An Augmented Strawberry

Thanks for the response everyone. A lot of you have mentioned using Orihime's powers to restore his limbs, but other than for the purposes of my story, I will try and explain why this was not the case realistically. Review replies are at the end of the chapter, otherwise read on and enjoy.

Chapter 2: Learning the Ropes

"Gack!" Ichigo grunted as he was sent flying back from a roundhouse kick, crashing into one of the pillars in the underground training area of the Urahara Shop. Looking up, his cybernetic eyes stripped away the cloud of dust in front of him, revealing the Flash Goddess standing in the distance, her usual cat-like grin on her face. Growling in agitation, he flexed his arms and legs, hearing the rock crumble under the force of his artificial limbs, before he charged forward once again.

It had been just over two weeks since he had woken up to find his arms and legs replaced with cybernetic replacements. When he had questioned why they hadn't just had Orihime heal him, he was shown the uncomfortable reality of the attack. For one, she wouldn't have made it in time to save him just after the attack and with emergency services treating people with the most extensive injuries first, well he couldn't just be pulled from a hospital. Secondly, being one of the few survivors of the attack, his situation was picked up by the media and it was fair to say that everyone in at least Japan knew his name by now. Of course seeing that Kisuke had kidnapped him shortly after his surgery, the authorities were actively searching for him too. Thus when they eventually found a way to reintegrate him into society, he couldn't just show up looking like nothing had happened.

So after hiding underground for over two weeks and having nothing to do but read manual after manual from Kisuke about his 'upgrades', he was sorely in need of something to vent his stress against. Of course his friends couldn't stay with him the entire time, not to mention sparring with a normal human was completely out of the question, leaving him with very little choice when it came to sparring partners. Cue Yoruichi in a gigai and you had someone that was able to withstand his attacks and was more than skilled enough to give him a challenge. As he was sent flying again though, it couldn't be said that she was taking it easy on his rebuilt body.

"Dammit Yoruichi…" he gasped, struggling to his feet once again. He just needed to get one hit on her; just one and he'd feel that he'd at least achieved something.

"Come on now Ichigo, you're not giving up are you?" she taunted him, tossing her head to the side, causing her hair to flutter in the breeze.

Glaring in her direction briefly, Ichigo shook his head and shut his eyes, taking a slow deep breath as he mentally ran through a list of functions his implants were capable of. To Yoruichi's surprise, she watched as a crackle of electricity flowed from his head down, rendering him completely invisible to the naked eye. 'So he's at least unlocked the cloaking system,' she thought with a smirk, catching his fist inches from the back of her neck and retaliating with a quick jab at where she estimated his torso to be. Making contact with nothing but air, she suddenly felt her arm being yanked forward, sending her flying into what would certainly be a knee aimed at her gut. In a display of phenomenal agility, gigai-bound or not, she placed her palm on the striking knee and used the momentum she had to spin herself upside down. Smirking as she imagined Ichigo's gobsmacked expression, she brought he heel down where his head should've been, feeling the satisfying crunch as her limb connected.

Landing in a flourish without a hair out of place, she looked over her shoulder to see Ichigo reappear to the world, lying flat on the ground, rubbing his skull as he groaned in pain.

"I thought I had you," he grumbled, sitting up so that he could address her. "How the hell did you know where I was?"

"Experience and the fact that I could still sense you," she said with a grin, holding out a hand to help him up. "Remember I was the Head of the Special Forces, as well as Captain of the Second Division Ichigo, evading an attack without seeing it is as easy as breathing for me," she explained, pulling him up with a grunt due to his heavier weight. "Your cloaking system hides you from the naked eye, but the slight sounds you make as you move still give you away. Still congratulations on using it, against someone other than a Captain or Lieutenant and you'd probably have taken the fight there and then."

Grunting his acknowledgement of her comment, he scratched the back of his neck, bristling slightly from the foreign feeling against his skin. Seeing his reaction, Yoruichi frowned at him.

"Still not any better?" she asked, cupping his chin with her hand and turning his head away from her.

