Aero whimpered in surprise as Jago suddenly let go of him. Aero collapsed backwards on to the carpeted floor. His dick limp and his eyes widened, he stared back up at the Feral.

"Fuck you!" Aero croaked hoarsely, suddenly finding his voice and jumping up. At the same time the door swung open to reveal Zach standing there, a look of surprise on his face.

"What's going on?" he asked, his expression morphing into a knowing smirk as he moved forwards into the room.

"Just teaching Aero some important lessons as part of the partnership scheme," Jago answered, his voice tense and stiff.

"Like how pathetic and twisted Ferals really are?" Aero hissed, crossing his arms over his chest, feeling physically vulnerable for the first time in years.

"Like how nobody wants to play with a broken toy," Jago replied, fixing Aero with a bored look.

Zach snorted, "Even if they're sex toys?"

Aero saw red and he just lost it, racing forwards with a snarl he felt his fist connect with Jago's chin, although he wasn’t sure when he had even raised it.

But then again and again, he could feel his own skin and bone smashing into Jago's until it was coated with a sticky slick he realised must be blood.

Aero could hear swearing behind him and large, gripping hands were wrapped around his bare torso, the pads of fingers pressing the wrong side of painful in the spaces between his ribs.

"Jago, fucking move!" Aero heard Zach cry out. "Why are you just sitting there? Help me control him!"

Aero rammed his elbow back as hard as he could into Zach's chest, eliciting a wounded 'oof!' as he hit his mark.

He caught Jago's expressionless eyes one last time before sprinting from the room.

Tears were stinging Aero’s face like salt filled traitors as he slammed into the guest dormitory and collapsed onto the floor, wracked with the sobs of shock he had been fighting to keep in.

Dolls shouldn't cry. Dolls should be perfect.

One hour later Aero heaved himself up off the floor and went to wash the salt and snot from his swollen eyes and sore face.

He looked into the mirror and realised he hadn't felt this disgusted with himself since he was a child and couldn't make himself sit still like the other kids.

Two hours later he remembered that he had left his uniform top in the Feral dormitory. He guessed he would have to go on the mission bare-chested because no force in this universe would get him to go ask for it back.

Three hours later and the other Dolls returned. Cody helped carry him to bed like he had used to do.

"What did he do?" Cody whispered quietly into his ear after he drew the blanket up around his chest. Aero flinched at the feeling of a mouth there again.

"Taught me a lesson," Aero sighed, before offering his friend a weak smile. "Think I'll really be going on this mission solo. Probably for the best huh?"

The next morning Aero’s uniform top sat neatly folded in the hallway in front of their door. Aero figured Thomas or Hannah had brought it back.