I wanted mostly to update one of my other stories, but my muse seems stubbornly set on this one for the moment, and far be it from me to deny myself some easy writing about a series I love. And remember, active communication and sharing of thoughts can never be encouraged enough. Contact keeps me going these days, yasee.

Spiel said, on we go.

Chapter 3: Battles Big and Small

OR

Hello, Outlet of Misplaced Aggression!

The meeting of Luna Platz, Bud Bison, and Zack Temple was simultaneously a sweet gesture, and completely infuriating. The fact that Geo had his whole story surmised as 'his dad died, and hasn't been back to normal school since' killed a lot of the good will he initially felt to them, and time worked against them when they met a suddenly much more prickly Stelar darting past them in the opposite direction.

It wasn't until he was at least three blocks away that he stopped, leaned against a wall, and smacked a palm against the side, ignoring the slight sting it made on his palm.

Geo knew they didn't intend it in a hurtful matter, just saying what they knew in a matter of fact explanation why they hadn't seen him before their encounter despite apparently being registered to their school, but damn if that wasn't the issue in itself. Speaking as if he should have been over this trauma by now, believing whole heartedly that he should just move on and never look back. He could see the logic, but the second he did so was the moment Kelvin Stelar would truly be dead.

But that would never happen. Not while he and his mum still believed so strongly, not while he had the first solid lifeline he'd had to the fact since the incident itself in the form of Mega. He still had bigger fish to fry than regular school, and it's not like he wasn't getting the same lessons through different means.

Geo roughly breathed out for a solid minute, tempering himself back to a normal, calm visage, even as he looked at his Transfer again, noting Mega staring up, waiting.

"Sorry, they...pushed some buttons."

"Don't be, I can get it. Some words can do more damage than any assault could, even if they don't know it. Just don't blow it out of proportions." Mega nodded, looking away for a moment to close out an ad for virus protection with a swing of his left claw.

Geo...could do that. It wasn't all their fault that he was still so raw regarding that incident, and he knew that they meant nothing extreme by it. He by all rights shouldn't have been so effected by it.

But he was, and that was enough for the moment.

"Hey, Mega, can you tell me more about the Wave World?" The question came almost without thought, as Geo stared up at the Orange crossed sky above him with his Visualizer, seeing the blue blurs of information and Mr. Hertzes programs doing their duties.

This brought up Mega's attention again, a massive grin forming on his muzzle as he smashed his arms together, forcefully minimizing the tab he'd been reading.

"Haha! Now you're speaking my language! C'mon, it's best if you experience this stuff yourself, not just through some long-winded spiel. You remember what you have to do?"

"I'll never forget it." Geo dryly retorted, even as he ducked down a side alley, looking around to make sure no-one was walking past, or peering through windows.

Seeing no one, he nodded, then gripped his Transfer.

"Denpa Henkan, Geo Stelar, On! The Air!" The call was made, the falling feeling came back, and the flash of light blinded Geo, but the process was faster, for lack of a better term. Not nearly as disorienting either when he suddenly appeared miles above in the sky, once more in the armor.

"Heh, gotta admit, there's something unique about preforming a Wave Change with someone. You can feel it, can't you? The rush, the light, the sense of everything around you?" Mega's voice came from his mouth as much as it did right in his ears to Geo, making him nod.

The same things he noticed right away the first time were still there, but without the threat of imminent combat, he was actually able to appreciate and understand just what he was feeling. Like he could jump to the moon, run on the clouds, see exactly where each crisscrossing and randomly appearing path he would need to take to reach each outlet around and beyond them. Like the world was open and he could go anywhere.

It made him very aware of how little he truly understood this new world around him.

"It's amazing, and I want to know everything." Geo spoke aloud, utterly truthful. The previous anger and indignation was completely forgotten, every bit of attention on the world around him trying to understand it.

"Heh, then I'll do my best. We'll practice Wave Riding while we do it too, so we aren't just sitting ducks if anything notices us. See those grooves in our boots?" Geo lifted a foot to see that, yes, on the bottom of his soles from toe to heel was a single straight line than he hadn't felt at all.

