Okay, explanation time for some of what this is, and why the Sequel, Null: Consequences is taking a while, as well as answer some questions I have gotten from more than one person on these stories.
1) Did you hate Null by Coeur Al'Aran?
Not at all, I love a good political thriller, and to be blunt, up until the dock fight, this one was a great one, up there with both professional works like the Trails series of games or many books by established authors, and the more fan oriented ones, like Divided and Entwined, a great Harry Potter Political Thriller if you want to check that one out.
2) Okay, if you don't hate it, why'd you do this?
Because at the end of the day, this one could have been great. The faults it has are faults inherited from the source material, and his unwillingness to change certain aspects while freely changing others, and that hurts to see. For those wondering what I mean. The Dock Fight is full of odd coincidences and characters ceasing to exist when they go 'off screen' which just doesn't work in a detail first story like a Political Thriller. Worse, Fields, he's a perfectly fine Shonen villain, and thus, great for RWBY, but this fic needed him to be more, or to have a master above him pulling those strings, and he doesn't have them, and it sucks.
3) Alright, what would you have done with him then?
Easy, I would have had Mettle be the big bad, not in the 'I probably set all this up' kind of way, but in the 'Jekyll and Hyde' way. Have Ironwood, throughout this story get progressively more tired, like not obviously at first, just a few extra cups of coffee and the like, before the big reveal at the end showing Mettle had been behind it all, using his body while he was 'asleep' and having to do more and more as Jaune and the situation got more and more out of his control.
4) So, what happened to that sequel you promised when you started this?
I'm working on it, okay. Sheesh…no really, it's just taking a while, especially since I'm well aware that once I finish that, I'll probably not be making any more Fragments, so I've been trying to finish up those ideas I enjoy.
5) Can I suggest a Fragment?
Well, you can, and many have, but these are supposed to be small, contained scenes…that doesn't always work out, but it is the idea I'm working under, so there are some I've just never felt good about doing, either due to length of the idea, or it just doesn't sound like it fits.
6) Like what?
Any one where Jaune dies, at any point. That would diverge so much I would basically be writing a whole new fic at that point, and why bother? Others are him going nuts before the Dock scene, which doesn't fit the character as written, and still more is a suggestion of his father being alive. All interesting ideas, but not really in keeping with the tale as written by CAA.
7) So, other than Fields, what made this a bad political thriller?
As I said, it's not bad at all, it's just not great. It's only pretty good by the end in fact. That comes down to Fields being a bad Political villain, the Conspiracy having FAR too much reach to not have come into conflict with Ozpin's own group(Again, if METTLE was the head of it, that would explain how, given Mettle was in Ozpin's little Cabal, but he isn't. Still curious how they found out about Ruby's eyes of all things, given how closely guarded that secret was). The lack of follow through on team RWBY's own scenes and supposed growth. The Ending, which CAA is really good about usually, but here it feels like it just sort of stops, rather than finishing the tale. And then there's Blake…
8) What's wrong with Blake?
Do you have an hour or so? Oh, you mean just in this fic and not canon…well still. She's a bad character import, due in part to how canon treats the faunus' situation, and the White Fang in particular. Here it comes to a head because she betrays her friends, even AFTER they find out about the conspiracy, and then leaves Jaune for dead. And never suffers for it. Team RW_Y at were least taking down what they thought were violent terrorists. Blake? She left a man to die to make her life easier. And was told it wasn't her fault by an authority figure who, by the story's own statement, did NOT know what her deal was in detail. At best she acknowledges that she is responsible for his situation ONCE in the whole fic…and it's while she's with friends who try and reassure her rather than facing him. The fact that he lets her live at all is a testament to him not being bad.
9) What do you mean he's not bad? He kills a whole load of people!
And yet, none of them are innocent. That's important to note. Jaune kills no one who is not actively engaged with the Conspiracy or harming his family. The guards, the lab people, all of them are targets by their own actions. Every innocent and uninvolved person who dies around him dies because of the actions of others. He never takes an innocent life. And no, Ruby herself does not count, she was an active threat, and ordered the death of hundreds, so to him, she is an enemy combatant, even if at the time she was disabled, she was a target by her own actions.
10) Wow, anything else wrong with the story?
