Trunks took slow steps toward the group with his hands raised above his head. "I'm Trunks... Trunks Briefs. I come in peace, I swear."

"Trunks Briefs? Yeah, sure." Ichigo pointed to Chad. "This is Shirt Pants." He moved his finger to Orihime behind him. "And over here is Skirt Blouse." He nudged his head to Uryu. "Over here, we have Boxer Briefs. You two might be cousins. How about you cut the bullshit and tell us who you really are?"

"Wow," Trunks replied. "You really went for the low-hanging fruit, huh? I wish Rukia told me you had the humor of a middle school kid."

"You bastard! Did you do something to Rukia!?"

A sharp fist crashed down onto the crown of Ichigo's head. "Ow!" He grabbed his skull. "What hell was that?"

Ichigo turned to Rukia behind him. "You know, Ichigo, you can be a tad rude sometimes."

The group gasped at the sight of their friend, except for Orihime, who could not contain her excitement. Chad disengaged from Brazo Derecha, and Uryu withdrew his bow and spoke.

"So I'm guessing the Soul Society sent you here with him," said Uryu.

"Yes," Rukia said. "It's a long story that Urahara can explain better than I can, but I can tell you that Trunks isn't an enemy."

"Kisuke knows about this, too?" Ichigo asked. He reentered his body, then stood and brushed the dirt from his clothes. "Sorry if I'm not being as easygoing as I should be, but I'm gonna need an explanation before I go anywhere with this guy."

Rukia sighed and handed him a note. "Read this. It's from Kisuke."

Ichigo took the note and unfolded it. "Ichigo, don't be such a hothead in broad daylight. Meet me at the shop and I'll explain everything." He folded the note back and tucked it away in his pocket. "Well, if he kept it simple in the note, he must have a lot to tell me." After a sigh left his lips. "Sorry guys, I'm gonna have to take a rain check on the donuts. I'm gonna go see what's going on here."

After he said his goodbyes to his friends, Ichigo, Rukia, and Trunks walked through Karakura Town to Urahara's shop.

"So... Trunks," Ichigo said. "You don't really have a traditional Japanese name. Where are you from? America?"

"Um, this is gonna be hard to believe," Trunks replied. "But I'm actually not from your universe."

"Say what?"

"Yeah, I'm from an Earth in a mirror universe. It's kind of similar to here, but I've seen a few differences."

"Oh, yeah, like what?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, you guys don't have any flying cars around here."

"Flying cars?! You know what? I think I'll let Kisuke explain this."

"Oh, sure."

After about five minutes, they found themselves in front of Urahara's shop, and Kisuke flung the door open to greet them.

"Welcome back, Ichigo!" he exclaimed. "I hope you got a little acquainted with your new friend."

"My new what?!" Ichigo challenged. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, Kisuke!"

"And explain I will. Come inside. Tessai made more tea for us."

As they walked into the shop, Trunks stopped, then turned around and looked out towards the rooftops in the distance.

"Okay, what's going on?" Rukia questioned. "You've been staring off into the distance since we left the Seireitei."

"Sorry," he said to them. "I, uh, have to take care of something real quick. I'll be right back." He then vanished before their eyes.

Ichigo crossed his arms as he turned to Urahara. "He runs off without saying anything, and you want me to trust this guy?"

"Oh, he'll be back," grinned Kisuke as he turned and walked into the shop. "It seems young Trunks has a fan already."

With a swift leap, Trunks moved from Urahara's shop to the top of a building nearby. He landed in the back; a woman kneeled on the opposite side in front of a railing.

"Hi." He walked stepped toward her. "Are you Captain Soi Fon?"

Soi Fon stood and faced him. The fire in her gaze made his pulse reverberate throughout his body. Still, he knew he needed to make a good first impression.

Why did I think I could do this? Come on, Trunks. Don't fuck this up. Just tap into that big Saiyan energy you have… somewhere.

Trunks cleared his throat and stared at her with wide eyes. "Hi, I-I'm Trunks. I uh, I-"

"Is there a problem with you eyes?" she asked.

Trunks shook his head. "No, no. I just… Rukia- I mean Lieutenant Kuchiki told me you're the captain of Squad Two and the leader of the Stealth Force."

"So you've already asked about me?"

"Well, only because I sensed you following me back in the Soul Society, but I wasn't sure if I should say anything."

"And why is that?"

Trunks took a deep breath. "Because I know why, and I get it. I don't expect that everyone will trust me right off the bat, but I promise you I'm not here to hurt you."