"These're what we use to travel on Wave Lines, the natural grooves and paths formed by Denpa Waves coming from and being received by separate sources. You can also move like you normally would, but that takes time too. Imagine yourself being pulled forward, and you'll move as the Wave does, to a point. Ready?" Mega finished, seeing Geo get into position.

With Mega's head facing forward ahead of him, and imaging he was waterskiing, his body became a blur of blue energy, joining with that mass of programs already there.

Geo felt like a fish in the sea, and he must have actually said it out loud, becasue Mega chuckled as they moved through the super highway, breaching up every so often to see where they popped up.

"From what I've seen and heard from Kelvin, that's a pretty apt analogy. EM Waves aren't called what they are without reason after all. Every single electronic and a majority of living creatures have their own Waves they produce and take in while existing, adding to and changing the natural Waves and environments around them. There are Waveholes that form when a 'tide' of Denpa goes in somewhere, but gets stuck or unable to go out in the same amount it went in with, either by accident or function. It's places like this where Viruses and Mr. Hertz come from." Mega explained as they breached, now over the downtown area, and pointing himself at a series of satellite dishes for an apartment complex were sat. Now that he mentioned it, Geo could see a small whirlpool shape at the points of their antenna...

"Wait, so viruses are natural occurrences then?" Geo questioned, realizing that was one of the biggest question plaguing current society.

Mega mulled his head left and right for a moment, before making a small chuff.

"Now that isn't quite right either. While there are certainly viruses that come about naturally, or as natural as they can be, a majority come from other sources. Most are designed by purpose, or are from some specific process getting too forgotten and outsourced to specific 'pools', where they crystalize and eventually break out into wider areas. It also has to do with how 'heavy' the Waves are in their area are."

"Heavy? But, they're all different Wavelengths. Do you mean specific frequencies?"

Mega shook his head at this, directing him above the road and looking down for a moment.

"No, frequencies can be shifted as a matter of need and necessity for EM Being. I'm talking more about...living, weight. To be more specific, emotional influence. Feelings like Loneliness, Rage, Envy, Despair, they weigh on a person and those around them, and make it harder for other kinds of Waves to move through the areas those people experiencing them are in. Spread it over enough people, and the more prime a breeding ground for Viruses it becomes. The Viruses then make the situation worse, and the cycle continues until it can't anymore. Alternatively, feelings like 'Happiness', and 'Kindness', make Lighter than average Waves which have the opposite problem. That...that was what Kelvin was researching when I last saw him." Mega explained before stopping for a moment, quietly saying the last sentence.

Geo felt his heart clench at that little tidbit, but forced himself to relax, fingers rubbing his pendant where it laid embedded in armor. It sounded exactly like the kind of thing his dad would have been researching.

While not the only one who worked on it, it was no exaggeration to say the BrotherBand System would never have come to be without Kelvin Stelar's involvement. After all, he was the one who discovered how Magnometal, the same substance once used to make personality chips for Net Navi's so long ago could resonate between linked systems, somehow boosting abilities and usages of the devices beyond what they could achieve alone. Growing stronger by working together, his goal to the very end...apparently even more than Geo had ever expected.

His eyes closed to stop the tears, and they miraculously did. He was glad he asked.

"Oi, kid! Viruses at 12 o'clock! You okay to fight, or do we need to beat it?" At least, he was until Mega's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, turning his head left to where to felt before he actually saw the viruses.

Three of the same Metenna from last night, but behind them was some kind of grey and blue cannon and what looked like an old fashioned motorcycle with one massive wheel made of fire.

Geo gulped, but still felt a dry grin grow on his face. They had just been talking about Viruses, and Geo WAS a fan of hand's on lessons...

"I think I'm good to go. On three?"

Mega's grin was sharp as usual.

"Why wait? LET'S GO BUCK WILD!"

Well, Geo couldn't argue with that. What a cathartic rollercoaster of a day.

END OF CHAPTER

Ah, I love exposition in the evening! Next time, battle, and more Wave Riding! Also want your thoughts on the world building I'm doing, because while It's semi explained in the games, I'm taking it a step further than it went. Hope you all enjoy, and that you all how fun telling me what else could happen. Cheers!