#planned murder

ao3

Ozpin might be a fiend, a monster, a mad man. He is not a bad father. ------------------------

It was repulsive, how Salem continued to pretend to be the hero. 

Only the two of them were alive to remember the argument that had started it all. Ozma, the second one, the reincarnated one, had told Salem about his mission given to him by the God of Creation, of uniting humanity. About the relics that would summon the Gods back to Earth, about how they would destroy humanity if they were divided. 

About how Ozma didn’t want the Gods to return at all.

The Gods had taken nothing from humanity that they would miss. What was missing? Magic? Magic had only allowed humans to make more atrocities than they did now. Humanity was divided even before the Gods left; Ozpin still remembered the war between his people and the Nome King, the Sacking of Emerald City, the Battle of the Poppy Fields. He had faced a million and one tragedies created by man and man alone and the so-called Gods had done nothing. 

Salem hadn’t seen it that way. Even after all their travels together, turning the first humans against the Gods, years of isolation, she was still the girl in the tower. The girl who was raised alone, innocent to everything in the world. She had no idea what humanity was truly like, she didn’t know how foolish it was to try to bring the Gods back. 

But Salem… wanted to die. Even with Ozma back, she’d spent so much time alone that it was second nature to seek death. 

When Ozma had bundled up their children in an escape, she had found them. She took it as a betrayal and destroyed everything they had shared, had loved. But Salem couldn’t kill him.

No, instead she had thrown him into the Grimm pits in hope that they would rob him of immortality. 

Blistering hate surged through Ozpin at the memory. She had been foolish; instead of robbing him of his life everlasting, the pit had corrupted him. He had evolved to a higher plain of being, into a beast that wanted nothing more than to torture Salem for all eterenty. And he couldn’t torture her if she wasn’t alive.

Ozma sent armies against her. First the Grimm, who he controlled ever since his corruption. Then his Maidens, the souls of his first four followers granted magic and the ability to transfer their power after death. Admittedly, their transfer was far too close to his own and too random for his Maidens to always be on his side - sometimes Salem got to them first and claimed she had made the Maidens, taking credit for his work - but they were usually easy enough to convince. After all, what mortal doesn’t want to stop a woman from destroying Remnant? 

Unfortunately, Salem is a good liar. She had convinced her allies that he wanted to see humanity suffer for eternity - which wasn’t too far off the mark, actually - and that he needed to be defeated. Bold of her to assume he could be defeated, but every silver-eyed warrior on her side believed he could. The silver-eyes were firmly in Salem’s pocket; they were her most beloved and trusted allies, so Oz destroyed them. 

Which was why Ozpin was on this small island named Patch in Vale. All but one silver-eyed warrior had been murdered by his subordinates, assassins and bounty-hunters that he paid handsomely for each head delivered. He had decided to kill the last one himself: Summer Rose, a persistent thorn in his side. It felt only fitting to prune such a rose himself. 

Ozpin approached the home that contained his target. With him came an early-morning storm, to darken the sky and set the mood. One of his Nevermores had spied on the woman for the past few days, reporting that she lived there with her family. Evidence of a child was all over the lawn - toys thrown about, a bicycle leaning against the house, a swing set visible from around the back. He frowned. He hadn’t wanted to get a child involved. It wouldn’t stop him, but he didn’t want one involved. 

Hiding himself from all eyes with his magic, Ozpin infiltrated the house, the early morning darkness covering his entry. He left the backdoor wide open. The inside, a kitchen, was as messy as the yard, with more toys, and a flash of an old memory - a playroom in a castle, little hands pulling on his robes, Daddy, Daddy! - steals his attention for a moment. He shakes his head. There was no time for old ghosts now. 

The kitchen led to a living room and Ozpin stepped around a medley of toys and weapon on the floor. On the couch snored a man with dark hair; Qrow Branwen, if he remembered correctly. The twin brother of one of Summer Rose’s partners. Another person who wouldn’t leave the house alive. 

