Hey, welcome to the story. If you were someone that read "Evolution: Heroes of Tomorrow" or the Revamped version "RISE", well I've got some bad news. Over the last five months since I updated that story, I've gone through a lot in terms of writing and working on what I can and want to do with characters I've made. And to be honest, like some others, I wasn't happy with Kaiji Adachi or the story I was telling. I was at the point that I decided I didn't want to continue the story, or rather... I didn't want to continue that story. Because as I've kept up with the manga for MHA throughout this year, I just have this constant thought process of, "How do I do this, but with my characters involved."

And honestly? I hate that line of thought lol

The most fun arcs I've written for the characters I've made in this story are the ones that have nothing to do with the cast of MHA.

And so... Well, I think this is it. My final incarnation of Kaiji Adachi, and the story I want to tell about him and friends he is going to make. There are going to be some changes, big changes. Not just to him, but to those around him as well. Most of which you'll notice immediately.

If you haven't read the other versions, you'll be fine. I have no intention of doing things that require you to know context prior, this is a whole new story.

One that I hope you enjoy!

Prologue: A Second Chance

. . .

Shisui Adachi

. . .

It was early Sunday morning when I finally worked up the nerve to approach his door. Holding my breath as I considered my options, but despite all my stalling I knew there was only one way this could go. "Hey, Kaiji? You up?" And it wasn't the way I wanted.

I heard rustling from the other side, as my son tossed and turned in his bed. "Ugh... What is it?" He asked, sounding half asleep.

"You've got a letter," I answered, taking a deep breath before adding, "Its from UA." I tried to sound enthused about it, and failed.

That seemed to wash away his grogginess in an instant. I heard the sound of him getting up quickly, "Really? I wasn't expecting- I'll be right out!"

Nodding, I turned away from the door while he started his day. Making my way down the short hall to our meager kitchen, deciding to get some semblance of a breakfast going if only to try and take my mind off things. I got some coffee going in the maker, while rifling through cabinets for food. My hands finally found the rice box, and I cursed loudly realizing it was empty. Miso soup was all we'd be getting today, until I could make it to the store again... And we hardly had any of that left either.

Which meant I'd be going hungry, so Kaiji could eat.

Maybe I should start over, this is all probably strange to you. So I'll take it from the top.

My name is Shisui Adachi, I'm a former criminal turned single parent trying to raise a kid with aspirations of being a hero. We live in a crappy apartment in the bad part of Kamino Ward, and our lives are paycheck to paycheck. I'm a tough girl, used to actually look like it too. But the lack of food every few days and work has worn me down. I'm pale skinned, thin, with blue tinted black hair tied back.

My son inherited a variation of my Quirk, and at age five turned into a lizard. Not literally, well... Kind of. He's scaly, has a head that looks like it belongs on a dragon, with horns and a plume of feathers on the back of his head. He works hard, and trains in his free time, so he's managed to stay in some kind of shape. But because of our location, and Kaiji's appearance, he didn't make a lot of friends. But even so, he's always wanted to be a hero more than anything, and I hate it.

"Isn't it a little early for the mail?" Kaiji questioned, announcing his presence as he entered through the hall. Now wearing some sweatpants and a worn out black t-shirt, his tail dragging on the floor behind him. "Also it's Sunday."

"It came yesterday," He was suspicious of me, because he knew how I felt about this. "Forgot to give it to you."

A lie, "Forgot, or chose not to?" He questioned, voice taking a bit of an edge.

"I work late nights Kaiji," I defended, "It just slipped my mind... Now are you gonna open that stupid thing or not?" I added, pointing to the envelope on the table.

Thankfully he decided not to press the matter. Kaiji picked up the envelope and tore open the seal, pulling out a few papers from inside. But as he did so, there was some kind of disc shaped device that fell out onto the table. The paper on top was some kind of form I think, at least I saw a lot of blank spaces that needed filling out. But the device was blinking rapidly on one side. Out of curiosity, I used one finger to flip it over.

Instantly, a tiny projector lit up our dim kitchen. A hologram screen appearing in thin air above the table, displaying a man neither of us recognized. He was thin in build, dressed in some kind of black suit with a white cloth wrapping around his neck like a scarf. Long black hair rolling down his back and over his shoulders, he stared back at Kaiji with a bored, tired look on his face.