"I'm…better," he explained. "At least now I'm not bruising myself from not knowing how much force I'm using. Tessai-san still won't let me use any actual glassware though," he finished with a grimace, thinking of the sheer number of glasses and plates he had shattered while trying to learn to control his strength.

"And your clothing?" she asked, gesturing to his bare torso and jean clad legs.

"Still ripping the shirts I have to pieces," he mumbled. "My jeans are just a lot harder to tear."

"And your…underwear?" she asked with a grin, while he gained a light blush to his cheeks. Hearing the soft scuffle of footsteps on the ladder, he turned towards the entrance to the underground area, his eyes zooming in on Urahara as he descended the ladder. Waiting for the scientist to join them, Ichigo could tell that he was excited about something, if the smirk on his face, the glint in his eyes and general confidence as he walked towards them were any indication. "Urahara-san," he said in greeting, waving in his direction.

"Kurosaki-san, Yoruichi," the scientist greeted them cheerfully, his signature fan in his hands. "My sensors indicated that you used the Mirage system for the first time, congratulations."

"Your…sensors?" Ichigo asked haltingly, afraid of the answer.

"Ah yes, there are several monitoring your vitals and whether your implants are in need of maintenance. They also inform me when you discover one of them for the first time."

"I see," he replied, feeling a hint of unease at having something reporting back about his activities, in one form or another. "Was there something else you wanted to discuss?"

"Ah yes," Kisuke replied, reaching into his jacket and withdrawing a thick yellow folder that he held out to Ichigo. Reaching out for it, Ichigo began to go through it, his cybernetic eyes widening in shock. "That is some of the information I've been able to gather on the creature that attacked you, or Novas as they're referred to by the rest of the world. From what I can tell they are…"

Tuning out Kisuke's comments, Ichigo was rapidly assimilating the information in front of him, the lack of weaknesses of the Novas at the forefront of his mind. Reaching the section of how they were normally combatted, he couldn't believe that an organisation called Chevalier used bits of the very things they fought against to fight back against their attackers. What made it even worse to him was the fact that they trained teenage girls, who they referred to as Pandora, as their soldiers.

"Kurosaki-san? Kurosaki-san? Kurosaki-san!" Kisuke shouted at him, dragging the teen out of his own world with a slap from his trusty fan.

"What?!" Ichigo snapped at him, irritated at being distracted from the report. He could absorb information a hell of a lot faster than before, but the danger was that he would have holes in his memory if he didn't go through it properly when he first received it.

"I was just saying that the Soul Society has classified the Novas as the Living World's problem, since they have not proven to be a threat to the afterlife. Now knowing you, I want to know what you're going to do about that little bit of information?"

Frowning at his one-time teacher, Ichigo walked a few metres away, browsing the folder intently once again. From the tone of the report, while the Pandoras and their 'Limiters' were certainly having an effect, they weren't proving to be nearly as effective as hoped, their own death toll rising year-on-year. Reading over what made the Pandora so special, he stripped them down to nothing more than a living human with enhanced strength, speed and the ability to use a special weapon that was unique to the individual for the most part. He most certainly wasn't a Pandora, but that didn't mean that he didn't have the strength or speed to help and if the Soul Society wasn't going to get involved with this…

Seeing the familiar scowl of determination form on his face, Kisuke and Yoruichi shared a look with one another, a resigned sigh escaping from the former, while the latter chuckled and shook her head.

"Urahara-san, I don't suppose you know how I can get in contact with someone from this…Chevalier group?" he asked, holding the page detailing the organisation and the academies they established to train Pandoras and Limiters.

"I might know a man that could help us, but I'm afraid that your strength won't be enough to convince him to let you join them. Of course I know a way that he might listen, if you're interested of course…" he stated with a smirk, while Ichigo stared back warily. Getting a hesitant nod, he gestured for Ichigo to follow him up to the shop. As they stopped outside one of the many rooms, Kisuke swept back the sliding door and ushered Ichigo into a room littered with countless books and reports, causing the teenager to groan at what the scientist clearly meant for him to do. "While you are stronger than before Kurosaki-san, you'll find that some opponents require a bit of thought to defeat. In fact this one is called an 'Entrance Exam'," he said with a chuckle leaving the teenager to his own devices.

