The morning air was crisp, the skies clear, and Kai was already regretting wearing sleeves.
Bulma stood at the edge of the Capsule Corp landing pad, sunglasses on, tablet in hand, and backpack strapped like she was about to climb a mountain.
"We're flying west," she said. "The satellite facility's deep in the ridge — old research station. Barebones staff. No one's touched it in a year."
Kai adjusted the strap on his shoulder. "We're not driving?"
She gave him a look. "If you so much as touch a key again, I'll shove a gun up your tailbone."
The trip was peaceful at first. Kai flew just above the clouds, carrying Bulma with one arm while she tapped through blueprints on her tablet with the other.
"You know," she muttered, "most guys would be too macho to play chauffeur."
Kai smirked. "Most guys can't fly."
"Touché, sky-boy."
The facility was tucked into a craggy mountainside — sleek metal domes half-buried in rock, with overgrown weeds and rusted security drones scattered around.
"This place looks abandoned," Kai said, landing gently.
"It was a test site for high-density gravity plating," Bulma said. "We moved most of the data out years ago, but the physical tech's still in there. And I need some of it."
She scanned her ID at the entrance. Nothing happened.
"…It might be a little locked."
Kai gently kicked the door. It fell off the hinges.
"Security breach successful."
The halls were dim, lit by emergency strips. Dust floated in the air like it was afraid to settle.
Bulma led the way, pointing at things and complaining about how "everything here is old enough to legally rent a car."
Kai kept his senses sharp.
Something was… off.
Then, just as Bulma cracked open a storage chamber:
CLANG.
Something scuttled down the hall. Then another clang.
Then—
"INTRUDER DETECTED. POWER SIGNATURES: UNKNOWN. INITIATING PROTOCOL: DON'T DIE."
"…Did that robot just name its protocol?" Kai asked.
Bulma peeked around the corner. "Oh no."
A bipedal, rust-covered combat unit — still active, somehow — charged around the corner, plasma cannons primed and roaring.
"YOU HAVE VIOLATED THE TERMS OF SERVICE. ALSO, I'M VERY ANGRY."
Kai stepped in front of Bulma as it opened fire.
Bulma screamed.
The blasts bounced off Kai's shirt.
"…Okay," she blinked. "That's new."
"Weighted," Kai said casually, flicking his wrist. "Keeps the laundry warm."
He vanished — reappeared behind the robot — and tapped it lightly on the head.
The machine powered down with a sad beep and collapsed like a dying air conditioner.
"Any more Terminators in here?" Kai asked.
Bulma kicked a broken drone. "No, just that one. It was supposed to assist researchers, not murder them. Stupid firmware updates…"
They found the gravity amplifiers stored in thick crates. Kai lifted all six like he was carrying paper bags.
As they flew home, Bulma sat in his arms again, hair whipping in the wind.
"You know," she muttered, "I didn't say it back there, but… thanks. That bot could've torched me."
Kai smirked. "I wasn't about to let a toaster ruin my protein shake supplier."
"…Was that a compliment or an insult?"
"Bit of both."
She laughed — real and light.
"You're the weirdest guy I've ever met."
"Thanks."