Author's Note:
I hope you enjoy the big showdown! Thanks so much, as always, for your continued readership, reviews, and kind messages!
Bad ending.
Karl stared in shock for what felt like a whole minute, but was likely only a couple of seconds, his mind screaming at him to run, but he was too stunned by what had just happened to even move. Springtrap, the vicious undead killer, had broken right out of Karl's restraints and in so doing had knocked over the table and trays in his chamber, sending his old, rusty hand-crank clattering to the floor.
Karl could not believe it, it could not be happening. How could everything be going so wrong, he wondered. As soon as Springtrap started to move forward toward him, however, Karl regained control of himself, stood up, and sprinted for the exit. There was no way that he could beat such a strong machine in a fight. He had to escape.
"Not so fast." Karl heard Springtrap mutter from behind him, but Karl ignored it. As he reached the small staircase that led to the main elevator, he was confronted by a dark, tall, grim figure standing on the stairs. Its image was so dark, it took Karl half a second to recognize it as a withered version of the old Foxy the Pirate animatronic. For another split second, Karl wondered what on Earth it could have been doing there, when the machine lunged at him with an ear-splitting scream.
Karl shrieked and fell backwards, throwing his hands up to defend himself, but no impact came. It was not until he opened his eyes that he realized that he had just experienced the same kind of hallucination that Salina had described having when the ventilation system failed at Fazbear's Fright.
In the time that he had been distracted by this vision, however, Springtrap had all but closed the gap between them. Springtrap was already bending over to grab Karl, so he no longer had time to stand up. He rolled sharply to his left as quickly as possible, barely eluding Springtrap's grasp, but placing Springtrap between Karl and the exit.
This was bad.
Karl now had only two ways to go. This bunker was not a simple fallout shelter meant for a single family; it had been designed for military applications. He had only visited two of the rooms so far, the security office and the observation chamber where he had kept Springtrap this week, but there were many other old hallways, offices, and storage areas. Now, Karl could either head deeper into the dim and unfamiliar labyrinth of the bunker, or head into the observation chamber, where he would be cornered quickly. There was only one choice, and Karl scrambled up and into the halls.
As strong as Springtrap was, he could not cover ground quite as quickly as Karl could. Most of the bunker's lights had burned out, but a few old fluorescent lighting fixtures were still flickering, adding an eerie glow to the whole place. It was just bright enough to be able to tell where the walls were while being dark enough that every shadow seemed to have a life of its own, a hole that could hold nearly any threat.
After a couple of random turns in an attempt to lose Springtrap's sight, Karl ducked into an old office. All that remained in it were a bare metal table and a couple of matching chairs. Most of the equipment and documentation had been removed decades ago. Karl crouched near the doorway hoping to be able to hear if Springtrap was approaching, but surprisingly, he heard nothing. No sound of footsteps whatsoever. He only heard the sound of his own labored breathing and the sound of his heart beating heavily in his chest as Karl desperately attempted to stifle his breath and calm down.
Karl was grateful that, at least for the immediate moment, he appeared to be safe. He tried to think. How could he possibly defeat something so strong? Also, he knew that he would be wise not to underestimate Springtrap's intellect. Karl tried to think of any weaknesses that Springtrap had.
Karl remembered that Springtrap appeared to be limited to the functions of his robotic body. As Karl had learned from Salina, he seemed unable to resist his programming in certain cases. He could not do anything that the machine, itself, could not do. Springtrap could not function except between midnight and 6:00. He could not resist following the sound of a child's voice, even when he knew it was just a recording. He was made of thick, heavy metal, but he had some limitations.
That metal was ridiculously strong, if Karl was not careful, it could easily crush him, just like...
That's it! The suit killed Vincent when it snapped back into animatronic mode, and now Vincent's soul was controlling it as an animatronic, limited to doing only what the animatronic, itself, can do. If Karl could turn it back into a suit, then Springtrap would be incapable of moving. The human body inside was no longer controlling anything. Karl just needed the hand-crank.
The good news was that he knew exactly where it was. The bad news was that, unless Springtrap had moved it, it was inside the observation chamber. If Karl went back there, he would be cornered. Ideally, he would get there, grab the hand-crank, and then sneak up on Springtrap to use it.
Karl remembered where the socket was for it. He remembered Vincent telling him about it. It was in the back of the left leg... or was it the right? Damn. Karl would just have to guess and hope he was right. Springtrap would not give him a second chance.
