Chapter 4

Meta Knight vs. Mr. Game & Watch

Meta Knight and Mr. Game & Watch arrive at the bunker that is the Super Smash Bros. habitat. The silhouette known as Mr. Game & Watch beeps and goes up to the attic. Meta Knight looks around for sleeping bags when his shadow becomes more overcast in a swirl. "Do you really think you can trust them?" asks an ominous voice.

Meta Knight gets out his sword and demands, "Who are you? Reveal yourself!"

"Who says I was hiding? I'm right below you."

Meta Knight looks down at his shadow which suddenly stretches on the floor with the head in a double triangular shape as its red eyes open.

"My shadow? No, something else."

"Join me, Meta Knight. I can make you stronger than you've ever been before. All you have to do is pledge your loyalty to me," offers the shadow.

"And why would I do that?"

"You're a knight. Isn't a knight's job to serve their king?"

"Indeed. But you are no king of mine."

"Pity. Well, now seems like a good time to test it."

His long, spindly hand with two claws rises out of the ground and pulls out in a haze of dark fog, a Smash Ball. Only this one was completely dim. "This was a prototype of the Shadow Energy Core. Unfortunately, the results were less than satisfactory. But it will give you a taste," he breaks it, "of the shadows." Out of it, darkness spurts forth and spreads.

When Jeremiah walks out of Head Spikey's office, an agent runs up to him and announces, "The Super Smash Bros. are fighting." "Say what?" questions Jeremiah unable to believe it, considering Meta Knight's behavior. "At the very least, he should have no reason to attack Mr. Game & Watch." He runs on over to the Super Smash Bros. habitat, a black haze covering it. Apparently, the fight just started. Meta Knight, his eyes glowing purple with some mark glowing on his mask, starts slicing Mr. Game & Watch with his sword, Galaxia. The first few slices were all direct hits. Mr. Game & Watch jump kicks Meta Knight. Meta Knight starts spinning, his blade forward, as he lunges at the silhouette. The crowd was chanting either "Meta Knight, Meta Knight" or "Mr. Game & Watch, Mr. Game & Watch." Mr. Game & Watch tries stopping Meta Knight's attack with his bare hands, but the spikes of Galaxia prove to be too sharp to hold as he lets go in pain before being hit and getting knocked back. Mr. Game & Watch gets back up and beeps angrily. A black chair appears in his hand as he rushes at Meta Knight, who wraps his cape around himself and disappears. Reappearing behind him, Meta Knight slashes Mr. Game & Watch. He falls and is struggling to get up.

In the darkness, the Super Smash Bros. Symbol appears glowing on the floor. Jeremiah starts thinking, "Is this Darkness's doing? This black haze seems similar to shadow energy, but it's slightly off." Then, two dim Smash Balls come out of the symbol. Meta Knight breaks one of them, but right before he could launch his Final Smash, Mr. Game & Watch struggles to his feet and smashes the other one. They simultaneously activate their Final Smash. Meta Knight tosses his cape open as darkness flows out of it. This renders the sight of the spectators pitch black. Jeremiah's eyes glows blue as he sees Mr. Game & Watch turn into a giant octopus with his sight now being entirely in blue. Meta Knight tries slicing at Mr. Game & Watch who defends him with his pixelated tentacles. Taking note of the marking he sees on their faces, Jeremiah thinks, "Oh crap. I recognize those markings. I have to stop this now." Jeremiah jumps into the battlefield, causing the glass of the window that was in front of him to break, and he blasts the Super Smash Bros. Symbol with a Light Blast shattering it. The black haze starts fading as the darkness returns to Meta Knight's cape. Mr. Game & Watch starts turning back to normal. They both hold their heads in pain from a splitting headache as the markings on their faces disappear. Jeremiah thinks, "They disappeared!?" Meta Knight asks groggily, "What happened?"

"You two had a fight," answers Jeremiah.

"We did? I don't remember anything. What about you Mr. Game & Watch?" says Meta Knight.

Mr. Game & Watch shook his head.

"All I remember was that black shadow."

Jeremiah noticeably reacts to that tidbit. He yells to the crowd, "Go back to your posts. Nothing to see here!" The crowd dissipates in annoyance and disappointment. He turns back to Meta Knight, "What can you tell me about that black shadow?"

"Why are you so interested in it?" questions Meta Knight.

Thinking quickly, Jeremiah states, "Well you two did just fight within the Agency and as the agent who stopped it, I have the right to ask questions."

Meta Knight looks in his eyes and while he can tell that Jeremiah is not telling the truth, he can see a greater purpose in this question.

"The black shadow appeared under me, beckoning me to join him. When I refused, he expressed his disappointment and shattered the dimmest Smash Ball I ever seen bathing this whole area in darkness. After that, everything is a blank."

Jeremiah mutters, "That's not his usual M.O."

"Usual M.O.? Do you know who this shadow is?"

Jeremiah looks around, his eyes glow blue as he takes his sight all around before they turn back to normal. He whispers, "Look, this is classified information, but I'll let you know right now. Beware of Darkness. If he gets his hands on you, he can make you turn to his side whether you want to or not. If you ever see him again, run. Nothing can hurt him outside the Shadow Realm."

Jeremiah levitates out of the habitat as Meta Knight thinks, "He took a big risk with that warning. I think at the very least, I can trust him."