Angelo stepped through the portal, feeling the power drain away from his sword. He gazed at the structure before him, a hurricane of mixed emotions swirling through his head.

Before him stood the Smash Mansion in all its glory, the residence of 80 plus legendary Fighters from various dimensions.

Angelo sighed as the portal closed behind him. His fondest memories had been made within those walls. His closest friends were in there right now.

And his love…

He shook his head. He'd had to leave all that behind. They'd demanded that he'd be cast out so they wouldn't have to worry about his unmatched skill in battle. They were no longer his friends. They were now his enemies.

That was the thought that drove him as he forced himself to walk towards the Mansion.

Eventually, Angelo stood in front of the doors that led inside. He remembered with perfect clarity the day he'd joined the Mansion, joined the other Fighters. Master Hand had worked his magic on him and officially made him a Fighter. For years, he'd been happy…

And then, just a year ago, everything changed.

Angelo shook his head again. Enough, he thought to himself. Gotta move.

He placed his hand on the doorknob and started to turn it.

A sound like the world's largest finger snap sounded behind him.

Angelo knew that sound.

"And what," said a deep voice behind him, "do you think you're doing, outsider?"

Angelo wasn't even scared. He turned slowly and faced the floating white gloved hand in front of him.

Master Hand.

"Hey!" he said cheerfully. "I, uh, was wondering if I…if I could join you guys! This place looks amazing!"

Master Hand shifted. "Ho ho! You wish to become a Fighter?"

Angelo nodded. "Yeah, for sure!"

The master of the Smash Mansion chuckled. "Oh, but I cannot just allow you to become a Fighter. Not anyone can receive that honor. In order to join the other Fighters in the Mansion, you must prove yourself!"

Angelo laughed. He knew this was coming. He remembered this from the first time he joined the Mansion. "What do I need to do?"

Master Hand snapped his fingers, and a dark figure appeared. It was a shadow version of Lucina, one of the Fighters.

"Battle! Show me your skills! Only then will you be able to join us!"

The shadow Lucina drew her sword and charged. Angelo didn't even hesitate as he summoned his own sword and lunged forward to meet her.

Their blades met with a loud clang! and Angelo jumped back. Normally, he'd start analyzing his opponent's fighting style and adapt accordingly. That's how he'd managed to become so good at battling. This time, he didn't need to since he'd already fought Lucina in the past.

Of course, he couldn't exactly say that or fight like he did know that.

He blocked a few strikes from the shadow Lucina, then pretended to be surprised as she slashed horizontally at his midsection. He gasped and jumped back at the last second, feigning extreme relief when the attack missed, and continued defending himself as the shadowy clone continued hammering him with attacks.

At last, it was time to pick up the pace a little. Angelo started going on the offensive, not giving the shadow Lucina a chance to breathe as he started forcing her back with his onslaught (did shadow clones need to breathe?).

Finally, Angelo decided to end the fight with something he'd never done before. He spun around with a flourish with his sword and thrust the blade into the shadow Lucina's chest. Her dark face was blank of emotion as she looked down at her new body piercing.

She disappeared in a poof of black smoke.

"Impressive!" Master Hand said. "You definitely have the skills to be a Fighter!"

Angelo grinned. He didn't need to be reminded of his skill with the blade, but he still appreciated the compliment.

"You have proven that you are skilled enough to join the Fighters of the Smash Mansion! Well done, sir!"

Angelo nodded. He'd done all this before, so he knew what was coming next.

Master Hand pointed a single finger at Angelo, and a small ball of light appeared at the tip. The light floated up to Angelo and went into his chest.

Physically, nothing appeared to happen to Angelo, but he knew what this meant. He'd just been suffused with the magic of the Smash dimension. This meant that he could now fight in Smash Battles without fear of injury. It was protection against weapons like swords and spears as well as brutal, physical attacks. It was how the Fighters could battle the way they did without dying.

"Congratulations!" Master Hand announced. "You are now…a Fighter!"

Even though this was his second time doing this, Angelo felt a sense of elation. Shade's disguise had worked. Master Hand didn't recognize him.

And if the master of the Smash Mansion didn't know who he was, he was pretty much safe from the rest of the Fighters.

"By the way, what is your name?" Master Hand asked him.

Uh-oh, Angelo thought to himself. He hadn't thought about this.

"My name?" he asked, keeping himself calm. "It's, uh, Leo. I'm a Mii Fighter."

"A Mii Fighter, eh?" Master Hand questioned. "Then you're going to fit right in."

Angelo–no, Leo–nodded. "I have a feeling you might be right."

BEHOLD! MY REAL NAME!

Just kidding, that's not my actual name, and neither is Angelo. How'd you let yourself get pranked twice in one sentence?

So! It would seem our sir has taken on a new identity. Can't believe he just fooled Master Hand like that.

Suffice it to say, he's in. Let's hope he can continue his mission without any…trouble.