First, however, Karl would have to get back to the observation chamber, but how? He would have to make sure that Springtrap could not see him as he went back, but where was he? Karl had not heard him follow, but surely Springtrap would not just be waiting back at the entrance. They both knew that all Karl had to do to survive was to wait for 6:00 and then leave. Springtrap had to have a plan for eliminating Karl before then. Karl gulped and tried again to slow his breathing and pulse in order to listen more closely for movement.
"THERE YOU ARE!" The voice came clear through the public address speakers in one of the upper corners of the office. Karl could not help but let out a yelp before clutching his hands to his face.
"I admit it took some experimentation before I was able to figure out the controls to this security office. It is much different from the horror attraction where I met Miss... Bone was it?"
Springtrap was speaking to Karl through the speaker system, but Karl wondered if Springtrap could really see him or if he was just bluffing.
"Well, I could just leave you here, you know. I could even break this elevator and trap you down here forever if I wanted. The night is still young, Karl. I could leave this place and be free. There is plenty of time left for me to find many other victims while you huddle here in the darkness, you coward."
Karl could not deny anything that Springtrap was saying. Karl couldn't help but feel guilty and deeply ashamed for having allowed this to go so wrong.
"Worry not, Karl. I am not going to do that, at least not yet." Springtrap's voice then changed, sounding deeper and even more sinister "I am going to find you, first, Karl. I do not like to leave anything unfinished. I am going to hunt you down and finish you. This bunker is where you die, Karl. Right now, I can see you. I can see you in office... 2A it appears, the second door on the right going down the far hall."
Karl looked up at the doorframe and felt his blood run cold as he observed the sign "2A".
"I will be coming for you, Karl, but you must ask yourself: 'when?'. Maybe I will stay at this console after I turn off the microphone, just to see to where you run before leaving to come catch you. Or maybe I will leave right away. Maybe you should stay in that office for a few minutes... or maybe you had better run while you have the chance. Of course, you could also just run around the bunker wildly, then I would be certain to find you easily! Yes... run like a chicken with its head cut off. Ha, ha, ha!"
Karl heard the microphone cut off, and then noticed that he was hyperventilating. His vision was blurring into a tunnel, and his fingers were tingling, going numb.
No, no, no! This can't be happening! Karl thought to himself.
Springtrap was, above all else, a sadist. He enjoyed causing panic in Karl. In order to win, Karl had to keep his wits about him. Springtrap was not entirely correct about Karl not knowing when Springtrap would be coming for him. Springtrap's steps were heavy. Karl would be able to hear them, as long as he was able to avoid panicking. Karl just needed to wait for those first heavy footfalls and then carefully, as quietly as possible, make his way out of the office and around Springtrap's location in order to get back to the observation room to grab the hand-crank.
Karl took deep, slow breaths and waited. It was not long, after all, before he heard the distant "whump" sound of Springtrap moving out into the hallways toward him. Karl slowly raised himself to a crouching position and moved out of the office. He made his way further away from the security office, hoping desperately that he would find a side corridor and not a dead end.
Karl lucked out, finding a side corridor that allowed him to get back around behind Springtrap, who was likely just about to where Karl had originally been hiding.
Karl got back to the security office where the lights were still bright, and the camera console was still up.
Karl glanced at it to confirm his previous suspicion. The time was 1:00, and Springtrap was, indeed, in the same office where Karl had been hiding a moment before. Springtrap was just starting to grab the table there, presumably to lift it up to look for Karl. Karl decided he had no time to sit and watch Springtrap wander around. It was time to get that hand-crank.
But wait, Karl thought to himself. I'm right here by the exit. I could just escape now.
Karl briefly considered the potential threat posed by Springtrap if he managed to get out, too, but decided that he could not bear to deal with that. It was too dangerous to try to shut him down here. Karl decided that he would just escape, and wait for another day to deal with whatever happened as a result.
Karl ran up the stairs to the elevator platform and pressed the elevator call button.
Nothing happened.
What?! Karl wondered, shocked and starting to panic again.
Karl hit the button several more times, but nothing happened at all. The door did not open, but he could hear air in a hollow chamber just beyond the door. The elevator wasn't there.
Has someone called it? I'm the only one here. I'm the only one who knows about this place, so...
Did Springtrap somehow get out while I wasn't looking?! Did he take the elevator up? Did he break it like he said? Oh, god! Maybe he broke it, trapping me down here forever!
