The Flash Of Shadows was the planned story mode for the Super Smash Bros. fan game, Super Smash Flash 2. Based around Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Subspace Emissary, it would have consisted of side-scrolling, platforming, beat em up levels where the player must make it to the end of each level while fighting enemies and bosses. Additionally, pre-rendered cutscenes would have played in between and during levels. The story was planned to be about a group of heroes banding together to defeat a "Shadowy Man" known as Umbra and his army of CuBots.
Because of the changes made during development, the story was deemed obsolete and was scrapped altogether.
For a long time I have been curious to know what a story mode would have been. Especially after the disappointment that was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's World of Light. So curious that I've made up so many scenarios and even had dreams about it I decided to turn it all into a fanfiction. This fanfic will not follow many of the events from the Flash of Shadows story mode because, as far as I know, not much information was given and I don't know what the story was. This story is also more up to date beyond 2008. I will work with what I have, which is the basic premise, the planned bosses, and three cutscenes and go with what my imagination comes up with. This is all my own interpretation. This story will also utilize both the initial playable roster (with the exception of Mega Man X who was replaced by the original Mega Man later in development), including the Expansion Characters, and the current playable roster for Super Smash Flash 2 for simplicity's sake.