"Half of the captains were cut down by someone we thought wouldn't hurt us, so spare me your promises. They don't mean shit to me."

"Understandable. Were you a captain that got cut down?"

"Why would that be any of your business?"

"Oh, it wouldn't be. I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

"Why should anyone trust you when you come unannounced and ask for a Zanpakuto that doesn't belong to you?"

"You don't have to, but it's my first day here and I'm trying to start it on the right foot. Kisuke Urahara is in there already, breaking the situation down for Ichigo, who's probably objecting to the idea, anyway. I'm not gonna force him to do anything, but I guess that either way, we're gonna have a sparring match to at least gauge where we're both at. If you'd like to come and confirm any of your doubts about me or even gain intel, you're more than welcome to."

Soi Fon turned around and paused for a moment. "I'll pass, but don't think you've seen the last of me. I'll be watching you, Trunks Briefs, and the moment you do anything to slight the Soul Society, you die."

She vanished from his sight. Trunks let out a hard sigh as he stuffed his hand in his pockets and took to the air. He'd been so nervous that he swore he sweated a hole through the armpits of his jacket.

It was a rough start, but at least she knew his name. It had to count for something, right? She seemed similar to his father, but he wasn't sure if that should concern him or not. Maybe he was more like his mother than he thought.

Before he pondered more about the encounter, he landed at the shop and ran inside. He opened the door and heard Ichigo's vehement opposition.

"So after Ginjo steals my powers, you guys auctioned them off to a guy who's not even from this universe?! How do we know that he's not gonna do the same thing? This could all be another Ginjo/Tsukishima plot for all we know. How the hell do you even know he's telling the truth?!"

"I hear your concerns, Ichigo," said Kisuke. "But Trunks here comes from the head of our universe, a little more credible than Xcution, don't you think?"

"Yeah, well, this isn't flying with me. This is gonna have to be the one thing I pass on."

Kisuke folded his hands in front of his mouth. "How about we have ourselves a little wager, then?"

Ichigo leaned forward with intrigue. "What kind of wager are we talking about?"

"If you accept, you and Trunks will spar in the basement."

"And what happens if I win?"

"Hm. I'll give you... one million yen."

Ichigo and Rukia both dropped their jaws. "One million yen?!"

Ichigo leaped to his feet. "No bullshit?! You got yourself a deal!"

Trunks didn't know how one million Japanese yen converted to Zeni, but judging from their reactions, Kisuke placed a heavy bet on him.

"Don't get too excited yet, Ichigo," Kisuke grinned. "You still have to beat him. If you lose, well, I don't think I have to spell it out for you."

"No worries," Ichigo said as he took his combat pass out of his pocket and thrust it into his chest. He stood up in his Soul Reaper form, allowing his human body to fall to the floor. "I don't plan on it."

Trunks stood up and summoned his sword. The two warriors met each other's gaze and exchanged cocky smirks.

They all made their way to the basement. Trunks awed at how a massive training area could be built under the shop. He stopped his observations once Ichigo drew his sword and widened his fighting stance. Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Rukia watched from afar. Trunks tossed his scabbard to the side and stepped back. He needed to prove his worth and show them he deserved to be there.

Urahara raised his hand to the sky and shouted to the boys. "Gentleman, are you ready?!"

Both of them stayed fixed on the other. Neither budged an inch.

"Begin!" Urahara dropped his hand, and Trunks and Ichigo rushed at each other to clash swords.

Trunks pulled his sword away from the clash and swung his sword at Ichigo from several angles, but Ichigo blocked each attack. However, Trunks hit Ichigo with a spinning back kick and charged at him with a mix of sword strikes and punches. Ichigo dodged most of these and blocked the others, then took the opening left in one of Trunks' slashes to send him in the air with an uppercut. Trunks stabilized himself in the air as Ichigo leaped towards him. The two continued their clashes across the battlefield, destroying rock formations and leaving holes in the ground from the shock waves.

Soon, Trunks found himself on the defensive as he flew backward toward the ground with Ichigo in pursuit. With his Zanpakuto in his right hand, he fired a beam of energy with his left. Surprised, Ichigo crossed his arms to block the blast. The two of them dropped back to the ground to compose themselves.

"Not bad," Ichigo said. "You're flying and using Kido attacks. I guess you are really from a different world."

"Actually," Trunks replied. "It's not Kido, and I'm pretty sure every other fighter in the multiverse knows how to fly, except for you guys."