XXX

Several Days Later

A tired groan escaped Gengo Aoi's throat as he tossed the report in his hand back onto his desk, rubbing his tired face with the other. It had been a few weeks now since the last Nova attack and as Chevalier's Chief Scientist, he found himself pressed continuously for answers he simply didn't have, or want to give. Glancing to his side, he spied a photo of himself and his family in happier times, times when his grandson hadn't stared accusingly at him for allowing his granddaughter to become a Pandora. Times when he hadn't watched his daughters sit frozen in suspended animation due to their unique and dangerous situation. Times before the Nova…

Hearing the clink of a plate being set down on his desk, he spotted his bodyguard and Chevalier's strongest Pandora Su-Na Lee setting out a sandwich for him. "Thank you," he mumbled, even as he reached over and plucked one from the plate. Taking a bite, he slowly chewed on it and turned on the TV in the corner of the room, switching it to one of the national news channels.

"…and in other news, Emergency Services have announced that they have found almost all the missing persons from the Nova attack on Karakura Town and are in the process of allowing clean-up crews in to begin the restoration of the area. This news was met by public outcry as many claim their loved ones are still trapped within the rubble. A spokesman for the agency stated that considering the amount of time other potential survivors have been trapped and their possible injuries, it is unlikely that anyone is still alive. Speaking of survivors, Police are still searching for one Ichigo Kurosaki, one of the lone survivors of the attack, who went missing shortly after the surgery to save his life." A photo showing a teenager with shocking orange hair and brown eyes appeared in the upper right corner of the screen, his expression clearly annoyed at whoever was taking the photo. "When the Police questioned the hospital staff as to the possibility of Mr Kurosaki disappearing on his own, one incensed staff member was heard shouting 'How could a crippled teenager escape from his own hospital bed?!' before storming away. Still with little evidence to go on and no eyewitnesses at the time of his disappearance, it seems unlikely that he will ever be found."

"My, my they certainly are blowing things out of proportion aren't they?" a jovial voice spoke up, causing the two of them to turn to it in surprise. Leaning against the wall of his office was a tall thin man with light blonde hair, dressed in a green shirt and pants, a dark green jacket and wearing green and white striped bucket hat. Pushing himself off the wall, he strode towards them, his cane echoing slightly as it clacked over the wooden floor. "He will be re-joining the world shortly, as soon as we find somewhere for him that is."

Seeing Su-Na's body tense and her shift into an attacking stance, he held up a hand stalling her. "And what can I do for you Mr…?" he asked, hoping to determine the strange man's motive for visiting him.

"Ah yes I am of course breaking-and-entering as some would say. Kisuke Urahara, it's a pleasure to you Gengo Aoi," Kisuke stated as he reached out and shook his arm, his tone still cheerful. "And this must be Su-Na Lee; I never expected to meet an actual Pandora when I came here tonight." Holding his hand out, he was unsurprised to see that she didn't return the gesture.

"This is a restricted area, how and why are you here?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Well your security was certainly impressive, but you see…to a man of my talents, they're merely an annoyance. Rest assured I didn't cause any permanent damage to your systems," he said, taking a step back and seating himself across from Gengo. "As for why I am here, I merely wanted to discuss the enrolment of a student of mine at one of the Genetics Academies."

"Well then I suggest that you speak to the administration department at your closest Academy to have your student tested," Gengo replied with a hint of irritation. "Should they prove compatible, then they may be accepted as either a Limiter or Pandora. Good day Mr Urahara," he replied, trying to dismiss the man in front of him.

"Well you see that's where the problem comes in, while I do not doubt that he could be a Limiter in the future, I do not believe that is what he wants, not to mention that it would be a colossal waste of his talents."

"A waste of his talents…" Gengo asked, stunned at the Kisuke's arrogant tone. "The Genetics Academies exist for the sole purpose of training Limiters and Pandoras to defend us from the Nova. If your student is unable or unwilling to become either one, then I suggest you stop wasting both my time and yours, and simply leave. Su-Na, if you'd be so kind as to escort Mr Urahara to the guards so that they might escort him off the premises."