A few little things, some of which I've addressed in Fragments like Raven being the WORST match for Null, and CAA cheating in that fight by not describing it. Neo and Qrow enter and leave the plot as needed with some very odd timing, some of which is deliberate, but others of it being just I think he forgot them while writing certain scenes. Ozpin's entire motivation. But overall, the Blake one is the only one I've not been able to address directly.
11) Anything you want to make a Fragment out of, but can't?
Sure, first off would love to do something with Ozpin's group being the ones to find Jaune. That would result in a whole new story, given CA's power would likely be stymied by the Headmaster's, and leading to a whole load of interesting confrontations, especially in the form of a three way brawl at Beacon, as well as Ironwood being torn between Atlas and the world.
One other big idea that I can at least summarize, what if Jaune fights back early? Basically, in the dock scene, he waited until after the planes were destroyed before really getting serious. He had his knife, so what if he used his power to null Yang's aura. Suddenly she's just a girl, about twenty-five pounds lighter than him, if the wiki is to be believed.
He gets his arm free, seeing what's about to happen, and stabs Yang in the eye, instantly killing her, and yanking his weapon free, even as Ruby shoots over to her sister's corpse, ignoring Jaune leaping towards the still powering up Penny, who instantly powers down to avoid damaging herself with her own power as Null shuts down her aura.
Penny, being a lot more vulnerable without her aura, is then stabbed by Jaune, who tears the machine apart when he realizes what she is, ripping her to shreds, and then standing over her dismembered body, just in time for Ruby to get up from Yang's body, and, using her skills, she jumps at him.
A fight ensues where Ruby, using her speed, really does 'dance' around him, using her momentum to force him to constantly dodge, even as he cancels her aura when she gets close. Better, she HAS a ranged option, and takes to liberally firing with it, even as everyone else tries to stop her.
Raven arrives, too late to save Yang, but…well, Eye for an Eye, she tries to kill Jaune herself, even tossing Ruby aside to keep her from being a killer. That causes Ruby, who doesn't know WHO this lady is to start fighting Raven too, creating a three way that ends with Blake's arrival, who sees what's happened and breaks down.
She admits, through sobs, what happened to put Jaune here in this dock, and Ruby, hearing that her SISTER is DEAD because Blake held out some very necessary info, activates her Eyes, Jaune and Neo ditching the place as they'd been trying to do, but leaving Blake and Raven standing there, getting them caught in the gaze of stone, and petrifying.
Ruby collapses, and is in a coma for several days, during which Qrow and Taiyang attempt to hunt Jaune down on their own, because he killed Yang(And maybe Raven for Qrow), but they keep running into Cinder's crew instead, as Jaune, thanks to not being pushed, is laying low.
After a few fights, Cinder lets slip what's happening in Beacon, and it gets to Chivalric Arms, who decide to 'stage' an attack, under the cover of the White Fang to get Amber back. Problem is, Beacon is home to more power than they're used to, and Ozpin is able to kill their whole squad with non-aura based magic.
This however results in Beacon and Vale canceling the Vytal festival, as it's seen not as a CA operation, but as an Atlas one. For what reason? No one knows, but suddenly Atlas aggressively attacked another combat school. Only reason they can see is the Vytal festival, and rumors, unconfirmed but persistent, say they had a humanoid weapon system they'd planned on entering.
This allows Ironwood to clean house, as he now has the backing of another kingdom, and will NOT allow them to silence an investigation. Better, he was able to, thanks to Ozpin, link the squad directly to Chivalric Arms, which, when the Council refuses to arrest Fields, he kills them. No fanfare or the like, and not via the air out plan, but instead just has the ace ops in the room kill them after their statements are recorded.
The change here is because he CAN'T leave Atlas rudderless now, not with how things stand, and so he takes control, looking like a power grabbing military man to some, but those in the know know what's happening, so he is able to get away with it, especially since Vale is currently on fire from other problems.
Cinder and her crew were found by Qrow and Taiyang again, and this time they hit them with everyone, to overwhelm them. At the same time, the sudden absence of people allows Jaune Arc and a small White Fang squad to slip into Beacon, having learned of Amber's location from the Fang's own spies, grab Amber, and slip out, without raising any alarms until they were leaving, and by then, it was too late.
