All members of RWBY and LIJN were scheduled to reconvene at the cave when night approached. They were originally surprised to find Penny with Izzet, but after both explained the instance they had met along with Jet's insistence that she was on their side, Penny had been accepted into the group. One member of the group was missing, however. Lilac.

"Lilac's not back." Jet whispered to Ruby amongst the conversations that were taking place. They were sat close together, near one of the walls of the cave, both leaning against the wall as they surveyed their teammates. Ruby had been affectionately combing the feathers on one of Jet's wings with one hand, while holding his hand with the other. Jet, for the most part, accepted this and enjoyed the sensation, much like Blake had done when he had massaged her ears.

"We can't make a big deal out of it though." Ruby said, wistfully. "I hope she's ok. But how are YOU doing?" she asked, turning to face Jet.

"Me? I'm fine." Jet said, pulling away slightly.

"You're not. Your wings are stiffer than they normally are, your usual warmth isn't there, and the stress is starting to get to you." Ruby said, still holding Jet's hand.

Jet sighed. "It's not that." he whispered, trying and failing to sound comforting. "You can read me like a book where others can't, it seems, but it's the fact that you all are putting yourselves at risk just to help me. I'm not worth it."

At his words, small tears appeared at Ruby's eyes.

"That's not true." she said, pulling Jet into a hug, his warmth still not emitting. "You're worth every bit of it to me."

"And to us." Weiss had sat down next to the couple, and Jet raised his head, Ruby still refusing to let go. "You're a friend to all of us that are here, Jet."

"Yeah." Yang and Blake had also joined them. Ruby could tell Jet was resisting his own tears, but his walls were stronger than hers, and he held, despite the black tears threatening to appear apparent in his eyes.

"It eezn't just zem." Nouvelle said, as she and Izzet sat down on Jet's other side.

"People are here for you." Penny said, also joining them.

"You see?" Ruby asked, as she finally let go of Jet. "We all care about you. You aren't alone."

Jet's emotions finally broke free of the dark cage he'd placed around them. Tears flowed freely as Jet's will finally broke, and he hugged Ruby, who hugged him back.

"Ruby. Everyone." Jet sobbed. "Thank you."

The others simply embraced the couple in a group hug. Ruby was happy for her lover, for he'd finally come to realise the true value of their bonds, and realised that in this moment, nothing could compare to the strength of affection she felt for him.

This moment was short lived, however, as without warning, a sound of helicopter blades chopping the air outside the cave had started to flow into the cave. All eight of them looked up in horror, and got up, before retrieving their weapons. They had been found!

"Well… damn." Jet muttered, wiping his eyes and summoning Midnight Rose.

From out of nowhere, guns pointed at the group from the mouth of the cave. The androids surrounded them, all guns pointed at Jet. From outside, Ironwood's voice rang out.

"Jet. You are to either lower your weapon or be terminated. The group surrounding him: you are to do the same, but you may walk freely. Any that attempt to aid him will meet the same fate."

"We have to fight them!" Ruby said, and the group raised their weapons in agreement.

"Stop!" Jet shouted. "Ironwood. If you can hear me, I will turn myself in, but I demand one thing for my peaceful return, that any and all charges against Team RWBY and the rest of Team LIJN as well as Penny are unconditionally cleared, as well as the location of Lilac, as she is not present here."

"That can be arranged, and Lilac is with us." Ironwood's reply sounded out, and Ruby looked at him in disbelief. Was he really giving up?

"What are you thinking?" Ruby asked. "I'm not going to lose you!"

"I'm sorry." Jet replied, before Ruby felt something lightly graze the back of her neck. Before she could work out what it was she fainted, and the others met the same fate, even Penny.

Jet then lowered his weapon and allowed his arms to be cuffed before the androids brought him to Ironwood, along with the now sleeping teammates. He felt bad about betraying them like this and using his sleep poison, something he'd copied from his old mentor, but he couldn't bear to see them suffer like this anymore.

He looked up into Ironwood's snarling face, and paid him a look of defiance.

"Save it, sir." he said. "You can just send me straight to the prison."

"You'll be locked up, yes, but I want to know why you willingly murdered an ENTIRE team of hunters and huntresses first." Ironwood said, with no limit put on the sternness of his voice.

Jet sighed. "As I said before, save it. You'll have plenty of time to do that in the questioning room."

Ironwood could not get any more from him, and resolved that Jet would get his comeuppances when they got to the interrogation room.

As Jet was thrown into his cell in the vale police department by two android guards, without any weapons to take, Ironwood gazed down into Jet's still defiant eyes, emerald brilliance contrasting with his dark look.

"We'll have plenty of time to talk." he merely said, before closing the automatic door, which locked in place. Jet surveyed the small cell, a small bed, a toilet, and no way out. There were windows into the other cells, though, and as he pushed himself up from having been thrown, he gazed upon the figure in the cell next to him.

"Finally, someone to talk to." Roman Torchwick said as he rose into a sitting position, not making eye contact with Jet. "What you in here for?"

Jet considered his words, and noticed a cut had opened up where he'd hit the floor.

"Murder." he finally growled.

"Which we were manipulated into committing." Flux growled inside Jet's head.

To be continued...