DSI: RELOADED Chapter 9: Hacking Up the Charts, a digimon fanfic

Digimon Savers International: RELOADED

Chapter 9: Hacking Up the Charts

Greg

On Monday, after the battle with Citramon, I reviewed the footage with Marcus. "You mean you actually landed a punch on that guy?" he asked in amazement. "Yeah, but I don't think I'll do it again. I mean, I was lucky Kabuterimon was there to catch me. You had to be there," I said. "All right, all right. I see it, so I believe it. The only reckless one around here is me, OK?" "I wasn't being reckless, Marcus. I was just doing my job in the most awesome way I know how. I can't let you have all the fun, can I?" "Heh... no you can't."

That day, we had lunch at this local ramen stand. The food was 10 times better than Deramon's. Nearly eight years later and I still couldn't get the taste out of my mouth. Marcus separated his two chopsticks. "And now, it's eatin' time!" he cheered.

Just as he was about to dive in, we saw a woman run by followed by cameramen. "I didn't know they had TMZ in Japan," I said. The great thing about these local stands is that they'll practically do anything to keep a customer, including taking requests for channel changes. It just so happened that the TV was tuned to the Japanese equivalent of TMZ. We listened in as the narrator said, "It seems Neon Hanamura been seen with a new lady wrapped around his arm. They've even been seen leaving his very posh apartment together. We ain't naming names, folks, because... we don't know her." A man wearing a hoodie in an office popped up on the screen. "Seriously, I don't know her," he said. But when we got a good look at the picture, we suddenly recognized who it was. Those yellow sunglasses couldn't fool us. Marcus and I nearly choked on our ramen. "ANYA!?" I grew concerned. The last thing I needed was for a friend of mine to be dating people who would use her once and then throw her away. I feared the worst.

The next day, several of the Digimon waited outside the door. Apparently they had heard the news too. Anya just stood there, stunned. "All right, what's the deal? Out of my way, everyone!" she insisted as she walked by.

But, two girls were determined."Anya!" they called at the same time. The Miniskirt Police stopped her in her tracks. Megumi started the interrogation. "You're dating Neon?" "Does that ring a bell, Ms. Keep Secrets from Her Friends?" Miki added. She pointed a finger in Anya's face. "Don't deny it!" "We read all about it in the newspaper!" Anya attempted to defend herself. "Well, uh... I..."

I cut in. "Excuse me, ladies. Anya, what has he done to you?" I asked with concern. That freaked her out. "WHAT!?"

Marcus walked by. "Aww just leave her alone. Who cares who she goes out with? It isn't any of our business," he said. "It is now!" Megumi, Miki, and I retorted. "We've been getting phone calls from all over asking Anya for interviews!" Megumi angrily reported, and Miki added, "Not to mention the mail from Neon's fans."

I grabbed Anya and held her in my arms. "Anya... I care too much about you to let anyone take you without a fight!" She pushed herself away from me. "My paper cuts have paper cuts! Everyone wants to know who Anya is," Miki cut in.

That took her by surprise. "Wait a minute. My name wasn't on the television and I wore a hat and yellow sunglasses. That was a completely fool-proof plan," she argued. "Look over here," Tom said.

We rushed to the computer where he pulled up Anya's Facebook page and pointed things out. "All your information has been posted to the Internet. Your name, your phone number, even your favorite genre of music. Hmmmmm... show tunes. Huh? What have we here?" He clicked on "Pictures" and discovered the picture we had taken in 2002 just before the Digimon were forced to leave the first time to the Digital World. He expanded it and put it on the big screen.

"I thought I set that album to Friends only. Someone must have hacked into it," Anya gasped. I just shook my head. "So you guys do have history together," Marcus observed.

I figured I might as well walk down Memory Lane, so I pointed everyone out. "Oh yeah, I... I might as well introduce you to the other Tamers. OK, starting from the extreme left, we've got Renamon, then Rika, Takato, Guilmon, Calumon, Jeri, Terriermon, Henry... Oh, Veemon and I are right next to Ed and Henry-" "Do you realize what this means?" Tom asked in horror. "Um... no."

Just then, Commander Sampson walked in. I stood at attention, and Sampson sighed. "As you were," he said. Kamemon offered him a mug of tea, and he took it. "Thank you for the tea," he acknowledged. Then he sat down and took a sip of it.

"Aren't you going to offer any to Kudamon?" I asked. "He can get his own," Sampson simply answered. Kudamon seemed content with that.

