18 FEBRUARY, THURSDAY, LATE NIGHT
I had thought Dad might like to answer the question. Like Beta Lucas, Dad like to repeat stories too. He could tell Bell all about how Part A and Part B was actually the Alpha Part and the Beta Part. He could tell Bell about how there would be no winner when used against each other, or how undefeatable it was when used together, how Grandpa Alpha and his beta had never lost a fight... I waited for Dad to start speaking, but Dad only said, "Hn."
What? So he wasn't going to tell Bell "the secret"? I mean, it wasn't like it was that great a secret.
This was when I realized that Dad and Beta Lucas were mindlinking. Every now and then they would look at Bell and then at Ki, and then consider. What they were considering, I had no idea, but it was very suspicious.
After mindlinking like this at length, Dad asked, "Son, what makes you say there is a secret?"
No respect Dad, but with the way the two of you were going on, I think its too late to pretend it was nothing.
"When I was learning it, the more I practiced, the more I felt there was more to it than meets the eye." Bell answered, "The movements in themselves are very basic steps, universal to most hand to hand combat styles, but there was something about the arrangement and...pace, I think there is something uncanny about it..."
Well, if he were talking about my "uncanny" pace, let me assure you that this wasn't the way it should be done.
But Dad nodded, "I see. You have great insight, son. I'm impressed. We have taught this routine drill to our warriors since the inception of our pack, and none had been able guess the nature of the moves."
Eh? What was Dad talking about? Very suspicious... In that I was starting to think Dad was refering to a secret that he hadn't even told me.
Finally, Beta Lucas spoke, throwing up one of his hands in a magnanimous gesture, "Tell you what, Young Luna, come back with your True Beta when you've both mastered Part A and Part B, and the Alpha and I would gladly show you what you seek to know."
Mate's mouth pressed into a determined line, "We have already mastered it."
Liar! How could you possibly master something in one training session that the rest of us took years to do? Ki couldn't even remember the sequence!
Beta Lucas raised an eyebrow at that, and then he raised his hand, "May I just clarify, Luna, that you were just learning the drill at the training session today?"
"Yes. But both Ki and I have since mastered it." Bell insisted.
"Then..." Beta Lucas took a side glance at Dad who nodded, and then he continued, "I hope you don't mind us testing you?"
Yeah, beat them up! (Sorry Ki, you only have your true alpha to blame.)
"Come." Dad rose from the table, "We will continue this conversation in the basement."
Very, very, suspicious.
I had decided that no matter what, I would not be denied entry to the basement tonight, "Me too!"
Dad and Beta Lucas paused as if just realizing I was there. I jumped from behind Mate, and got on his back, "I'm going too!"
Mate gave low growl, and then Dad turned to lead the way, "Follow me."
Beta Lucas looked far less convinced it was a good idea to let me tag along, but he shook it off with a shrug and then said, "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."
Warn me what? When did you warn me? Dad returned with a low growl. Oh, so not me, he was talking to Dad. Very suspicious.
But we were all trooping single file down the hallway to the basement door. Dad stopped just for a moment to listen. He looked up to the direction of the stairs to the second floor... Omo was he listening out for Mum? Very, very, sus, Dad.
Dad opened the basement door with a quiet click, and we crept down the basement steps. Dad first, then Bell (with me attached), Ki followed behind, while Beta Lucas took the rear.
"Goddess, please watch your head." Ki cautioned. I ducked my head close to Mate's as he stepped through the door. Unfortunately, he was dream travelling, so I couldn't smell him... Not that I tried to smell his hair or anything.
Anyway, we got down to the basement, and it looked almost exactly the same as before. It was the only room in the house that didn't explode with the rogue bombs.
The only difference was one single newly painted wall where Dad and Beta Lucas had dugged a secret tunnel out from. Previously, the tunnel was blocked by one of the shelves when not in used. I got off Mate to explore the new wall... It was made of metal. Very suspicious.
The rest of the shelves seemed exactly the same. Even the boxes of old stuff were the same. Our old stuff! So we didn't lose everything... We still have our old junk. Yeah... great.
Dad cleared his throat and started saying, "Part A and Part B is actually the Alpha Part and the Beta Part...blah blah blah..."
(Please note that Dad did not actually say "blah blah blah..." He just repeated all the stuff he had always been tell me about our routine drill.)
