Patronverse Previews - July

Danika and Maya are loose in the British countryside hunting down the trail of the Blue Diesel thief, only for them to find that an old enemy is behind the theft

It’s not the only thing she’s behind as Dronekiller targets Karl Elise and Drakania for assassination

Meanwhile Southern Cross fights a more subtle war as she hears the whispers of the Wishing Demon

Victoria sat on the bed made from gold and topaz, and held her head as she tried to digest the information that her abductor had fed her. To her it seemed like the plot of a bad sixties comic book where the heroes had to team up to defeat an evil that couldn’t be beaten by anyone person. The only problem besides that she was living it was, that if she was first pick, in what state would the four other members be in.

“You worry and rightfully so.” A voice whispered, one that caused a chill to run down Victoria’s back, something that rarely happened when she was dressed in her Southern Cross uniform. In fact it had only happened once before in his presence. “Ah so you do remember me, I’m touched.” The voice whispered.

“You’re not here, I wrote you out of existence!” Victoria snarled, her voice causing one of the black jaguars sleeping in the corner of the room to open its eyes and yawn lazily before turning over onto its back.

“That would be true if I were a mere construct created by your beautiful mind.” The voice purred, as Victoria looked over to the other side of the room before getting off the bed and walking over to the pool Onca had disappeared into. Looking down she saw her reflection had changed to resemble a man dressed in blue tinged samurai armour, a wicked looking sword covered in demonic runes slung across his back.

“Wishing Demon!!” Victoria snarled. “I don’t have the need or time to listen to you!” She added, as she turned back to the bed, only to find herself standing under the water of the pool, her eyes orientated up to the form of the Wishing Demon staring down at her.

“You will very soon. You’ll be forced to make a decision and in that moment of potential, you will turn to me.” The Wishing Demon hissed, as Victoria erupted from the pool, her costume soaked, the chain of stars wrapped round her neck burning. “And in that moment you will simultaneously save the world and destroy it in a single action.”

The Ledger of Destiny has been recording human history since the dawn of time

So imagine what would happen if such a thing was under the control of a demon?

The Wishing Demon does, and he’ll stop at nothing to get his hands on it!

The figure dressed in silver samurai armour sat in the crystal lined cave as the tall Chinese man dressed in a green tunic and blue trousers brought a silver tray and a teapot and two cups from the nearby desk of stone. Bowing, each of the two men took a cup and poured tea into each-others cup, before both taking a long sip.

“I know why you have come to my refuge Demon, and you will find that I, like my predecessor will not fulfil your request, no matter how noble you mask your true intentions.” The Chinese man stated, as the demon in silver armour stole a glance towards the lectern carved from mammoth tusk and the massive leather tome sitting on-top of it.

“I still must ask Scribe, you know that neither the hands of a mortal nor an immortal can change the ledger, but one caught between, one such as you Xi LI, you can change the world with a single word.” The Demon hissed, as Li put down his cup and crossed his arms, a stern look spread across his face.

“And you know that it is my duty to ensure that such a thing doesn’t happen.” Li replied. “You have no power here, your wishes are no temptation to me, and your hand hasn’t enough strength to slay me. “I will tell you what I told the British, the Japanese, the Soviets and the Maoists, my answer is no.”

“There must be something you need, some little piece of luxury you required?” The Demon asked, just as a trio of house sparrows flew into the cave and landed on Li’s shoulders, their chirping song filling the air.

“I need no comfort, the knowledge that my duty serves to keep Earth in balance is all I require.” Li replied, as he held out his hand so a sparrow could hop down onto his palm. “Still…”

“Yes?”

“Still I must thank you for the conversation.” Li answered, his words causing anger to twist the face behind the demon’s mask into an even more hideous grimace. “But I must ask that once you’ve finished your tea that you leave.”

“Have a care Scribe!!” The Demon snarled, his courteous silver tongue replaced with one of pure malice. “Should I leave here without control of the ledger then you and I will be at war!!”