"Commander, I'd like to direct your attention to this photo we discovered on Anya's Facebook page," Tom began. "Hmmm... interesting. I recognize a number of people in this picture. There's Henry, I know his father quite well. And there's Gregory and Anya... it seems you've lost some weight since this picture was taken, Gregory." "Um... yes sir," I said.

Thomas redirected the conversation back to him. "Commander!" "What is it, Thomas?" "I'm sure you're aware of what Anya has been up to. You do watch the news, correct?" Sampson took another sip. "Yes, every night," Kudamon answered. Tom shook his head.

Sampson put his mug down. "About a month ago, we started picking up a Digimon signal in the RPG Building downtown." "Our analysis eventually confirmed that the identity of the Digimon being harbored in the building is Keramon," Kudamon continued.

"He's a mischievous Digimon who can manipulate technology in the real world, especially on the Internet," Tom added. Kudamon nodded to confirm this. "The Digimon Data Squad 2nd Division secretly scouted the area and determined that the prime suspect is the singer Neon Hanamura," Sampson continued, holding up a photo.

"So that means... you sent Anya undercover?" I asked. "Under what cover?" Agumon asked. "That means in secret," Marcus explained.

He turned back to the commander. "But Commander, if we know he's hiding a Digimon, why don't we just arrest him? Why all the secrecy?" "It's not that simple, I'm afraid. The RPG Building is high-tech. Its security systems can even keep DATS out," Kudamon explained.

"But why do we have to put Anya in danger?" I asked. "Danger? Gregorivich, what are you talking about? I'm not in any danger. In fact, it's kind of fun," Anya said. "Fun? You tagged everyone in that photo!You saw how someone just hacked into your Facebook account," I countered.

Sampson put his hands up. "Despite today's trouble, we have no other choice. Anya will continue her secret investigation." "This is so wrong!" Megumi shouted, coming closer to the desk. She looked ticked. "Why does Anya get to do it?" "Yeah, I want to meet a famous singer!" Miki gushed.

My jaw dropped. "Oh, get over yourselves! Have any of you considered Anya's safety? She's being followed by the paparazzi! She could get hurt... or worse!" I cut in.

"You two get over yourselves, and you stop this foolishness, Gregory! If you must know, there's a reason why Anya was chosen for this mission," Sampson explained. We all turned toward Anya.

"You see, I knew Neon when I was younger. A few years before I fell into the Digital World and met Lalamon, Neon's family transferred to Moscow. We were in the same class in primary school," she explained. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" Miki asked. "Um, because it isn't important?" Marcus guessed.

Megumi gave him the death stare. Anya went on. "I didn't think it would matter. Neon was so different back then. He was such a shy boy then. I never would have guessed he would have become such a success story."

Just then, Anya's cell phone rang. She picked it up and looked at the screen. "Hmmm... it's a text message. 'Hey baby, want 2 blow off work 4 beach? Luv, Neon.' Oh, I'll just have to answer it." She slanted her phone to the side and slid it open, revealing a keyboard. Then she started typing on it. I didn't look to see what she wrote.

Later, we went outside and just stared out at the lake by the side of headquarters. A sportscar drove up to the sidewalk. We heard it come in, and there was this young man with blonde hair, a purple jacket and a pink T-shirt in front by the wheel. He waved to Anya, and she rushed over to him. "Hi, Neon!"

As soon as she left, Miki and Megumi grasped hands in despair. "No fair!" They talked for a moment, and then he drove off. "See you at dinner!" she shouted as he sped away.

"Oh man... I know just how this is going to go down," I said. "How?" Tom asked. "First, he's going to show up with a bouquet of flowers and some scented candles. She's going to cook him dinner. They'll eat and have a wonderful conversation. He's going to secretly pull out something from his pocket and put it in her drink. Then, when she's not in complete control... he's going to take her virginity!"

"You want her first, don't ya?" Marcus asked with a sly grin on his face. My blood started to boil. "Marcus Damon, how dare you suggest such a thing! I'm her friend, I'm looking out for her!" "You mean you like like her, don't ya?" "...no, but I do like her." "Admit it, bro. You're jealous because somebody's going to get into her pants before you."

"What if that were Kristy?" Gary asked. That shut him up.

"Hey wait, introduce us!" Miki called. Marcus cut in. "You do know that he's a criminal, right?" he asked. "Alleged criminal," the Miniskirt Police corrected him. "Gimme a break!"