The stairs creaked under his weight. No sign of movement, no sign of anyone awake. The bedroom he was looking for was at the end of the hall- He paused. Ozpin could just barely hear it, even with his Grimm-enhanced hearing. The smallest whimper of a baby about to wail. 

Automatically, Ozpin entered a room that wasn’t the master bedroom, throwing up a quick silencing spell so the rest of the house couldn’t hear him. It was a nursery, with a crib by the windows - a safety hazard, Ozpin thought idly as he approached. The whimpering belonged to a little baby, no more than six months old. It was clearly the child of Summer Rose; the infant looked just like its mother, down to the same, detestable eyes. 

Well, that explained why Summer Rose had stayed still long enough for Ozpin to track down her residence. 

His invisibility dropping, Ozpin picked up the baby. It stared up at him with watery, silver eyes and Ozpin cradled them against his chest, hiding his face lest he scare it. His fall in the Grimm pits left him pale and scarred with black veins that reappeared with each reincarnation. He swayed to soothe the child back to sleep, humming under his breath. 

Ozpin wanted to move on, but his memories wouldn’t let him. 

Ozma scooped up his youngest daughter, cradling her to his chest. The toddler babbled about anything and everything, and Ozma kept nodding along as he took Dorthey back to her room. “You need to go back to sleep now, Princess.” He and her mother were gods; of course their children would be princesses. 

Dorthey pouted, but didn’t argue. “Kiss?” she asked.

Ozma smiled. “Of course,” he said and kissed her forehead.

“Toto kiss too?” She offered him her stuffed dog and laughed as he kissed Toto too, her silver eyes glittering. 

Silver eyes. Like his daughters’. 

Salem always used their daughters’ eyes as a weapon against him, he realized as he held one of the silver-eyed warriors. 

The child didn’t feel like a warrior. She was fat and squishy, like all babies should be at her age. She wasn’t a weapon against him, not yet anyway. But she would be one. He might be able to avoid her silver gaze for now, but sooner or later…

Still, he found himself reluctant to waste the child.

Their sniffling stopped and looked up at him, no trace of fear in his eyes. Distantly, he recognized the sound of someone getting up and walking down the hall, but ignored it. 

He had come here to kill Summer Rose, but found himself suddenly reluctant. Not out of any sympathy for the woman, but because he would have to kill her child as well, permanently eradicating his daughter’s eyes from the planet. He held the child closer to his chest. He’d killed many silver-eyed warriors, but never a child… 

Oz had raised children before; a few of his medley of souls had children before he assimilated into them, though he never raised a child once Oz fully incorporated himself into his consciousness. It had been several lives since he’d even held a child. 

The baby cooed softly, reaching a little hand up to touch Ozpin’s face. They looked like a copy of Summer Rose, with red highlights in their black hair. They were dressed in a red onesie too; a ruby-red rose, ripe to be plucked. 

Such a sweet baby, he mused as he prodded one chubby cheek. Too sweet to be his enemy one day, too sweet to die with their family. 

It was their eyes that made his decision for him. Kind eyes without a trase of fear, just trust. Like his little Dorthey.

Well, it wasn’t like he was below a little kidnapping. 

Ozpin placed a hand over the baby’s head and whispered a spell in their ear. The child went limp in his arms, sinking into sleep. They were young enough not to need a memory spell, thankfully; Ozpin didn’t know if he’d be able to case one anyway with his limited magic. 

He’d have to redecorate his castle, he realized as giddiness rose in him. There weren’t any rooms suitable for a nursery. It must be close to his own quarters too, so he could look after them. He could try to make a nanny-Grimm, for when he was too busy? But Grimm were instinctual creatures; even if he ordered them all not to harm the child - which he definitely would - there was a chance for error. Besides, he didn’t want to lose a valuable creature if their silver eyes activated. 

