Chapter Text
Melissa’s face broke out into an enormous grin as her bespectacled eyes followed the jet’s trajectory on her screen. Uncle Might and her old friend Deku had just arrived on I-Island and just in time! Christmas was in just a few days and she’d finally get to show them just how beautiful the island was during the holidays!
The American raced down the halls towards the hangar her friends’ plane had just pulled into. Her beaming smile was soon replaced with a look of shock as her surrogate uncle and his disciple emerged through the door. Deku had her hand gently placed on the old man’s shoulder as they walked out, making sure he was stable. Melissa wasn’t surprised by that, in fact Uncle Might looked like he was in better shape the last time she saw him before the war but after losing One For All, his cheeks were fuller, his eyes were brighter, and he wasn’t so deathly skinny, but he definitely looked like a weaker old man. His long blonde hair showing more gray, his gate a bit slower than she recalled, his face having many more wrinkles than she remembered her childhood hero having in her youth. These things were all to be expected and weren’t what truly shocked her. What truly had her blown away was Deku’s appearance. She’d only visited one other time, that being ten years earlier when Japan’s new symbol of peace was still a teenager with only a nominal grasp on the power she’d been gifted by her mentor. She remembered her being a short girl despite her incredible strength, only 4’10, and with an adorable babyface. Were it not for the same green hair and eyes and her freckles, Melissa would’ve assumed this girl was a complete stranger because this girl was a grown woman and then some now. Her height had nearly doubled since she’d last seen her, now standing at an impressive 7’10, and by the looks of her, probably tripled if not quadrupled in muscle mass. She looked bigger and taller than even Uncle Might was in his prime! At the same time though, while her smile and her eyes looked as kind as ever, her face showed that this poor woman had been through the ringer, especially that large scar under her right eye. She remembered when she first spoke with Izumi after the war over a video call, her face was still bandaged up and part of her hair had been shaved down to bandage up wounds on the side of her head. It was a disturbing sight to see even on a video call, but seeing her now in person, it looked like the scars had faded and she was more comfortable with them now. Moreover, they weren’t quite so disturbing when she saw the true happiness in her face. Deku was glad to see her.
Melissa shook off the shock and ran up to her friends, giving her uncle a big hug first, she’d missed him so much. She then hugged Deku. Melissa was just as glad to see Deku as she was to see her.
“It’s so great to see you, Uncle Might, are you doing well?”
“I’m more than fine young Melissa,” the old man chuckled. “How about you Melissa? How’s running a multibillion dollar corporation at only 26 years old?” He teased.
Melissa giggled. “It hasn’t been easy but it’s been very rewarding. Our employees are happy and creating the greatest innovations in the world, some are just making life easier and some are making people healthier and safer.”
“I’ll say!” Deku laughed. “My friend Kacchan might not even be able to use his right arm without that new nanotechnology you made!”
Melissa smiled proudly. “I’m so glad I could help! And how are you Deku? Gosh it’s been way too long!”
“It has! I can’t believe how much taller you are!”
Melissa blinked. “I’m taller now?” She laughed. “I was 5’6 when you last saw me, Deku, now I’m 5'10. I’m taller than most girls but now you’re taller than literally anyone I know! And I know All Might!”
Izumi laughed. “Yeah, I guess puberty was good to me.”
“Very good! You’re literally three feet taller than me! And those guns! You look like you’ve been lifting nonstop since you left here 10 years ago!”
Izumi’s face turned red.
“Yeah, um, so as the war went on my power kind of grew so I needed to build up even more muscle to control it, and then at the end, as a passing gift, my…” Izumi trailed off, like she was trying to find the words, “Opponent gave me his power right before he died. So I needed to bulk up even more than I already was. So as a consequence, well, the gym has pretty much become my second home,” The amazon chuckled.
“Damn,” Melissa murmured. “Talk about an upgrade,” She teased.
“Yeah, I had a firmware update so I needed to upgrade my actual hardware I guess,” Deku murmured, wearing a genuinely dismayed expression as she flexed one of her biceps for demonstration. “I used to be a quirkless twerp, I’m astounded I look like this now.”
Melissa giggled even as felt her own face turn red. She didn’t usually go gaga for guys and gals with big muscles but with Izumi, it just kind of fit her.
“Well it’s a good look for you Deku! Anyway, there’s no point in just standing here!” The shorter woman declared, moving between her two titanic loved ones and slipping an arm around Deku’s right and Uncle Might’s left. “Let’s get you guys to your hotel and then go for a night on the town!”
Izumi’s face turned a deeper red and Melissa could swear she heard All Might chuckling. “Is something the matter young Midoriya?”
“No. Not at all,” Izumi replied, her voice sounding noticeably higher
Melissa giggled. Her friend was so courageous and had become so big and so strong and so powerful but she was still so painfully shy.