Just then, I heard rustling in the bushes. Tom must've heard it too because he kicked a can in there. "Ow!" a voice cried, as the source quickly rolled out. It was a cameraman, and he scampered away. I decided to check the bushes on the other side just in case there were others. Sure enough, I found two. "Aha... so, you think you can get a quick snap snap of my friend, eh?" I pulled out my neuralyzer and my sunglasses. Seconds later, their minds were completely blank. "You two just wasted your film," I said.

Anya

For some strange reason, Greg supposes that Neon will eventually force me into something against my will. Neon is a truly kind person, and I just refuse to believe he would ever do that to me. However, a girl can never be too careful. That is why I made a quick trip to the drugstore and packed my purse before our date.

I met him at his apartment and made vegetable soup. We both had water, and I was sure to be careful. "Interesting. I've noticed that after all these years, you're finally eating carrots," I observed. "Oh yeah," Neon remembered. "Remember when we got carrots at lunch? You'd hide them in your pocket so you wouldn't have to eat them." "Oh yeah, and when you worked in the lunchroom, you'd purposely give me a ton of them." "Well... I did want you to grow to be big and strong." "Yeah, and now they're my best friends!"

We laughed and laughed about that one. "Ah, Neon... this has been so much fun. It's such a shame that you have to work tonight," I said. "Wish I didn't." "Do we have time for dessert?" I asked. He got up from the table and started walking off. "Ah, I'm afraid not. I better get to it." I got up too. "Maybe I could watch you work," I suggested. "...Sorry, I'd be too distracted to write any songs." "But Neon..." "Sorry, Anya. You don't mess with success." He opened his door and walked out. "Now don't you walk into my room while I'm working, OK? Later." Then he walked toward a silver door.

I quickly rushed back to my purse and checked everything. It was all there, including my Digivice. I pulled it out and took it out of Sleep Mode. "It's time for us to get to work too, Anya," Lalamon decided. I nodded my head. "Mmmm hmmm..."

Greg

Neon Hanamura had two strikes against him in my book. One for even dating Anya in the first place, and the second for supposedly hiding a Digimon. Let me just say off the bat that I am not the possessive type. I was just looking out for her. My desire to protect her had fueled Imperialdramon's upgrade to Fighter Mode. We had a history and a connection in that we were both Tamers. I couldn't let anything happen to her.

Veemon and I spent that night at HQ, working as usual. I was in the middle of running a search for Neon's apartment when an audio ad popped up on the screen. "Hey everybody, have you heard the new song by the pop sensation Neon? Download it today and tell all your friends too!"

"Huh? What's going on with the computer?" I asked. I searched for an exit button to click on, but I couldn't find any. Just then, Marcus and Agumon rushed in. "Huh? Here too? Hey, Commander! What is going on here?" Marcus asked. The commander had one answer. "A web takeover."

"Neon's video has been uploaded to every possible distribution stream," Tom explained. "What about our systems?" Sampson asked.

"I don't know. I can't tell if they've been damaged. The video's blocking out my access," Megumi reported. "Well then, maybe we should reboot it. Where's the reset button?" I asked.

That was the last thing on Sampson's mind. "We can't worry about that now. Contact Anya immediately." "I've been trying to contact her, sir, but I'm not getting any answer," Miki noted. "Try harder."

Marcus realized what was happening. "Oh no..." When Marcus dashed out of the room, I followed him. "We'll take the cruiser, it's faster," I suggested.

Marcus pointed out the way to Neon's apartment. When we arrived, we took the elevator up. "All right, Marcus, so you've seen all those cop shows, right? They've got this technique called 'good cop, bad cop'. I'm thinking we should use it on this guy," I suggested. "Why?" he asked. "Because you and I both know Neon's up to no good, that's why. We both want to protect Anya, right?" "Right." "Right. So which one do you want to be?" "Which one gets to beat people up?" "The bad one." "I wanna be that guy." "That's funny, so do I." "Heh, I guess we're both the bad cops then." I nodded, and we made it up to Neon's floor.

I rang the doorbell a few times while Marcus pounded on the door. "Anya, are you OK? IT'S ME! MARCUS!" he shouted. "Everything's going to be fine, I promise!" I added through the door.

No answer. Marcus continued, "Open the door! We're here to protect you!" No answer. "We know you're in there!" I shouted. "COME! ON!" After that incident at the amusement park, I vowed to myself that I would only use my DigiSoul when absolutely necessary. This was absolutely necessary. "Marcus... please step aside," I said. He did, and I directed my DigiSoul to my fist. "Hmmmm... HA!"