Maybe he could have Watts create a robot nanny? Hazel could babysit while he got it done…

The door behind him slammed open. “Ruby!!” Ozpin stood calmly as Qrow Branwen and his sister, Raven Branwen, rushed into the room. 

So, his new daughter’s name was Ruby. A pretty name. It suited her. 

It took the Branwens a second to comprehend what was in front of them. He was sure it was rather shocking to them, being slaves to Salem’s whim, seeing their worst enemy not only in their house, but holding one of their children. His heart truly went out to them. 

But, they were between him and the exit…

Raven’s face twisted with fury, drawing her katana. “Put her down,” she snarled. 

Ozpin cocked an eyebrow. “No.” If anything, she should be grateful that he never set Ruby down. If it wasn’t for her, everyone in the house would be dead by now.

The twins didn’t seem to like that answer. They readied their weapons, with both Raven and Qrow about to-

Raven and Qrow…

Raven and Crow…

Ozpin smirked and a wave of magic erupted from his body and slammed into the Branwens. Lightning flashed through the window as the two collapsed, coughing desperately. Raven’s face was a mix of pain and hatred as her bones crunched and grinded against each other.  

Qrow Branwen collapsed to his knees, holding his throat. “What- What did you do-!?” He spat out a mass of feathers.

Ozpin smiled. “I thought it funny for you two to… resemble your name-sakes a tad more.” They couldn’t stop their screams as their bodies contorted grotesquely, though Raven certainly tried to keep silent. Within minutes, the Branwen twins had been transformed into birds, a raven and a crow, he thought with sick delight. 

TW: death, murder, vomiting, planned murder, drugging a drink

It all started with the invitation to the reunion dinner party.  No, if Logan was being honest it started long before that, it started back with Roman’s murder 6 years ago.  

If Talyn had just kept their cool he wouldn’t be in this situation.  Discredited from his job because the press somehow got word on why they all might have wanted to kill Roman, having to rely on Patton of all people to get work. How embarrassing.  He didn’t want to rely on anyone, and now he had no choice.   All because of that night.

Which is why when Logan got Virgil’s invitation to the ‘Reunion Dinner Party’, Logan realized his opportunity.  Talyn had just been released from jail, so there was a good chance they would show up to the party.  Logan didn’t have anything to lose if it went wrong anyway.  Talyn had taken that away when they had killed Roman. 

Talyn had killed Roman at a dinner party, it would only be fair to do the same to them.  It might be easier to pin it on one of the others that way as well, after all, there’s no way he was the only one with a grudge against Talyn. Especially if Remus ended up coming, Talyn did kill his brother after all.

Of course, that meant he was limited to what was in Virgil’s house to kill Patton, using anything else might point to him if the weapon wasn’t already there.  He had been over at Virgil’s enough times that he knew where everything was.  From the weapons he kept in his bedroom to the ipecac syrup Virgil had started buying 6 years ago after Roman was killed in case he was poisoned.

Fortunately for Logan, Virgil’s paranoid nature would probably work in his favor.  He wasn’t completely sure he would have been able to pull this off if he weren’t so afraid someone would attack him.

However, in the middle of his planning, Logan realized something.  Did he really want to get away with it? Once he killed them, he didn’t have anything to lose.  He glanced around his jail-like apartment.  He had lived here ever since he had been disgraced from his old job, not being able to afford his house anymore.

Maybe it would be better for him if he turned himself in.  ...No, he wouldn’t do that.  That would make it too easy.  He may turn himself in if caught, but he wouldn’t make it so easy as to turn himself in.  That didn’t mean he couldn’t...nudge the detectives who would be investigating in the right direction, however.  He could even make it a little game for the detectives.

And with that figured out, Logan had a plan.  And by the night of the dinner party, everything was ready. 

Logan arrived on time, making sure he would have enough time to get everything he needed to for his plan together.  Of course, he ended up arriving at the same time as Thomas...and Talyn.  Logan hid how he truly felt as he said his greetings.  He didn’t want Talyn to know before he acted later tonight.

