throughout our mission, but at the end of the day, it’s their hands, not ours..”

Phastos calmed down a bit as he heard Thena’s words. “I.. take me there, Pluto..”

“Hiroshima?” Pluto confirmed. “Are you sure?”

“I need to see it..” he said weakly. “Even if it’s not my fault as you said, I taught them from the start, and my knowledge led to this.. at least I have to see what they have done.”

Pluto turned to Ajak beside Phastos. “Ajak?”

Ajak just nodded, allowing him to take Phastos to Japan. “Let me come too.” she said.

Pluto sighed as he stood up. He raised his hand to the side, and a portal opened inside the room.

All of them quickly stood up, and entered one by one, travelling to Japan in an instant.

—

Devastation.

That’s what the atomic bombs have caused. Hiroshima truly had been scorched off from the earth, leaving only burned rubbles and the radioactive heat poisoning the land of the city. As soon as the group arrived at the devastated city, Phastos saw what the bomb have caused and ran towards the open field in front of him.

He looked around, his eyes full of pain and regret, and he dropped down to his knees, not caring about the radioactive dirt, nor the ashes on the ground.

He cried, dropping his head to the ground, wailing in grief as he saw what it had done.

“I- I did this..” he sobbed. “I-It doesn’t matter whose hands made the bombs.. My technology led to this..”

“Phastos..” Ajak murmured, hugging him from behind.

“I- Pluto.. you’re right.. I’m too naive.. I should’ve seen it coming..”

“Like I said, it’s on me too, as I know this is going to happen one way or another.” said Pluto calmly. “Stop weeping, it’s done, no point in crying around anymore.”

“Druig was right..” he continued, malice was seeping through his voice. “Our mission was a mistake.”

“Don’t think like that Phastos..” Ajak caressed the man’s head as he cried on her shoulder.

“No.. These people.. they’re not worth saving..” he shook his head as he sobbed heavily. “They’re not worth saving.. I’m done.. I’m done with them..”

Thena sighed in pity as she walked towards them, also hugging them for comfort.

Pluto meanwhile just watched as Phastos wailed in grief and hate in front of him, breathing the radioactive air around him.

And once again, humanity, for all their ups and downs, had disappointed another Eternal.