After his reluctant agreement – which was about as enthusiastic as a family photo session – Bakugo led Emiko to a remote part of the training grounds. Among destroyed concrete blocks and torn-up earth, away from the other students who had long since started training, he abruptly stopped and turned to face her.
"Alright," he growled with crossed arms and an expression that could probably have soured milk. "What can you do?"
Emiko stood before him with folded hands, the gentle smile never leaving her lips – an achievement that, next to Bakugo's moodiness, could almost pass as its own superpower. "I can heal people through energy transfer. I give some of my own energy to—"
"Seriously?" Bakugo interrupted her with a twisted mouth. "How does that help me in a fight?"
"Well, it could help you if you're injured, or—"
"I don't get injured," he cut her off again, an arrogant grin forming on his face. "Real heroes don't need healers running after them."
Emiko wasn't discouraged. She took a deep breath and tried a different approach. "Maybe we should just test how it works. I'll give you my energy and perhaps you can make something of it."
Bakugo rolled his eyes in annoyance but extended his right hand, as he just wanted to get the training over with. "Fine. But don't expect much."
He created a series of controlled explosions in his palm. The air around his hands shimmered with heat, small detonations popped like gunshots, so that Emiko had to pull herself together not to flinch in shock.
Emiko approached carefully. "I'll try to give you some of my energy now," she explained and gently placed her hands under his without touching him directly – especially since she didn't want to expose herself to the explosions. That should be enough for a test.
Her eyes began to glow subtly, the characteristic lavender light flowing gently into her palms. But instead of transferring her energy to Bakugo, which she could normally do in her sleep, something unexpected happened: The explosive energy of his quirk manifestation seemed to be attracted to her light. Like magnets, her glowing hands drew the explosion energy to themselves.
"What the—?" Bakugo's eyes widened in surprise.
Emiko's face contorted in concentration, then in discomfort. The absorbed energy swirled inside her body. Far too much at once. Her light flickered irregularly before she closed her eyes and clutched her throbbing head.
"I... I don't know what happened," she gasped breathlessly, while her pulse accelerated.
"Control your quirk, damn it!" Bakugo pulled his hand back in annoyance, watching her with irritation as she tried to compose herself.
"You're even more pathetic than I thought," he growled quietly, his face twisted into a contemptuous grimace. "You don't even have the damn basic control over your own puny quirk! Why do I have to work with such a failure?" he gritted his teeth, laying out his direct disappointment.
His words hit Emiko harder than expected. She was used to criticism, but the contempt in his voice burned like acid in her throat. Still, she forced herself to smile, even if it didn't reach her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I... I hadn't expected to absorb your energy."
But instead of ending the training, she straightened up with new resolve and took a deep breath. Her smile became firmer, even if it looked a bit shaky.
"Let's continue," she said with surprising determination in her otherwise gentle voice. "I'll do better next time."
Bakugo blinked, visibly surprised by her resistance, as he thought she would break off the training here. "Didn't you listen? This is a waste of time."
"Maybe," Emiko admitted, as she rolled up the sleeves of her training uniform. "But we've been given a task and I won't give up just because it didn't work on the first try."
A contemptuous snort was his only answer, but he remained standing in front of her – apparently ready to give her another chance.
"This time I'll try to control the energy and give it back to you directly," Emiko explained as she extended her hands again.
Bakugo hesitated briefly, then created another, smaller explosion. Again, the energy flowed into Emiko, but this time she tried to direct and channel it. Her face was a mask of concentration.
"This isn't working," muttered Bakugo after a few more attempts, noticing how her hands were trembling. "Hey, if you—"
"I can do this," she interrupted him through clenched teeth and forced a smile.
They tried again and again. Each time, Emiko absorbed his explosive energy, and each time she tried in vain to return or channel it. Her eyes were now emitting a glow rather than a gentle shine, as if something were blazing inside her.
The midday sun was now high in the sky, but neither of them had thought of taking a break.
After the last attempt, Bakugo could see that Emiko had reached her limits. Her breathing was shallow, her face was pale despite the glow, and her hands were shaking uncontrollably.
"That's enough," he said firmly, with an angry undertone. "You're completely—"
"One more time," Emiko insisted, her voice barely audible, but optimistic. "This time I'll manage it... I think I've got the hang of it."
Bakugo hesitated, showing an unusual hint of uncertainty in his eyes – a rare sight. "Hmm, if you say so."
But Emiko had already extended her hands. "Just... one more..."
Reluctantly, Bakugo created another small explosion - more cautious this time. The energy flowed into Emiko as before, but this time something different happened. The light in her hands began to pulsate, to swirl, as if it were repelling itself from her.
"That was...", she gasped, leaving the words unfinished and squinting her eyes.
Bakugo recognized the danger only when it was already too late.
The accumulated energy in Emiko's body reached a critical point. With a bright flicker of her light, the collected power exploded from her hands – a chaotic mixture of her own healing energy and Bakugo's explosive force. The detonation was not nearly as strong as Bakugo's own attacks, but completely uncontrolled – and much too sudden for either of them to react in time.
The shock wave hit Bakugo directly in the chest and hurled him back several meters. At the same time, Emiko was catapulted in the opposite direction.
A deafening crash echoed across the training grounds, followed by a cloud of dust that slowly veiled the spot where the two students had just been standing.
Then: Silence.