"Your moves aren't bad, but your inexperience with a Zanpakuto really shows. If that's all the power you can muster, you might as well quit."

"Sorry, I thought we were warming up. If you wanted more power, you should've just said so."

Trunks clasped his fists and his hair spiked. The surrounding rocks floated into the air; the ground cracked beneath of his feet. A golden aura burst from his body to signal his transformation into a Super Saiyan.

"What the hell?" Ichigo yelled. "That spike in your spiritual pressure... and now you have golden hair?! What the hell are you?!"

"You ready for round two?" Trunks asked.

Ichigo gritted his teeth and pulled Zangetsu back behind him. Trunks grinned, then charged towards Ichigo and landed a punch to his jaw, sending him backward. Before Ichigo regained his bearings, Trunks appeared behind him and kicked him in the other direction, forcing him through several rock formations. Trunks waited for his opponent to emerge from the rubble.

"Getsuga, Tensho!" From under the rocks, a large, horizontal slash of energy came straight for Trunks. Trunks yelled as he flung his sword in front of him and took the Getsuga Tensho head-on, causing it to split and explode behind him. As Ichigo emerged, Trunks met him with a smile.

"You cut my attack in two," Ichigo said. He wiped smeared blood from the corner of his mouth. "Guess I shouldn't hold back anymore." He threw his blade in front of him and gripped his right shoulder.

Trunks felt his energy increasing. Was he going to do it? Was he going to use-

"Ban-kai!"

Ichigo's body enveloped itself in aura before bursting forth. Trunks shielded his face from a blast that pushed his heels into the ground. He uncovered his face to witness Ichigo's changed outfit. Ichigo sported a robe with diagonal crosses down the middle, new gloves, and a sleek black blade.

"Tensa Zangetsu."

"So, this is Bankai," Trunks muttered as he clasped his fists again. He shouted out and transformed into a Super Saiyan 2. The front strands of his hair lifted as his aura discharged electricity.

Ichigo grinned. "Aren't you full of surprises?"

"I had to pull this out to keep up with you. You're keeping me on my toes."

The two disappeared, resuming their clashes at even greater speeds than before. Rukia could not keep up with the action, only catching glimpses of them every once in a while. Kisuke and Yoruichi kept a close watch, impressed by what they saw. Ichigo faced off with an opponent that fought differently than anyone else he had encountered to this point. They had no doubts Trunks would turn Ichigo into a greater fighter than he already was.

After blocking a Getsuga-fueled sword strike, Trunks soared back. Trunks stopped himself and escaped another slash by flying into the air. Ichigo yelled as he launched a black and red Getsuga. Trunks retaliated with a Galick Gun, but struggled to keep the attack from reaching him. He yelled and pushed out more energy to enhance his beam.

An explosion ensued that had the spectators of the fight grabbing for anything to keep themselves from tumbling away. The smoke cleared to reveal that Trunks had been unaffected by the blast. Frustration mounted on Ichigo's face.

Trunks had to finish the fight before he took significant damage. He made his hands into fists and closed his eyes to concentrate. He took a deep breath in, and on the exhale, he transformed into his Pseudo Blue form. His appearance remained unchanged, but his aura took on an inner blue hue while retaining the outer golden rim.

Ichigo's jaw dropped. "No way. What's going on? His spiritual pressure just shot through the roof, but… there's some kind of different pressure. It's like I'm drowning in it."

"How about we wrap this up, Ichigo?" Trunks asked. "I'm kinda getting hungry."

Ichigo gripped Tensa Zangetsu and launched his fiercest Getsuga Tensho at Trunks. When it encroached on him, Trunks vanished and appeared behind Ichigo. Before he could turn around, Trunks elbowed Ichigo's head into the ground. Ichigo turned over, but Trunks opened a hand in his face, ready to fire a blast.

"Stop!" Urahara yelled. Trunks powered down and lowered his hand, then sat down in front of Ichigo.

"You got me," Ichigo said. "Tell me though, was that your full power?"

Trunks nodded. "Yeah, for the time being, at least."

"How did you even get that strong, anyway?"

"Well, part of it is genetic, and the other part is training with my dad at four hundred times normal gravity."

Ichigo sat up with his mouth open. "Huh?! Four hundred times gravity?! Now you're just making stuff up. That would kill anybody."

"True, but if you start small, it becomes… bearable."

"That might be the least strange thing I've heard today, so I'll take your word for it.. What about the genetic part?"

"That'll take a bit more time to explain."

"No problem. I have plenty of time today."

And so they talked...