"Of course," she said with a slight bow, before walking towards Kisuke. "I trust you will make this easy on yourself and come quietly…"

"And here I was hoping that I wouldn't have to hurt you," Kisuke said with a sigh, just as Su-Na grabbed him by his shoulder. Before she could do much more, she gasped out as she was forced to the ground by an unknown force. Glancing up at Kisuke, she recoiled slightly from his expression. Gone was the mirth and in its place was a cold, hard grimace. Confident that she wouldn't be interrupting him again, he turned his gaze on the other man. "I was hoping to convince you without this, but if this is what it takes for you to understand, then so be it," he muttered, reaching into the inner folds of his jacket and pulling out a small black square.

Flinching as it was thrown at him, Gengo fumbled with it briefly, before holding it in the palm of his hand. As he tried to ask what he was supposed to do with it though, a green blinking light appeared at the top right corner of the screen. Glancing suspiciously at Kisuke, he tapped the glowing button and watched as numerous lines of data appeared on the screen. Reading it over, his eyes soon widened in stunned surprise. For Pandoras and Limiters, they were implanted with Stigmata in order to grant them the power to fight back against the Nova. In most cases this meant that a small percentage of their body was in fact made of Nova tissue. What Kisuke had outlined here and done if the report he was reading was true…it went far beyond anything he had ever imagined, either for Project Pandora or…

"I was inspired by your Project Valkyrie," Kisuke spoke, drawing his attention briefly. As he opened his mouth to ask how he gained such confidential information, he was silenced by the same grimace that had stunned Su-Na. "I've already proven that your security protocols are little more than annoyances to me, please don't make me repeat myself. Moving on…my student was left a cripple after the last Nova attack. As such I took it into my hands to help him regain part of the life he lost."

"And this was your answer?" Gengo asked incredulously. "What you've done…it goes against what it means to be human. How does he feel about how you have used him?" Seeing Kisuke sit in silence, Gengo made to continue, before he suddenly found himself silenced by the same force that Su-Na was currently being incapacitated by.

"It has been my experience, that only with great sacrifice can victory be achieved. How many people have you buried since the beginning of this Nova crisis? How many more will you bury, because you don't have a better way to fight back? You and I are alike in so many ways Aoi, mostly in the way that we placed the future of the masses, over the future of those closest to us. My student doesn't know the full story behind what I've done to him…but he will when I'm ready to tell him." Standing up, Kisuke made his way towards the door, turning briefly to address them one last time. "My student and I will be at the West Genetics Academy in two days, I trust we will see you there too. A word of warning though, if you tell anyone about what you've read, or if that information in your hands is used to manipulate him in anyway, I want you to know that there won't be a place in this world, or the next where I cannot find you and you will beg for death before the end."

As the study door shut after him, the pair let out an explosive breath as the force keeping them in place released them, Su-Na recovering far faster than Gengo thanks to her enhanced durability. "Are you really going to give in to his demands?" she asked as she stood, her feet unsteady.

"I don't think I've been given much of a choice Su-Na," he replied with a tired sigh. "What he's done, it could provide another means to fight back against the Nova." Watching him continue to browse through the disk, she reluctantly dropped the subject. "Do we at least know the name of the student he wants admitted" she asked in resignation.

Frowning back at his bodyguard, he flicked through the data quickly, searching for a name. When he found one though, his expression morphed to one of disbelief and he glanced between the TV and the handheld device. "His name…is Ichigo Kurosaki."

XXX

Another week, another chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Review responses below.

Hordie, Kyram: Indeed I did base him off of Adam Jensen, but I plan to have a bit of fun with the exact details, as well as some of the implants.

Tahaku: The pairings are undecided at the moment, but unfortunately it will not be Orihime. I will probably go for a single pairing and not a harem.

Arrankor, Webb360, Damaio The End, Murdock93, HodgePodge97: I still plan on building on my answer as to why Orihime didn't regrow his limbs here.

Guest (My first reviewer too): I will try to update at least once a week, much more than that I can't promise.

To the rest of the reviewers, thank you for your kind words of support. I'm going to do away with the teaser this time since I completely scrapped the original scene it was a part of.