Shakily, Karl returned to the security office to check the cameras again, to see if he could spot Springtrap again. Karl did see Springtrap, but not on the cameras. Springtrap was there standing in the doorway from the security office to the rest of the corridors in the base. Karl was trapped!
He only had one option left. With the elevator out of commission and with Springtrap blocking the path to the other halls, Karl dove into the observation chamber, elated to find that the rusty, old hand-crank was still right there on the floor where Springtrap had left it.
Karl could hear Springtrap charging after him, but Karl was entirely focused on grabbing that hand-crank, no matter what. He picked it up just as Springtrap was about to catch up to him from behind.
Karl quickly sidestepped, ducking to his left. Springtrap, being more massive, was unable to stop and turn as quickly, and with that, Karl finished his full rotation, ending up just behind Springtrap's left leg, with the hand-crank firmly in hand.
That was it! The socket for the hand-crank was right there! Falling to his knees, Karl quickly plunged the hand-crank's geared teeth into the socket.
"What?! What are you-" Springtrap felt something amiss as he turned to see what Karl was doing around his leg.
Now was his chance! Karl gripped the handle so hard he bruised his hand and pushed with all his might to twist the hand-crank, to retract the machine parts in Springtrap's body, to revert him to a helpless suit.
The rusty old hand-crank snapped in half. It never even turned a single notch.
Karl fell forward on his face with the broken-off handle in his hand.
Both Karl and Springtrap remained still for a moment, stunned at this turn of events.
"HA! HA, HA, HA!" Springtrap laughed as he bent down and reached for Karl's neck.
Karl tried to squirm away, but it was too late. He was captured. Springtrap lifted him up to his own eye level.
"Oh, Karl. Bravo! I admit, that was a clever strategy you had there."
Springtrap hurled Karl into the remnants of the table that had been in this room. Karl's head violently struck the table, slamming both him and the table itself into the concrete wall behind them. Karl was dizzy, unable to stand.
Springtrap walked over and, using his left hand, picked Karl up by the neck again.
Panicking, desperate, unable to see or think straight, Karl begged, "P-please! Don't-"
"HA, HA, HA, HA! 'PLEASE'?! I guess that you are OUT of clever strategies, so you have reverted to stupid ones. How disappointing. You... of all people... should know that will get you nowhere with me."
Karl began to sob, "No, I- I don't wanna die!"
"Oh, is that so? Well, then I cannot fathom why you did everything that you did here, Karl. This fate is entirely of your making. You know that, right?"
Karl gasped for air as Springtrap squeezed a little tighter.
"You are the one who came down here alone with me, who made certain that we were in a place where no one could get a signal in or out. YOU are the one who put me in flimsy fetters, without doing any research to determine how strong I was. My previous captor was at least cautious enough to use a massive amount of heavy steel chains."
With his right arm, Springtrap grabbed one of Karl's hands, squeezing it until the bones began to break, causing Karl to scream in pain. "YOU are the one who kept TAUNTING me, when you KNEW that I have KILLED over less! You called me that awful name, you DARED to claim that YOU were in control. AND, perhaps in your STUPIDEST move of all, you TOLD me when you were planning to kill me, and you told me at the beginning of the night, ensuring that I would have as much time as possible to break free and put you down.
"AAAAAGH!" Karl screamed in pain, just recovering himself long enough to speak, "But, ah, wait, Spr- Vincent! Maybe I can help you! We can-"
"Oh, spare me any more, Karl. As curious as I might be to hear what laughable scenario you try to spin in a desperate attempt to save your miserable life, my time is, in fact, limited, and I have several things I want to do after I kill you before I shut down for the day."
Karl sobbed, unable to think of anything, the pain from his head and hand searing through his mind, rendering him incapable of resisting.
"I did enjoy telling you my story, Karl. I honestly did, but our time is at an end. I just wanted you to know, Karl. I wanted you to know that this... is all... your... fault. I just wanted that to be your last thought. Goodbye, Karl."
Lifting Karl higher up into the air, and pressing him firmly against the wall, Springtrap raised his right hand in a fist and slammed it into Karl's chest, crushing his ribcage and bursting his heart. Springtrap then let go, and Karl fell to the floor dead.
Author's Note:
Well, that's the end of Karl's story! I hope that you all enjoyed the ride! :D
Please let me know what you thought! I welcome your comments and constructive criticism. I appreciate everyone who has read and reviewed!
Have a wonderful day!