UNIVERSE BOWL VI: CHAPTER VIII: TURMOIL IN THE TIMBERLAND

            “Scan the area,” states the gruff voice behind the viewport.  “This is where we lost communication with Houslander.”

            “Will do,” responds the doughy, bespectacled man behind the controls of the AT-ST.  The driver looks to the figure who stares through the windshield of the vehicle.  The man’s black gear is emblazoned with a white skull.  The Punisher focuses on the site and nods his head at his friend, Microchip.

            “There,” points Microchip to an AT-ST approximately five hundred yards to their left.  “The AT-ST is stationary. . . The scanner indicates that there are no viable life signatures within the vehicle.”

            The mechanized sounds of the large, two footed vehicle shatters the noise of the forest’s inhabitants as it wades through the terrain. 

            “That’s it alright,” says the Punisher.  The vigilante contemplates the issues associated with their current situation. 

            “I’m going to check it out.  You stay in the vehicle.”

            “No problem boss,” responds Microchip.

            The Punisher leaves the AT-ST, guns drawn, and slowly treads toward Houslander’s AT-ST.   He pulls out a grappling hook from his gear strewn belt and throws it, able to secure the metal onto a latch.  The Punisher climbs the rope and shimmies through the broken window.  He instantly notices Houslander’s gruesome body sitting with a hole in her chest.  Curiously, her hand appears to be in rigor, yet in a position that looks as if it is reaching for a middle panel.  The Punisher manages to open the panel and pulls out a green lightsaber.  Although Houslander was unable to use her weapon in her fight, the Punisher will definitely utilize the weapon should he face any foes.

            The Punisher clips the lightsaber to his belt and begins to climb down the rope.  Suddenly, metal, knife-like projectiles slice into him.  The shiny missiles also manage to shred the rope.  The Punisher falls to the ground, but enters into a perfect barrel roll, armed with the lightsaber.  A slightly wounded Punisher uses his inherent skills to deflect the feathers rocketing toward him from Archangel’s wings.  While Archangel is focused on the Punisher, Microchip presses the trigger of the AT-ST.  The blasts hit the initial X-Factor member, throwing him across the forest.  If not for his enhanced metallic wings, the burst of the AT-ST’s cannons would have killed him.  Microchip continues to barrage Archangel, who manages to avoid a majority of the bursts.  While Archangel shuns the weapons of the Empire’s all terrain vehicle, the Batwing soars into the fray and Red Hood begins to fire at the mutant too. 

            The bombardment of both vehicles is too much for Archangel.  Red Hood’s Batwing shoots a harpoon through Archangel’s left leg.  The X-man screams in agony.  The gun’s line begins to coil, bringing Archangel within the vehicle’s weaponry.  In a fit of self-preservation, Archangel uses his wings to cut into his leg and dislodge the harpoon.  Worthington screams again.   While Archangel focused on freeing himself from his predicament, the Punisher empties a high caliber gun into the mutant’s shoulder region.  Archangel falls to the ground, nearly unconscious due to the loss of blood from his leg and shoulder. 

            Only a short time passes as Worthington is aroused to a semi-conscious state.   He looks up to see the lightsabers of both Red Hood and Punisher.  Archangel slowly rises to his knees, pondering an escape from his current position.  He is not afforded the opportunity.  Although enhanced metal, Red Hood uses his blue lightsaber to sever off the right wing of Archangel while Punisher severs off the mutant’s left wing.  Archangel’s head falls between his knees.  The Highness duo, in unison, lops off the head of Archangel with their lightsabers.  The two then look up at Microchip.

             “You know what to do,” says the Punisher into his communication link with the AT-ST.

            A full barrage of lasers crisps the body of Archangel.  As the Punisher and Red Hood begin to walk back to their respective vehicles, the Quinjet flies to the scene, driven by White Suit Anakin Skywalker.  Skywalker jumps from the Avenger’s vehicle and does two flips in the air, landing perfectly on top of the AT-ST.  Skywalker wastes no time in using his lightsaber to cut a hole in the top of the vehicle.  The Jedi then jumps down to the main cabin.  Skywalker slowly paces toward Microchip.  In an instant, a lightsaber pierces Microchip’s heart. 

            “Nooooo!!!!!” scream the Punisher. 

            Skywalker takes control of the vehicle and sends a fusillade of lasers at the duo.  The two jump into the foliage for cover and in return, Skywalker decides to fight his enemy face-to-face.  The Jedi methodically climbs up the ladder and springs from the vehicle to the ground.  The Punisher leaps from the bushes and fires his guns at his foe.  Skywalker easily deflects the bullets.

            The  Punisher unholsters his lightsaber while Red Hood steps from behind a shrub with his lightsaber ignited.  Skywalker paces toward the pair.

            “I may have white armor,” begins Skywalker, “but. . .”

            Skywalker force leaps next to Red Hood and begins to pummel Todd’s attempted defenses. 

             “. . . I. . .”

  
            Skywalker slices Red Hood in two. 

            “. . . am still. . .”

            Skywalker spins around and lops off the head of the Punisher who is immediately next to the Jedi.

            “SKYWALKER!!!”

            The white suited figure looks at the two men, their lightsabers on the ground next to them.  Knowing that he will not have the need to use more than his own, Skywalker walks over the weapons toward the Quinjet.