"Your dad used to be a Soul Reaper?" Trunks asked. "Was he a captain or something?"

"He might've been," Ichigo said. "He held his own against Aizen, but he still hasn't told me anything yet."

"So, your dad doesn't talk about his past, either? I'm sure his is a lot milder than my dad's."

"You think? What happened in his past life?"

"He uh... He used to capture and destroy planets for a space dictator."

"... Oh."

And they talked...

"So you guys can make wishes whenever you want," said Ichigo. "And if you have beans that heal all your injuries, how the hell does anyone die?"

Trunks laughed. "It's a little more complicated than that, but I can see how it sounds weird."

"Wait, so if you're a Saiyan... or part Saiyan, that means there's life on other planets, right?"

"For sure. There's twelve other universes, actually."

"Wow, I could make a fortune if I spill these secrets into the world."

"You probably shouldn't unless you're fine with the mass hysteria and chaos that'll follow."

And they talked...

"So are you and Orihime talking or… what's going on with that?" Trunks asked.

"Ah, why does everyone ask me about that?" replied Ichigo. "We're just friends... for now. I don't wanna change the dynamic of our friend group. And shouldn't you be worried about your own things, like, I don't know, a certain captain stalking you?"

"Well, she threatened to kill me. She's probably keeping tabs on me for the Soul Society. Nothing's going on there."

"Hey, all I'm saying is that she never had to keep tabs on me. If you ask me, those are personal tabs."

"Fuck you." Trunks gave a playful shove to a laughing Ichigo.

And they continued...

"College is okay," Trunks said. "If you gotta stay on top of studying, you'll be fine."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ichigo replied. "I'm guessing you're not much of a socialite, but how does that part of college work?"

"You'll definitely meet new people in the beginning. It's up to you if you want to stay friends with those people, though. I met a lot of people, but I wouldn't call them friends. I'm probably gonna hang out with Goten more than anybody when we get back. Once he leaves freshman dorms in a year, we'll rent our own place."

"So I guess I'm asking the wrong person about partying."

"I've been to a good amount. They're alright. Not my thing, but you might feel differently about it."

"Eh, I'll probably be busy anyway with studying."

"What are you gonna go for?"

"Still debating, but I think I wanna be an attorney."

"Oh, nice."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Student loans and all-nighters, I'm so excited. What about you?"

"Electrical engineering, I might try to minor in Comp Sci if my major doesn't kill me first."

And they continued...

"It's stressful," Ichigo said with his head lowered. "He could be anywhere; he could show up at any moment."

"Well, how did he escape in the first place?" Trunks asked. "You're the one who beat him, right?"

"I thought I did, but when I checked the crater from my last attack, there wasn't a trace of him left. After that, I could sense him leaving the Soul Society, but I was too weak to chase after him. I had to sacrifice my Soul Reaper powers just to fight at that level, and I still couldn't get the job done."

"You sacrificed your Soul Reaper powers? But... you just fought me with Soul Reaper powers."

"I made a deal with some people that only wanted to steal my power. Luckily, the Soul Society bailed me out helped me recover them for good."

"You've been living with that fear for years, and you don't know what it's gonna take to stop him from destroying the world. I know what that feels like, but if I had to hold that in for as long as you have, I'd probably lose my mind."

"It's a daily struggle not to. My friends and family take my thoughts off of it sometimes. But they're the ones that keep my mind on it. If he comes back ten time stronger than before, what am I gonna do? Is it just an inevitable end?"

"No way." Trunks stood up and held his hand out, prompting Ichigo to grab it and pull himself up. "If you train harder, you'll definitely be able to stop him. I feel the same stress you do. Soon enough, my dad's gonna get old, and I'm gonna have to protect the universe. It sucks that it falls on me and Goten, but that's how it has to be. In the meantime, how about I help you out? I'll start you on a new routine and teach you all my moves, too."

Ichigo's eyes swelled. "You'd be willing to do that?"

"I might as well while I'm here. You could use some other moves besides a Getsuga Tensho."

"Well... I guess I have to help you in return now. Get your Zanpakuto out."

"Huh? Wait, are you sure? You don't have to do this if you're not okay with it."

Ichigo raised his fist to Trunks. "I lost my end of the bet, so I gotta uphold my end of the deal. I'm gonna put my trust in you, as long as you put your trust in me."

Trunks grinned and bumped his fist. He then summoned the sword to his hands and turned it over to Ichigo.

Ichigo scanned the Zanpakuto, searching for a clue. "So, how the hell does this work?"