It didn’t take too long for everyone else to arrive, even Patton getting there only 10 minutes after that start time. 

Logan slipped off to the bathroom downstairs while the others were doing some sort of tarot reading.  He didn’t believe in any of that bullshit that Talyn tried to pull off as fortune-telling. Slipping into the bathroom, he immediately opened the cabinet.  Just like it was last time he was here, the ipecac syrup was in there.  Logan grabbed it and slipped it into his pocket.

Logan was 90 percent sure they would have a toast later.  All he would have to do was set aside one of the drinks for Talyn.  Even if someone noticed, with Dolos going sober a few years back, they would assume he was just putting a drink aside for him.

Just before Logan turned to leave the bathroom, he overheard some argument break out.  He wasn’t sure what they were arguing about, but it sounded like Virgil and Talyn.  Logan left to go see what it was, but by the time he got there, they had already stopped fighting.

Well, whatever they were fighting about probably wasn’t too important.  Plus them fighting would only give him someone else they would look at when the detectives finally arrived.

Between the argument and dinner, nothing else major really happened.  Logan interacted with the others some, even interacting with Talyn to throw people off.

But the next notable thing happened after dinner. Earlier, Virgil and a few of the others had suggested a toast after dinner.

And of course, Logan, knowing it was the only way for his plan to work, offered to help Virgil with the drinks.  Virgil looked grateful, not knowing the true reason Logan had offered.

Logan nodded a bit, thinking more of the poison in his pocket than the drinks.  As they started getting the drinks ready, Logan waited until Virgil wasn’t paying attention before slipping the syrup, and the syringe to measure the syrup out of his pocket.  Logan quickly and carefully measured it before slipping it into a drink and setting it to the side, as well as slipping both the syrup and syringe back in his pocket, the syrup to be put back in the bathroom later.

As they brought the drinks back in, Logan made sure that the poisoned drink was given to Talyn.

After they did the toast, Logan hid his smile in his drink as he noticed Talyn drink all of their glass.  They did look strangely at it for a second, and Logan had been slightly afraid they wouldn’t keep drinking it, but they drank it anyway, starting the timer for when the poison would take effect.  Logan guessed Talyn was too worried about how everyone would react to them being here after the last dinner party with all of them to really worry about their drink tasting a little strange. 

Soon after the toast was finished, Logan noticed Virgil started to collect the dirty plates and glasses to do the dishes.  Logan quickly offered his help.  If anyone else washed that glass they could find the residue in the glass.  Thomas offered to help too, but as long as he was the one washing the glass, it would be fine.

What Logan wasn’t expecting was for a fight to break out between Dolos and Talyn while they were washing the dishes.  

Of course Logan used it to his advantage, taking the time where Virgil and Thomas were distracted, between Thomas going to see what the fight was about and Virgil going to check on Talyn, to snip the phone line in the kitchen.  He was back in position to finish the dishes before either of them realized something was going on.

After they were done, Logan made sure everyone was distracted before excusing himself.  He first made a stop in the bathroom to drop the poison back off, Remus had just headed up anyways and he needed to give him some time.  But as soon as he was done dropping the poison off in the bathroom, Logan headed upstairs. 

Considering Logan hadn’t run into Remus yet, he figured it would be better to just duck into the study until he was sure Remus was downstairs.  Joan may have been upstairs as well but they would probably be too far asleep to hear anything going on.

Now, he didn’t want to make it too easy for anyone so he figured it would be easiest to mess with the security system.  It was a good thing he had interned there for a bit, even if it ended up being useless otherwise.  And tonight, it was good for ruining any more footage on the cameras tonight.

It only took a few minutes to scramble the cameras and after that Logan just snipped the phone wire as he waited and listened for Remus to head back downstairs.