The world is thus poised again to turn. Cinder and her minions are killed, but Amber Arc is lost, and Ozpin's ravings about NEEDING her back are such that Glynda eventually forces him to back down, or everything he'd built would leave him behind. This time, he listens, if only because he has no choice, meanwhile the Arc Family is able to reunite, the world around them a stable one, for now.
Ruby would awaken after several days in a coma to a world…well with a lot to lay on her after everything, as without the Amber option, the Silver Eyed warrior is their only real hope. She would soldier on, for Yang's memory if nothing else, though with a hope in her heart to eventually hunt down Jaune, Taiyang and Qrow promising they will.
In her own fortress, these events would stymie Salem's plans. She lost too many assets to want to keep going. She's old enough to be immune to sunk cost, and instead outfits a few of her more vocal supporters with some resources to do chaos as they will, but otherwise will wait a lifetime or so for the world to slowly change again, into some more malleable clay.
12) That wasn't bad, no. Got any others like that, before you go?
One other thing I'd been working on like that which I abandoned was one for the guy who first started me writing these things, and since I'm doing this as an update, might as well give you a two for one for reading, so, how about we torture Blake a bit? I never finished this one because I don't have the hate in me for it and it was way too long, but I think I can describe it well enough.
This one would start with her arrival, with Blake facing Jaune as he holds up Yang, but instead of being 'done' with her, he orders Blake to put down her weapons. She won't obviously, they're the only reason he doesn't just kill Yang, but he proves he can kill her regardless, stabbing her shoulder, and literally twisting his knife in her flesh for a moment.
He mentions that she'd already used a lot of aura, and her arm was probably draining the rest. As she squirms, and screams, she orders Blake not to do it, Yang knowing the moment she's disarmed, she'll be a target, and even as she starts crying, she doesn't want Blake to die, not like this. Blake, for her part, doesn't WANT to die either, and so they stalemate for a second.
Jaune then places his gun inside Yang's mouth as she tries to say something else, and points out that would be where aura is weakest. Put the weapon down, now, or he blows her brains out, and then he kills the black cat anyway, since, as he notes, he's only gotten better since this all started, and right now? He's exhausted, but she can't run fast enough to escape him, and he just needs to get close.
She says she doesn't want to hurt him, that he should just give up now, and let her team-, and then he starts rattling off names. Ilia being the big one, as he points out she was only in the camp waiting for them because Blake was there, because she had a crush on her. Childish, but it was true. And that camp was probably dead, something Blake denies.
But Jaune points out, Blake let her team die once. She'll do it again now. No different. After all, that camp was left alone, in the woods, waiting with Grimm all around. Sure, they had some skill, but Adam was the heavy hitter. He wasn't there though, because Blake stuck him thirty miles away. He could picture them getting nervous, going into despair, and then the first Grimm attacked.
Blake shoots at him for this, but he moves, and drops the aura of him and Yang at the same time, allowing the bullet to drive itself into her skull, killing her instantly. Jaune then laughs, saying it was actually instinct to protect himself, but it works, as he then restores his aura and tosses the dead body at Blake, who is too shocked to move until he's right on her, and with a kick, knocks her down.
But he doesn't kill her. No, he simply takes her weapon and runs with it, just as the lights start flashing outside, the authorities finally arriving. Only before she can shout for help, she is smashed into from the side by Neo, wielding a sword not her own, and then rushing towards Jaune with a smirk, as the two of them soon cross to the other end of the docks.
By the time the door opens, Jaune, now looking just like Blake, is standing over Ruby's body, the thing unconscious at his foot, Gambol Shroud in his hand. He stabs her just as he confirms they're looking, this time through the heart, and as she jerks awake, Ruby lets out a few gasps of surprise, pain, and stares up at Blake's grinning face, before Jaune charges away.
Shots are fired, but they miss, or hit aura as he and an invisible Neo soon dive into the water, just in time for a soaked Blake to climb out of it. The moment she, choking out the water, is on land, she is shot at, and then the Atlas Security Forces are on her, holding her on the ground, and she demands to know what's going on, before she sees her weapon stabbed through Ruby's chest.