“Then we are at war.” Li answered calmly. “You aren’t the first to threaten me, and I’m certain you won’t be the last.”

Returning from a one shot, Nemacyst makes her début in her own solo series!

Of course we still have to determine if she’s a friend or foe to humanity

She’s not the only dweller of the deep lurking in this series as a salvage ship awakens an ancient evil from the sea bed.

The Leviathan Heavy Marine Salvage Ship known as the Wave Cutter anchored off the coast of the Solomon Islands, the choppy seas and lashing rain causing torrents of water to wash across the deck. Emerging from the bridge the captain, a heavily built dark skinned man with a greying beard stepped out, his Hawaiian shirt and board shorts covered by a thick yellow jacket, which despite the heavy layer of waterproofing was still letting water through to his skin.

“We’ve reached the co-ordinated Captain Lynch.” One of the crewmen called, as he shivered as he was splashed by the unusually cold water. “Sonar scans show multiple ships down there, no way that we can pick out the Hiei from all the other hulks down there.”

“We’re not diving until the weather clears, I’m not risking lives, and I’m not even going to risk machinery in these conditions.” Lynch ordered, as he looked up just as a flash of lightning struck the tallest point of the Wave Cutter. “I’ve got a terrible feeling in my bones about this storm, there is something unnatural about it.” He added, as a sailor emerged from the bridge behind him, a worried look on her face.

“Sir we have a disturbance on the seabed, we think it might be a sea-quake.” The woman stated, causing Lynch to head back inside and race to the monitor, the depth readings fluctuating as if the seabed was rising and lowering, the derelict ships resting on the ocean floor slipping and sliding with every shudder.

“Haul anchor, if the sea-bed collapses then it will drag us down with it.” Lynch ordered, as a chunk of sea-bed rose at an exponential rate. Looking out the portside window, Lynch and the rest of the crew of the Wave Cutter watched as a rusted 1940s torpedo boat was flung out of the water and slammed into the deck, the sheer impact causing the ship to shudder. “Damage Report NOW!!” Lynch yelled, as he headed back out onto deck, the front end of the ship buckled at the torpedo boats impact site.

“New contact sir!!” The sonar operator yelled, as something large impacted with the Wave Cutter, a metal prow slashing through the Wave Cutter’s hull and up into the deck, the faint name Hiei emblazoned on the intruding ship. “Captain?!” She called as the Wave Cutter was dragged down in an instant, the water pressure crashing through the reinforced windows and flooding the hull in an instant.

The people of Xibalba are starving and on the verge of rebellion, one that will ravage the entire planet.

With a millennium’s worth of resources wasted in a failed invasion, the Lords of Xibalba turn to their newest member Onca to find a new food source.

Cue a rain of blood as the Jaguar goddess and her compatriots return to Earth in a vain attempt to save themselves

Swearing and screaming Spanish the guards sprinted down the stairs, away from the creeping darkness that uncannily lapped at their heels. Reaching the ground floor, one of them ducked into the kitchen and grabbed the suitcase of money from the worktop, before returning to the hallway, only to see a bloody figure dressed in a leather corset and skirt with inhuman feline like eyes catch his friend and slash his throat open.

“Devil get back!!” The man yelled, as he removed the crucifix on a chain from his neck and thrust it at the monster standing before him. Rolling her eyes Onca licked the blood off her nails before standing to one side to reveal flames dancing along the ceiling and walls. Shilouetted against them was a massive figure, easily eight foot tall, a five foot long razor carved from obsidian and hilted in bone in his hand, his body clothed in the tanned skin of human victims, a mask formed from a skull placed over his face. “God if you can hear me, please smite these wicked things and save me, I promise to live a clean life, a life dedicated to others.”

“Hilarious Itzel, the mortal prays to a man he doesn’t believe in.” The man with the razor cackled, his voice echoed by an inhuman whisper from the flames dancing across the roof. “If only he knew the names of the lords and ladies he is in the presence of, he might realise that the gods are here, and they have need of him.”

