A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! Please forgive me, oh wonderful readers! I honestly did mean to update sooner, but…well, you know. I guess I lost track of time. Well, here's your update, and I promise I won't take this long to update again!
Disclaimer: I can't even update this fic on time, how do you think I would do owning a manga/anime series? Not very well, that's how. It's safe to say I don't own Shaman King.
Note: Just a word out to everyone, I'm pretty sure fanfiction.net is deleting asterisks (the little star symbol things) when you upload fics. It's very annoying…so, yeah, just wanted to inform everyone about that. Unless it's just happening to me…o.o;;
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Broken Circuit
Chapter 5
By Amethyst Bubble
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"Ah, Anna-sama, you're back!" Tamao exclaimed. Anna didn't reply. She simply stalked across, slamming the door to her office behind her.
Tamao blinked, "Maybe her favorite restaurant was too crowded?" The pink haired girl mused. The blonde had seemed to be in a very bad mood. Tamao decided the safest course of action would be to stay out of Anna's way for a while.
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Anna sighed, leaning against her office door, her eyes shut tightly. First, Hao and Yoh disappear, and everyone assumes they're either dead, or in some distant country. The rumor spreading around the Asakura family was that Hao had kidnapped and murdered Yoh.
Well, at least Anna now knew that wasn't true. The twins were both very much alive and not as far away as everyone thought. Though, now that they had been recognized, they might flee somewhere else.
Anna slammed a fist into the door, letting out a low growl. "Damn them."
"Don't worry, my dear, we already are."
Anna's blonde head snapped up. Sitting cross-legged on her desk was none other then Asakura Hao.
"Don't look so surprised," Hao grinned, running a hand through his long brown hair, the movement causing his earrings to make a faint clinking sound.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice more shocked then angry.
"Can't I visit an old friend?" Hao mock pouted. "Really, Anna, you injure me."
"Please, Hao, I know you better then to fall for that old act." Anna glared at the brunette.
"Ah, I'm sure you do." A half-smile, half-smirk was sent her way.
"If you're trying to stay hidden, I don't think visiting the detective who's been sent to track you down is a particularly smart idea."
"Detective, eh? My, my…you sure have made a name for yourself, haven't you?" Hao asked, deliberately straying from the subject.
"Where is Yoh?"
"He's safe, that's all you need to know."
"No, I need to know more. You will tell me more." She said, her voice forceful.
"You can't boss me around. Maybe you could do that with Yoh, but I'm not Yoh, now am I?" That infuriating smirk once again graced his lips. Anna's hands curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms.
"You will tell me."
"No, I won't." Hao sang out, fiddling with the edge of his cloak, "Do say something more interesting, I'm getting rather bored."
"Why did you come here, then?" Anna asked, glaring at the brunette on her desk.
"Simply to talk," Hao said.
"No, you did not come to talk. Tell me, are Tao Ren and HoroHoro with you?"
"They are safe, yes."
"But are they with you?" Anna asked, nearly growling. Hao was so infuriating.
"You don't need to know. You may assure their sisters that they are safe, and that is that." Hao said, "Now Anna, it's been a fascinating conversation, and I really must be going soon. But before that, I'd like to give you a few words of advice."
"Like what?" Anna growled, narrowing her eyes.
"You aren't taking on the case of a certain Diethel Lyserg, are you?" Hao asked, his eyes glinting eerily, rather like a cat's.
"Have you been going through my papers?" Anna nearly shouted, infuriated. This guy had some nerve.
"Yes or no?"
"He came to me with a case, and I accepted, yes." She growled.
"Well, Anna," Hao slid off the desk and walked over to her, until there was only a few inches between them. "Stay out of that case. For your own good, of course."
"Why should I?"
"What's done is done, the whole place went up in smoke. There is nothing left." He whispered harshly, then turned on his heal, cloak and hair swishing behind him.
"How do you know so much about that case?" Anna asked, before an idea entered her mind. "The place went up in a sudden and unexplained fire. Hao, you didn't-"
An soft breeze entered the room as Hao slid open the window, "What's done is done." He repeated, smiling.
"What are you doing with that window? Hao, this is a seventh story office! You aren't thinking about jumping, are you?" Anna asked, taking a few steps forward.
"Goodbye for now," Hao smiled and waved, before jumping out the window.
Anna ran to the edge, looking down. Hao was no where in sight. "That infuriating bastard!" She slammed the window shut. "Stay out of the case? Oh no, especially not now."
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"HAO!" Yoh shouted, as his twin walked into the house, "Where have you been? Do you know how long you've been gone?" The brunette practically flung himself at his brother, wrapping Hao in a tight hug.
"Really now, Yoh, no need to suffocate me," Hao said, removing Yoh's arms from his neck.
"Do you know how worried I was?" Yoh asked.
"And do you know how annoying he is when he's worried?" Ren asked, looking up from the book he was buried in. Horo leaned over Ren's shoulder, trying to get a better look at the book the other held.
"As punishment, I am not kissing you for a whole two hours!" Yoh said, placing his hands on his hips.
"Oooh, now there's a punishment." Ren said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, and you look so adorable when you're mad too!" Hao pouted.
"Well, that's what you get for not even telling me where you were going!"
Hao sighed, "Do you want to know where I went?"
Yoh nodded. Ren and Horo looked up, curious.
Hao took a deep breath and began…
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CLIFFHANGER! XD
Heehee, for the next chapter, Hao will be explaining where he went, exactly. And some other stuff…I don't really know. I promise I won't take so long to get it up, though! Review, please!