I swung back and fired a punch, breaking the door open. Sure enough, there was Anya standing with her purse. That brightened our mood. "Whew... Anya. I'm so glad to see you. Are you OK?" I asked. "Marcus, Greg... I'm fine, but you two are going to blow my cover. Neon's here," she hissed. It seemed fate wanted us to meet, because seconds later, Neon arrived. Marcus went straight for his collar. "Don't play dumb! I know what you're up to!" Marcus shouted. "I know how to break your spine," I threatened. "What do you mean? Who are you?" Neon asked.

I went right up to his face. "Shut up, you son-of-a-bitch. We'll ask the questions around here. If we discover you've hurt Anya-" "I wouldn't dream of it!" he said meekly, holding his hands up. "Just confess and tell me what you have planned in that mind of yours!" Marcus barked. Neon asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Shut up and answer his question!" I demanded. The fight spilled out into the hallway. "Are you getting tired, Marcus?" I asked my partner in protection. He nodded, so I took control of Neon's collar. "Check Anya for fluids, would ya, Marcus?" I asked.

["More Than You Deserve" (from More Than You Deserve)

Originally Written by Jim Steinman

Lyrically Adapted by DigitalCorp

Performed by Greg Logan (Doug Erholtz)]

As the music starts, Marcus attempts to check Anya for fluids. He takes off her blouse and checks her breasts. When he checks too long, Anya slaps him. Greg facepalms. He throws Neon to the side and turns to Anya.

Greg:

From the very first moment I saw you, I knew our love would be so strong
And the very first moment I kissed you, I knew our joy would last so long

Greg then makes an accusatory gesture to Neon.

Greg:

But now I see you making love to this bum here, I don't know whatever to say
I see you making love to this bum here

Greg goes back, grabs Neon by the collar, and starts getting confrontational.

Greg:
So I'll look him right in his eyes and I'll say- "Listen, boy!

Won't you take some more, it's what you came for
And don't mind me, I won't throw you no curves
Have yourself a ball with my good woman
Won't you take some more, boy? It's more than you deserve
Won't you take some more, boy? It's more than you deserve"

Greg throws Neon away again. Marcus starts tearing up small pieces of Anya's skirt, including one he thinks may be unstained. Anya is increasingly disturbed by this, especially when Marcus starts poking his finger up her skirt, feeling for dampness on her panties. As Greg nears the chorus, Neon tries to dodge into a stairwell, but Marcus moves away from his examination to bring him back into Greg's clutches.

Greg:

When I saw you hanging 'round the Ginza, shining like an angel in the night
And when I saw you crying like a baby, I knew you'd have to be my wife

Then I saw you making love to this jackass, I didn't know whatever to say
I saw you making love to this jackass

So I looked him right in his eyes and I said - "Listen, boy!

Won't you take some more, it's what you came for
And don't mind me, I won't throw you no curves
Go on and have yourself a ball with my good woman
Won't you take some more, boy? It's more than you deserve
Won't you take some more, boy? It's more than you deserve"

During the instrumental break, we see the enemy Digimon Keramon at work, hacking Neon's song up the chart. We return to the scene where Greg now turns back to Anya. Marcus is still poking around her, gathering whatever evidence he can. But, since there is none, Marcus continues to peek under her skirt, at one point taking it off. Anya retaliates by hitting him upside the head with her purse.

Greg:

Now I think I'm gonna have to leave you
Because I'm feeling much too weak to share
And the pie, oh it's cut in too many pieces
The flavor that I crave is no longer there
Then I saw you making love to this unsavory man
I didn't know whatever to say
I saw you making love to this unsavory man
So I looked him right in his eyes and I said - "LISTEN GOOD!

Won't you take some more, Neon? It's MORE THAN YOU DESERVE!"

Greg lays in one good punch to Neon's face and then holds him there. Suspecting there are cameras, he doesn't deal any truly serious damage. As the song ends, he has to breathe heavily to calm down.

Anya

This was becoming way out of hand. Marcus and Greg, even with their good intentions, were going to blow my cover and possibly beat up my childhood friend. I could not let it go further. "HOLD IT!" I shouted, stopping the fight. I split Greg away from Neon. "Gregory, I had no idea you were the jealous type. I told you once and I told you a thousand times. We are done. Now don't make me have to file a restraining order!" I knew there might be cameras watching, so I gave Neon a full-blown kiss on the lips, one of the most passionate I had given anyone. Then, I got dressed, and walked away toward the elevator. Greg dropped his head.