I took the chance to inspect the boxes of junk. I sniffed around. Maybe, just maybe, some of my stuff had survived the blast. Maybe Mum had kept away some keepsake of mine? I poked around. Most of the boxes were sealed, I guess it was a good thing too based on the layer of dust around it. I could see the shelves where the boxes had been moved based on the sled marks left on the dust from the boxes being pushed, and also the hand prints on the boxes. I guessed Dad and Beta Lucas had shoved the contents of the missing shelf into the other three shelves.
Mum did label some of it. There was one labelled "curtains" and another labelled "Good china." Next to it was a box that had been shoved between them, "Bike gear+acc". I took at quick glance at Dad and then continued walking (I'll come back to investigate further when Dad wasn't around.) I found a box of "Gardening" and a box of "clothes". Weird, Mum would have usually donated old clothes. It was sealed so I couldn't look inside without attracting any unwanted attention. I took a quick glance at Beta Lucas who was now having his turn at telling how they decided to use the Alpha and Beta Parts as the training drill... blah blah blah.
I tiptoed to try to see the boxes on top, and then I hit jackpot. There was a box of "Sam", right next to a box of "Savy". Good job labeling, Mum!
But these boxes were sealed too. If only I had a flip knife - oh... cool! There was a box of "Knives" just next to my box. But they were inside the box, oh the humanity!
I decided to check in on how the lecture was going. It was still Beta Lucas' turn, "... Part A and Part B is actually the Alpha Part and the Beta Part..."
Again?
And then Beta Lucas said something I had ever heard before, "These were two parts of one technique."
Dad nodded, "The Twin Soul Devouring Technique."
Okay, this was new.
"How does it work?" Mate wanted to know.
"This technique can only be executed under two conditions." Beta Lucas said,"Firstly, you need to master the Alpha Part and the Beta Part. And secondly, you need a true Alpha and true Beta."
"Why does it matter?" Mate asked.
"Because son," Dad answered, "This is not just a physical technique. It is a merging technique of soul power."
"Only a true Alpha with his true Beta can merge soul powers like this." Beta Lucas boasted, "Not any Tom, Dick, or Harry."
"That's insane." Mate said, his voice low and deep.
Dad nodded, "It's only to be used when you have no other options so that you can protect that which is important to you."
For some reason, all the men in the room turned to look at me. What? I put my dust blackened hands behind my back quickly, I wasn't doing anything!
Now Mate looked back to Dad, "You would teach this to me? I thought you said it was bound to your family line?"
"And you are my son." Dad said. Yeah, that was convenient. If Grandpa Alpha had found out about our routine drill, were you going to tell him you've adopted our entire pack - and the pack next door as well?
"And you have a true Beta." Beta Lucas pointed at Ki, "So this should work."
"Watch carefully, son. We can only show you once." Dad said.
"What? We're showing them now?" Beta Lucas looked completely caught off-guard.
Dad nodded, "There is no time like the present. And besides, my old friend, weren't you just saying you'd like to know if our new wall is sturdy enough?"
Beta Lucas thought about it for a full one second, "Ah, the two of you better go stand over there with Sam."
But Dad had a better idea, "No, you two show us your Alpha and Beta Parts. Just make sure that at the end of the drill, you get out of the way."
Out of the way of what?
So I watched as my Dad and Beta Lucas handed over our family heirloom technique to my Mate and his beta instead of Ben and me. Ben's gonna be mad if he ever finds out about this... unless he already knew. Then it'll just be the usual - me being slow and not being told anything important again.
Oh, but it got exciting, Dad and Beta Lucas VS Bell and Ki. Okay, so they were just executing Part A and Part B of our routine drill, but they were doing it really fast. Their pacing wasn't a routine pacing either - it was quick and then slowed, and overall the effect looked like a real fight. I could tell Bell and Ki had to really work hard to keep up, but they did, just barely though, and then Dad suddenly alpha commanded, "Move!"
Bell and Ki jumped to the side just in time for Dad and Beta Lucas to finish the final step of the drill and at that moment, two black wolves, dark like the blackest shadows shot out from their persons, and crashed straight into the steel wall. The shelves rattled and the house shook - just a little. But the wall remained standing, although now its white paint was blackened. I guess the wall was strong enough, not sure about the rest of the house though.
Wth was that?