It took a bit, though Logan heard one set of footsteps head to the bathroom meaning Talyn would be right in position.  The other set of footsteps, most likely Remus, was heading downstairs.  The second Logan heard the telltale creak of the stairs he left the study and headed to the master bedroom to grab the bat.  It would be the easiest weapon to use and replace after all.

Logan smiled as he noticed that Talyn hadn’t even closed the door as he could see the door was wide open and hear Talyn as they puked over the toilet.  This would be too easy.  Logan quietly stepped in, so as not to alert Talyn to his presence. And just as quiet Logan raised the bat and swung 3 times as hard as he could, hitting Talyn in the head, to knock them unconscious, the neck, and the spine.  

After he finished, Logan leaned down to check Talyn’s pulse.  He smirked as he couldn’t find any trace of one.  Perfect.

Logan glanced around the room and sighed.  Between the blood and the vomit, Logan would have to do some serious cleaning up.  Looking down it appeared he hadn’t gotten any on himself.  Good.  

First things first, Logan put on a pair of gloves and cleaned the bat. He would need to put the bat back in Virgil’s room so as not to make anyone suspicious.  Logan also cleaned Talyn’s body a bit, mainly to get rid of any sign of the vomit.

After he was finished, Logan picked up the body and the bat and carried them to the main bedroom.  Logan made sure to walk carefully as Joan was sleeping in the room nearby.  Joan may not have been a light sleeper, but if Logan was too loud and they woke up it would ruin the whole plan.  

Good thing Logan was good at moving quietly.  He was easily able to deposit Talyn’s body in the bathroom.  As he placed the bat back he noticed it was splintered slightly, obviously from the murder.  Well that would be one further clue for the detectives on the case.

As Logan left the master bedroom, he could hear Remus from downstairs.  It was faint, but it was still loud enough for him to hear.  Logan smirked slightly.  With Remus distracting everyone, it was likely that no one had realized he was gone.  Kind of ironic that the detective was the reason he was getting away with this.

With that, Logan headed back to the bathroom.  He had some cleaning to do if he wanted to throw people off as to where the crime scene was.  The cleaning supplies were all in the bathroom which made Logan’s job all the easier.

Cleaning most of the bathroom wasn’t too hard.  Logan just made sure everything was spotless.  At least until it came to the air freshener. Virgil had two different air fresheners he used when cleaning.  Logan did remember smelling vanilla as he came in behind Talyn but...what if he used another clue.

Something else to clue the detectives in as to what the truth of the matter is.  After debating for a few moments, Logan grabbed the lavender air freshener and used it in the bathroom. After putting away all the cleaning supplies, Logan headed back downstairs. Unfortunately, the stairs did creak on his way down, but it’s not like any of the others could hear it, all of them either talking to the others or distracted by Remus.

Latest Movie Release: I Blame Society

A struggling filmmaker senses her peers are losing faith in her ability to succeed, so she decides to prove herself by finishing her last abandoned film… and committing the perfect murder. Credits: TheMovieDb.

Venezuela: President Maduro says John Bolton planned his murder in 2018

(THIS ARTICLE IS COURTESY OF THE BRAZILIAN NEWS AGENCY 247)

  Maduro says John Bolton planned his murder in 2018

“Everything indicates that John Bolton has a criminal mind, a killer mentality …. I cannot accuse President [Donald] Trump at the moment, but I have every reason to call for an investigation into [Bolton’s] activities.” “the Venezuelan leader told reporter Max Blumenthal

August 7,…

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia  | The Latest: Australia considering Saudi arms sales ban

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia  — The Latest on the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi (all times local):

1:15 p.m.

Australia says a ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia is one of the options it is considering after a journalist was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Australian officials say they are no longer prioritizing a defense industry agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Foreign Affairs Minister…

షాక్‌: శ్రీ‌దేవి ప్రీప్లాన్డ్ మ‌ర్డ‌ర్‌?

https://www.myfirstshow.com/sridevi-pre-planned-murder/