The Punisher vs. Deathstroke

Originally published on HeroicUniverse.com http://heroicuniverse.com/saturday-night-main-event-deathstroke-vs-the-punisher/

I wrote this awhile back. This was my favorite.

DEATHSTROKE VS. THE PUNISHER

OVERVIEW

These two are both highly skilled, killing machines. Deathstroke is more skilled when it comes to hand to hand combat, but Punisher is no slouch. A fist fight between these two would be very entertaining.
Both men are easily able to adapt to their surroundings, and can therefore operate in nearly any enviorment from rooftops of the city to the dense jungle.
This is a great match up, with Deathstroke holding a slight edge. Although Punisher's toughness and drive could be just enough to overcome the Terminator.

ARGUMENT FOR DEATHSTROKE

Deathstroke the Terminator (aka Slade Wilson) is a very highly skilled mercenary who can give Batman a run for his money. He is a master martial artist, as well as a master of his weapons of choice; which are mainly guns, broadswords or katannas, and a bo staff. On occasion, Wilson has been known to carry specialized gadgets as weapons such as grappling guns.
Slade was injected with a serum that gives him regenerative powers, as well as nearly superhuman strength and speed.
Deathstroke would be the aggressor in this fight, hunting the Punisher and use his superior fighting skills to take Castle out.

ARGUMENT FOR THE PUNISHER

Frank Castle has been trained in several disciplines of the military. He's served as a marine, completeing

OUTCOME

a jungle. day.

The sun shines through in patches as Deathstroke walks through the trees. He picks his way over fallen trees and ducks under creeping vines, looking for any clues that a man had been this way. A broken branch and partial bootprint tell him he's headed in the right direction.
Deathstroke arrives at a clearing, when something catches his eye. The shining sun reveals a tripwire attached to a land mine buried nearby. He bends to examine and disarm it. 

Suddenly Deathstroke is stuck in the head, his helmet is knocked off and bounces away.
Deathstroke acts on instinct, diving for cover as several more shots fly by, striking a tree. Behind a log, Deathstroke tries to look out for where the shots are coming from, he's able to spot a flash from the rifle in the far distance just before a bullet hits the log just below his face. He leaps over the log with great agility and speed and runs for cover behind a large rock.

Jumping to avoid a rain of bullets, he lands and rolls behind the rock. As he leans up behind the rock, he hears a high-pitched beeping sound. Deathstroke doesn't wait, he's back on his feet as a proximity bomb explodes behind him, throwing him into the underbrush.
About 3 hundred yards away, the Punisher sees the explosion and starts to move his position. So far his plan is working. He's managed to position Deathstroke right in the middle of an obstacle course of booby-traps. The first mine was a decoy, giving Punisher time to line up a shot to take off Deathstroke's helmet; exposing a weak point.

Punisher knows he can't stay in the same sniper position for too long, so he's on the move, trying to keep an eye on Deathstroke's location at the same time. That's not as easy as it sounds. Deathstroke is on the defensive now and will be trying to gain the advantage any way he can. As Punisher is thinking that, another explosion erupts in the distance, now about 175 yards out.

"Damn he's moving fast," thinks Castle. "Hopefully, he's at least wounded."

Punisher crouches for cover amongst a few fallen trees and rocks, his rifle at the ready for the moment Deathstroke's head comes into view.

As he searches for his hiding foe, he senses movement from above. Punisher looks up just in time to see Deathstroke come leaping at him firing a sub machine gun. Punisher is hit across his chest, luckily he's armored, but he's still knocked back. Deathstroke follows up his attack with a strong kick to Punisher's face. Now it's Punisher being knocked into the underbrush. Castle recovers quickly, though, and pulls a high powered machine gun from over his shoulder, spraying a hail of bullets in Deathstroke's direction, but he's gone.

Punisher is back on the search again, this time checking the trees around him. He moves forward cautiously when he's hit in the shoulder by something. It sticks to him and fires off a grappling line. The other end hits a tree, and Castle is lifted off his feet flying towards the tree. He hits it hard and flips around, his body landing in some bushes.

Deathstroke steps out from behind a tree, and draws his bo staff. He slowly walks up to Punisher crawling out of the bushes.

"You're resilient. I'll give you that." says Slade. "That only makes me want to hurt you more."

WIlson twirls his staff and hits Castle across the back, knocking him to the ground and the wind from his lungs. Punisher rolls over as Deathstroke comes down with his staff again, this time Punisher is able to dodge out of the way; pulling a pistol from a holster on his hip, he fires at Deathstroke, who jumps away.

Punisher empties his clip and reloads as Deathstroke comes flipping at him; Deathstroke swings his staff and knocks Punisher's gun away; then the bo comes at Punisher again. This time Punisher is able to get a hold of the staff. Using Slade's momentum against him, he's able to hurl Deathstroke into a tree, the bo staff disappears amongst the strees.

Deathstroke is up quickly though, and Punisher is staring him down. Punisher reaches down, and pulls out an enormous hunting knife. Deathstroke reaches over his shoulder and unsheaths his katanna sword. They start running at each other, blades colliding and throwing up sparks. Deathstroke comes slashing down with his katanna, forcing Punisher to a knee as he blocks the blow with his knife. Deathstroke is too fast for Punisher's defenses and is able to open up a few deep cuts on Punishers arms along with a big gash across his cheek.

Deathstroke attacks again, Punisher is able to block a few more slashes, but the last two cut deep on his shoulder and chest; Deathstroke follows the barrage up with a devestating punch to Castle's jaw and knocking the knife from his hand.

"You really can take a beating." Deathstroke taunts. "But you're only making things worse for yourself."

He swings his katanna at Punisher's head, but Punisher ducks out of the way, grabbing the fallen knife. He lunges at Deathstroke, who dodges the blade, grabs Punisher by the wrist and drives an elbow into Punisher's forearm; breaking his arm. Punisher yells in pain and looks down at his arm, a sharp arm bone is sticking out of the skin.
Punisher falls against a tree, cradling his arm. Deathstroke twirls his katanna and steps in closer.

"I warned you about this. The longer you fight, the more pain you will suffer." He says as he kneels down next to Castle, their faces inches apart.

"Have you had enough?" Deathstroke asks. "Shall I end it quickly? Or should I just leave you here to bleed out and let the animals have you?"

"How's this for enough?!" grunts Punisher, using a burst of adrenaline; he rips off his arm and stabs Deathstroke in the neck with the pointed end!

Deathstroke staggers back, and grabs at the arm sticking out of his neck. He pulls it out of him with blood spurting out of the wound, he puts his hand over to stop it.

"Ahh You fool!" Deathstroke yells. "No more games!"

And with that, Deathstroke takes Punisher's own arm and stabs him through the top of the head with it.

WINNER: DEATHSTROKE