“You…you need me?” The man gasped as he gripped the crucifix even tighter.

“Yes I’m afraid, even a filthy drug dealer has a purpose in our survival.” Onca purred in an almost kind voice. “You have a choice, my talon’s or Bulac’s blade.”

“Wh…what?” The man asked as he dropped the suitcase he had grabbed. “What?”

“May I Lady?” Bulac asked, as he hefted his weapon into a striking position just as their potential victim drew a sidearm from a shoulder holster and fired, a single shot sounding, the round hitting Bulac in the chest. Seconds later the man’s body collapsed, his torso falling forwards now separated from his abdomen.

“Is he still alive, we need to drain his flood to make this place our home.” A voice whispered, as the flames coalesced into a humanoid figure formed of rippling silver flame save for two dark holes that served as the god’s eyes.

“He is Ak’b’ai.” Onca replied, as she propped both parts of the drug-dealers body up against a wall. “If anyone wants to leave then now is the time to do it.” She added, as three more figures appeared from other parts of the house.

“It is agreed.” A scratchy voice, one that sounded like stones rubbing against each other stated, as its owner, a giant formed of stones along with the other gods each took a plastic cup and filled it with the whimpering drug dealers blood. “To saving Xibalba, Earth and ourselves.”

The 121^st Irregulars are on point to take out a secret German chemical weapons programme

Too bad the factory is guarded by actual soldiers who understand what teamwork is

And who is the figure dressed in rags, and why is Drakania afraid of him?

A unit of Italian Soldiers walked down the street towards the ferry flanking the young red haired woman dressed in a boiler suit, the figure clad entirely in oil soaked rags save for a hole where his face should be and the massive bodyguard armed with both a short-sword slung across his back and a pistol on his hip, as the group headed for a ferry packed to the gunwales with more troops, all armed to the teeth.

“So that looks like the main event.” Thomas growled, as he rotated the camera he’d attached to the roof of the building that the 121^st Irregulars were hidden on. “Anyone have any idea what we’re dealing with here?”

“And yet you still claim to be the smartest member of this team.” Ray sneered, as he dared to creep to the edge of the rooftop. “Luckily for you the machine I brought on-board the Nocturne should have the names of those faces in only a few minutes.” He added, as the sword wielding soldier helped the woman to step onto the ferry. “Of course that means nothing if we can’t track their boat to the correct island.”

I wouldn’t worry about that Raymond.” Aura purred as she sent a few dancing slithers of light running between her fingers as she and Karl tried to calm Drakania down, the woman still twitching and cowering in the corner. “They have a radio that uses the same mystic waves as the aroura, I can track those waves to their very source.”

“It won’t matter if the coloured girl gives away out position by her screaming.” Steel snarled quietly as he glowered over at his teammates in the corner. “Make her be quiet or I snap her neck.”

“She’s just a child plus she’s frightened.” Karl replied, as Ray moved back from the edge of the rooftop. “And to be honest I can feel it too, there is some kind of feeling of dread hanging over the city, almost as if something evil has come to town and made itself at home.”

“You may be right, I have IDs on the big guy and the woman, and they are Genaro Capello and Cecilia Borgia.” Ray explained. “He goes by the alias Gladiator due to his fondness of fighting and murdering prisoners in the ring, and she…oh my…she’s one of those Borgias.”

“You mean the poisoners of ancient times?” Karl asked.

“Yes, except this one has a degree in chemistry from Cambridge University.” Ray answered. “As for raggy, since I can’t see his face, my invention can’t determine who it is. “Maybe another bodyguard, or possibly a German chemical weapons expert sent by Berlin to inspect the progress of the weapon development.”

“We’ll be introduced soon enough.” Steel snorted. “The faster we deal with the Germans, the sooner I can get back to fighting more important battles, far away from freaks like you.”