David watched as the investigation team combed thoroughly through documents, staff statements, and patient records. After they took his testimony and over the next few days things were unsurfaced about how the patients were treated badly in the institute, how the leadership of Peter favored experimental approach without restraint.

And now… everything was crashing down on his head.

He watched the ambulance take away James on his wheelchair, still slightly vegetative, but getting better.

The patients were relocated to other facilities in the area, with the main group he was following heading to the Sacred Spirit Institute.

“Master!”

“Master!”

“Master!”

The voices repeated and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was getting irritating. After the incident, they all took on calling him master Fu Kung, for some reason.

“You can leave for a better place now, guys,” he grumbled. “You can get healthier.”

“Thank you, master,” William bowed, fist in palm, “For putting us on the path!”

“Thank you, master,” Daniel followed.

“And for saving the Rat King,” Josh bowed, the squirrel standing on his palm.

Stolen story; please report.

“Don’t take that critter with you!” David snapped. It took a while before he managed to resuscitate the red furred critter, after Josh kept begging him to. He couldn’t even believe that worked. He had to use his index to perform CPR, and he feared the creature would bite him when he tried to push air in.

But there they were.

“Leave it, this is its home.”

“We have agreed to ascend together to the new realm, master,” Josh said, an offended look in his eyes. “We are brothers now, all of us.”

“What new realm?” David needed painkillers real bad, coffee won’t cut it anymore.

“The Sacred Spirit Realm, naturally,” William said with pride.

“Ah,” David smiled. They were going to pull this bullshit in the new hospital, then. “They are going to leave without you, to that new realm, if you don’t move.”

Olga came to get them, the Sacred Spirit’s car was waiting for them. So they all went together, waving to him. “We will visit you once we are strong enough, master, we will make you proud!” Daniel shouted.

“Yeah, yeah.”

And with that, the group he spent a good part of his time here watching left.

“Unhand me, hooligans,” Peter struggled against the police officers guiding him to their car. “David, you lunatic, do you know what you have done?”

“Saved those people from your tyrannical grab?” David smiled, “I hope.”

“You released dangerous people, we had to keep them there, we had to destroy their dantian so they wouldn’t threaten the world! How dare you? Even with two perfectly good eyes you couldn’t see what they were!”

“Uh huh,” David moved away, he heard all of this before. How they were all some kind of super martial artists with secret powers and about to move into another layer of reality.

“You unleashed the Iron Body back into the world, you better be ready for the consequences!” Peter barked a laugh as he was shoved into the police car.

“Now…” David huffed. “Where can I get some decent coffee?”

He walked away from the bedlam, as the wind stirred angrily behind.