Greg

We spent the next hour being interrogated by a security guard who threatened to report us to the police if we stalked Neon again. Thankfully, Neon didn't press charges. Needless to say, Marcus and I went back to base as losers.

The next day, we continued our analysis. Tom came up with a discovery. "Commander, I've been doing a statistical analysis. In the months since Keramon's signal appeared, downloads of Neon's song increased 400%." "Keramon's making it sound like Neon's selling more songs than he is," Sampson concluded. Tom got up and walked toward the desk. "Exactly. He's very ingenious. Clearly Neon's making a fortune through fraud."

Marcus rushed in. "So when do we grab this guy?" he asked urgently. Anya rushed in too. "Commander, please! He's innocent until proven guilty, remember?" she pleaded.

"What's Neon's schedule? Quick," Sampson ordered. Miki and Megumi looked it up on their computers. "At noon, he's making a talk show appearance," Megumi reported. "Which means he'll be back home by 3 PM. But at midnight, he's supposed to be a guest on a radio show," Miki added.

The commander made a decision. "Tonight, we'll stage a covert search of Neon's apartment. Thomas will be in charge," he decided. Anya didn't look happy at all about it. "One request, sir. Keep Anya out of this operation," Tom suggested.

Anya didn't like that. "Thomas..." "She's become too emotionally involved in this case," Tom explained.

The commander made his decision. "I agree. Anya, you will stay here. Everyone else, go with Thomas." "Right!" we agreed unanimously.

"Wait just a moment, Commander!" Anya suddenly called, "If I am to stay out because I am too emotionally involved..." She turned her attention toward me. "...then Greg should stay out of the mission as well. He assaulted Neon last night."

Sampson gasped. "You did?" I had to defend myself. "It was out of Anya's best interest, sir. Marcus and I conspired to take Neon down by force if necessary." "Still, we can't have that. Anya, your request is granted. You and Gregory will be sitting this mission out. Everyone else, your leader is Thomas." "But sir-" "That's an order and my final word on the subject. Dismissed."

"Roger!" So, they shipped out.

"Anya... why'd you do that?" I asked. "Because you jeopardized my undercover mission just so you could play the hero. Do you think I want to be constantly swept off my feet?" "Um, no?" "Exactly. I had everything under control until you and Marcus decided to 'rescue' me. If I could take on the D-Reaper then, I can take care of myself now." "Somehow, I get the feeling you're questioning my sincerity," I guessed dejectedly as I slumped into a chair.

I went on, "I meant every single word I said, Anya. Don't you get that?" "You mean... you, you really do care for me?" "Absolutely. We're friends, but we're so much more than that. You were the first person that I met other than the Japanese Tamers. The only reason I was able to get Imperialdramon into Fighter Mode was because... I wanted to protect you. You're a really nice girl, Anya, and I don't want anyone to take advantage of you. Do you get what I'm trying to say?" "Actually, I'm kind of touched at the sentiment. But that doesn't mean I approve of what you did." "I'm sorry about that. Still, I had good intentions." She came closer to me and smiled. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions, comrade. Perhaps you can be saved." I stood up, and she hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I spent that night listening to one of Neon's supposed hits. I played the track on the MP3 player.

["Heartbeat"

Written by Eric Kaz & Wendy Waldman

Performed by Neon (Yuri Lowenthal)]

And the song is not that bad, actually. Well, it's decent, but it's certainly not what hits the charts in 2009-2010. We look at Keramon hacking the song up the charts further, as everyone around the world seemingly enjoys the song.

Neon:

I don't care what you say
You can give it away
Your money don't mean much to me.
I've been out on my own
Gonna go it alone now
'Cause that's the way it's got to be.

Ev'rybody tells me how

I can beat the odds for now.
Well I've been standing by the fire
I just can't feel the heat,
can't feel the heat.

Heartbeat

I'm looking for a heartbeat
Heartbeat

I'm looking for a heartbeat
Beating like mine.

Looking at me
It's easy to see

You think you know just how I feel.
Well, but you do me wrong

and it won't take me long
Before my restless heart will heal.

I'm looking for a love
Love like mine
They tell me it's so hard to find
But I can feel it in the rhythms

the heartbeat in the street.

Heartbeat

I'm looking for a heartbeat
Heartbeat

I'm looking for a heartbeat
Beating like mine
Beating like mine.

Tell me what you feel now

without a heartbeat
Tell me is it real now without a heartbeat?

Heartbeat