The evening air was cool and quiet, the kingdom was bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, Ballister stood in his secret lair that he and Nimona had started to make their home. Ballister was the only one in the lair as Nimona had been asked to go hang out with some kids. Since the events of the director trying to nuke the city Nimona became very popular as now everyone saw her as a hero. Ballister couldn't be happier for her. Ballister had his back to the door as he carefully detached his robotic arm, placing it on his desk with a soft clink. Sitting down on the couch and rubbing where his missing arm was. He slightly chuckled as the whole "Arm chopping is not a love language!" Thing had become an inside joke between him Ambrosius and Nimona. Ambrosius had been making his way to the base trying to balance with three different drinks he had just picked up for him, Ballister and Nimona. He was about to call out a greeting as he entered the lair when he saw Ballister's silhouette, the stark contrast of his human arm against the missing one. It was a sight he rarely saw, and it took him by surprise. His heart clenched, and he lost balance of the drinks and they fell onto the floor and spilling the contents. Ballister turned sharply at the noise, his eyes wide as he saw Ambrosius standing frozen in the doorway. The latter's gaze was focused on the missing arm, his eyes welling up with tears. "I-I'm sorry," Ambrosius stuttered, tears streaming down his face. "I didn't mean to... I just... I didn't realize..."Ballister was on his feet in an instant, rushing over to his boyfriend. "Ambrosius, it's okay," he said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. But Ambrosius flinched away, the memory of that fateful day when Ballister's arm had been severed playing in his mind. He remembered the weapon, the explosive force, and the horrifying sight of Ballister's severed arm on the ground. He remembered Ballister's limp as he disappeared into the shadows, leaving him alone with his guilt. "I'm so sorry, Ballister," he sobbed, sinking to his knees. "I didn't... I didn't want to hurt you..."Ballister knelt down next to him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "I know, Ambrosius," he said softly. "I know you didn't mean to. But It was in our training after all.."Their painful moment was interrupted as the door to the study swung open, hitting the wall with a bang. Nimona stood in the doorway, her eyes wide as she took in the scene before her. "Oh," she said, her eyes darting between the two men on the floor, the spilled drinks, and Ballister's robotic arm on the desk. "Did I... uh, interrupt something?" Ambrosius let out a choked laugh, despite his tears. Ballister shook his head, a small smile appearing on his face. "No Nimona you're fine. Would you mind helping us clean this up?" Ballister asked. Nimona grinned, her initial awkwardness replaced with her usual mischievous energy. "Sure thing, boss," she said, striding into the room. As Nimona busied herself with cleaning the spilled drinks, Ballister and Ambrosius shared a quiet moment, their eyes meeting. They had a lot to work through, a lot to heal from. But they would do it together. And with Nimona around, they knew they would never have to face their demons alone. <3