We find out later that since no one knew she was in the water, and the Atlas troops were focused on Blake, Weiss ended up drowning. Of course, that is only tallied onto Blake's list of 'crimes', though she denies it, and truth to tell, Ironwood believes her, but can't risk it going down to her, as she's being held on his ship, awaiting 'trial' for her crimes, which he knows will not be gentle.
She's given time to soak in her guilt, while down in Vale Cinder meets with Jaune and the White Fang, the plans having to change as, with the death of three students, and the arrest of a fourth for the crimes/her connection to the White Fang, Beacon was locking down, turning into more and more of a fortress, and putting the prize that Cinder wanted out of reach.
She assured Jaune that his own prize was likely there as well, Emerald presenting proof of it, and well, it's true after all. Still, Beacon is too strong to attack, even with Null, but Cinder has a way to draw the students and teachers out of hiding, and soon, Mountain Glenn is awash with agents of the Fang, agents which help to cause the largest breach in Vale's history.
The bad thing is, NONE of Beacon's students or staff are on hand to provide any assistance, and Ironwood's forces are afraid to risk civilian casualties at first, until the problem grows so large they can't wait, even as Beacon's forces try to get to Vale, as almost everyone has friends or family there, and what few retired hunters live IN the city are being overwhelmed.
In the midst of the disaster, a single bullhead, damaged from a Grimm, lands 'emergency style' at Beacon, which is currently emptying quickly, even Ozpin being forced out, simply due to the sheer scale of this attack. Out of that bullhead soon comes Jaune, Cinder, and Neo, who quickly rush into the campus, and with Emerald's info, find the elevator down.
By the time Ozpin's alarms start going off, it's WAAAY too late to do anything, as Amber dies a few minutes later, and it takes them half an hour to get him back to Beacon amid the assaults, no matter who he is. Worse when Ironwood finds his controls overridden, and his guns start firing down into the city, taking out Grimm by the hundreds, and people, hunters and civilians, by the thousands.
The smaller ships, both from Beacon and the Atlasian ones are ordered by Ironwood to take out his ship, as he can't take back control, the overrides being BUILT into the ship's guns somehow. He openly says that it was Chivalric Arms' doing, considering they're the only ones that could have done this, and as his ship is knocked from the sky, he is on the bridge, dying with it.
Blake, meanwhile, has no idea what's going on, instead being afraid, until she feels the sudden drop as the ship falls. Luckily for her, the brig section is sturdy, and her aura is full, so even as the ship crashes, her part of it stays together. With no one to stop her, she uses her boosted strength to pull the door open, and escape into the chaos of Vale burning.
By the time things are starting to get stable, Vale is all but lost. They will rebuild, but it will take decades, and with Atlas seemingly having helped in that destruction, the other Kingdoms demand answers, the Council trying to blame Ironwood, until Ozpin calls them on this, and demands Fields' head, and when they obvious refuse, he demands the other kingdoms kick them out.
This happens, as Ozpin has enough evidence to hang that company, and protecting someone whose actions killed thousands is a good way to cause problems. Worse, Menagerie is quick to pounce on this, and begins to bombard the Atlasian airwaves with various slogans and the like, causing a mass exodus of faunus, first peacefully, then when people like Schnee try to stop it, violently.
In the midst of this, Blake attempts to go home. She can't stay in Vale, she's wanted there, she can't go to Atlas, because obviously. Vauco and Mistral are possibilities, but she feels home would be best. Her father tells her no. Even if he wanted to give her a place to stay, and he tells her bluntly that he doesn't, she's a criminal to the Fang now, and if she steps foot in Menagerie she'll just be executed anyway.
Thus Blake Belladonna winds up as a homeless person on the streets of Vauco, her attempt to enroll at their Academy failing because of her records, and having nowhere else to go. Meanwhile Menagerie celebrates their place in the world, with the sudden near death of Vale and the isolation of Atlas puts them in a far better position in the world.
Meanwhile, Jaune and his sisters settle in, Saphhron and Terra having been rescued, and the family slowly coming together, with a debt to the fang they would pay with gusto. And in her fortress, far from the lands of men, Cinder Fall would present to her mistress her prize, the Relic of Vale, and a major victory for the forces of Grimm, heralding the fall of all worlds.
Thank you for reading all that, and I hope the fic continues to be to your liking.