"Um, try focusing your energy into it. That's what I do when I bring it out."

"Alright, here goes." Ichigo gripped the scabbard and handle. Summoning his spiritual pressure from within, he forced it into the blade. After ten seconds and no results, he stopped.

"I don't think it worked," he said with an exhale. "Maybe… if we both try it, it might do something."

Trunks placed his hands on the sword. "It's worth a shot."

"All right, on three, we do it."

Trunks nodded. Ichigo counted down, and both of them concentrated their spiritual pressure on the sword. After a few seconds, light emitted from the Zanpakuto, and an intense sensation overcame both of them from the cores of their being. They screamed as the light enveloped them and the surrounding area. The light dissipated, and the boys opened their eyes, surprised at what they held. Trunks let out a gasp as he saw his sword had changed its form.

"That's… definitely not Zangetsu," Ichigo said.

Trunks took the sword for himself. "No way, this is just like the sword the future me had." Trunks took the straps hanging from the sides and buckled them across his chest.

"There's a future you?"

"I'll explain that one later. It's a nice lesson in multiverse theory."

The two exited the basement and went upstairs to find Kisuke and Rukia waiting for them.

"Took you two long enough," Urahara said. His eyes met the new sword on Trunks' back. "But I see that you two came to an understanding."

Ichigo nodded. "But Kisuke, what's the deal? It looks nothing like my Shikai. Do you think it worked?"

"I'm sure it did, but Zangetsu might have changed his appearance to suit Trunks' tastes."

"I guess so." Ichigo looked at a nearby clock on the wall. "Huh? It's five already? We were down there for three hours?" He looked at Trunks, who returned a shrug. "Is what it is, I guess. Come on, I'll tell my dad you're both staying over dinner."

"Actually, Ichigo," said Kisuke. "Trunks is going to be staying here." Out of nowhere, he whipped out an apron. "Starting now, he's going to be Urahara Shop's newest employee!"

Trunks, with a half-hearted smile, accepted the apron. "Oh, okay. Guess I'll see you guys tomorrow, then."

"Sounds like a plan," Ichigo said as he and Rukia waved goodbye before departing.

"So, Trunks, I saw you met my former squad mate, Soi Fon, earlier. I hope she didn't scare you."

Trunks raised his eyebrows. "Wait, you guys were in the same squad?"

"Yep, but I'll save my Stealth Force stories for another day. I wouldn't worry about her too much, though."

"My dad has unintentionally prepared me to deal with people like this all my life, so I'm not worried about it."

"I see. Well, how about we eat, and then we'll discuss what you'll be doing here during your stay?"

Trunks agreed, then folded his apron. "Hey, Mr. Urahara?"

Urahara waved his hand at Trunks. "No need to be so formal, my boy."

"Sorry. Kisuke, Rukia told me you're a pretty tech-savvy person."

"Well, I try my best to be. Why do you inquire?"

"Have you ever thought about building a gravity chamber?"

"A gravity chamber, you say? Do you have one of these built-in your universe?"

"My Grandpa built one about twenty years ago for my friend's dad."

"Well, I guess your grandfather beat me to it. A gravity chamber is one of those inventions I have a schematic for, but never really got around to building. I have one designed to simulate four hundred times Earth's normal gravity."

"Can you build one that simulates five hundred times gravity? It'll be a big help for our training."

Kisuke smiled and adjusted his hat. "Well, with a few tweaks to the design, and with the help of our newest employee, we can have it done in a couple of days."

In the Seireitei, while Trunks and Rukia journeyed to the Senkaimon, Goten and Captain Hitsugaya had already arrived at their destination: the Squad Ten Barracks.

In one swift motion, Toshiro pulled open the door to a room. "This is where you'll be staying. I'll bring bedding later. For now, just put your luggage here."

"Oh, sure," Goten replied. He entered into the vacant room. "Thanks, Toshiro."

"It's Captain Hitsugaya! I've already told you that."

"Sorry, sorry. My bad." Goten placed his suitcase on the floor. Ah man, I don't even get a bed? What the hell. I bet Trunks got a bed staying with that Ichigo guy.

"Come, we have much to discuss," said Toshiro.

"Okay," replied Goten. As he took a step towards the door, his stomach let out a fierce growl. Embarrassed, Goten placed his hand behind his head and chuckled. "Um, do you mind if we get something to eat first?"

A/N: Quick note- Pseudo Blue is pretty much Future Trunks Super Saiyan Rage form from Super.