"Hello," He paused to look down at some kind of paper. "Kaiji Adachi, or his legal guardian, my name is Shota Aizawa, and I am a teacher at UA High." He didn't really sound that happy about this message, which likely didn't bode well for my son. "This message is to inform you that you have not been found of sufficient merit to make it into the Hero Course."

I could tell it took Kaiji a moment to even register what was said. And the moment it hit him, Kaiji slumped back in his chair. Tail drooping to the floor as his head lowered, "Oh..." I knew he had doubts about this, it's not like he had real combat experience and from what I heard about that entrance exam it was pretty brutal. But still, he'd been so hopeful.

I moved to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it, we can get you into a different school." I didn't want him to become a hero, but I also hated to see him like this. So I'd say whatever he wanted to hear, while breathing a sigh of relief on the inside.

But I think he knew that. "Yeah... Thanks I-"

"However." The message both of us had thought finished suddenly spoke again. Drawing our eyes back to Aizawa's hologram form. "You have been selected to participate in a special course for those we deem to have some amount of potential." He explained, "You will not be taking part in the Hero Course, but rather a provisional class to try and hone your skills... And with effort, hard work and time, you may be moved into the main class."

Dammit.

"R-Really!? I get a second chance!?"

"All the information you'll need is in the paper that came with this message," He added, giving us the full prerecorded script. "This is the only second chance you'll get, so try not to screw it up."

Before the message ended, and I couldn't help but scoff. "Well he certainly seems pleasant, guess that's what you can expect from people at the high and mighty- Uh, Kaiji?" I quirked an eyebrow at him, noticing he was buried snout deep in the papers that came with this message.

"I've got three weeks before the class starts," He read off quickly, absorbing every last detail. "It starts at 3:30 in the afternoon..."

"What? That late!?" I exclaimed, leaning in to read the paper as well. "What is it, some kind of night class?"

"Maybe the person teaching us is teaching a regular class during the day?" Kaiji suggested with a shrug. "Well I guess that means I can sleep in... Train ride is three hours, I'll probably be out late too." He was already on his feet, starting to pace back and forth.

"Hey, Kaiji!" I asserted, grabbing the paper and waving it. "I'm not sure how I feel about all this! Some provisional course? Sounds like you won't even be treated like a regular student!" And if he wasn't even going to be treated like one of them... Well, then what was even the point?

But the boy was adamant, "So what if I'm not? Its UA Highschool, mom!" He argued, "This is my second chance, I can excel and make it into the real hero course."

"And what if you don't?" I demanded, maybe a little harsher than I meant to. "What if you fail and this whole thing was a waste of time?" I realized how cruel it sounded, like I had no faith in him... But that wasn't it, "Look, Kaiji I just... I don't want to see you get your heart broken." It was UA, and Heroes that I didn't have any faith in.

But he pressed onward, looking back at me with pleading eyes. "Please, just let me try... If it doesn't work out, I'll give up on the hero thing, I promise." Of course, he knew that was the heart of the matter. Why did I have to have such a smart kid?

But I knew he was lying, even if he failed he wouldn't stop. He was too damn stubborn, just like his dad. "Alright, fine... I'll get this stupid form filled out and sent in, but if I think the school isn't being good to you I'm pulling you out, got it?"

"Yes ma'am." The tension between us vanishing in an instant as his face lit up once more. "I'm gonna change and do some training! I've gotta get in better shape and I've only got a few weeks!" Kaiji quickly raced off back to his room, still well within shouting distance because of our small home.

I sighed heavily as he ran off, shaking my head before my eyes drifted down to the paper I was still holding. I set it aside, making a mental note to finish filling it out after breakfast. I didn't like this, not just sending him to some high class school, or even the hero thing. I was afraid of the way he might be treated, coming in under some "last chance" pretense already had a negative ring to it. But, I want him to be happy, Kaiji is all I have left. Maybe it will all work out, the world wasn't that dangerous anyways... Not like it used to be.

We had All Might now, everything should be fine.