AN: wrote a companion piece to "i've fallen from grace" and i really hope that's not the beginnings of a plot forming. some chase and kimiko interaction (NOT chase/kim), some angst, some banter, etc.

un-beta'd so any and all mistakes are my own.

"Have you come to stop me, or join me?" Chase asks from his high throne. They're in a random city on an unknown continent; once beautiful and bright now destroyed. The formerly tall skyscrapers now reduced to almost nothing.

She could relate.

"Neither. Just thought I'd stop by and visit," Kimiko replies casually. She's dressed in jeans and Rai's old white hoodie. Her days of crazy j-pop fashion are dead and gone just like everyone she's ever loved.

"Really. Forgive me if I don't believe you."

"Honestly, I'm not here to do anything," she smirks. She kind of hates to admit it, but she likes this, the banter with Chase. It feels…comforting, in a way. "Besides, what the hell else would you have me do? The world had to end at some point."

"And yet we're still here," Chase points out. Kimiko shrugs and begins to make her way to the top of the hill where he sits.

"Just because the world's gone to shit doesn't necessarily mean that the people living on said world have to die out as well."

Chase starts to laugh. "It never ceases to amaze me how optimistic you continue to be. Anyone else would have given up by now."

"Optimism doesn't really exist for me anymore, Chase. And isn't this me giving up?" Kimiko asks, irritated. She's reached the top now, where Chase has so kindly offered her the floor to sit on. Well. It's better than throwing her into a bottomless pit or something.

"How? As you've already said, you're not joining me on the side of evil."

"But I'm not actively combating you, am I?" she points out, giving the stink eye to one of his pet lions trying to get too close.

Chase sighs, as if she's being deliberately obtuse about this.

"Hope, Kimiko. Hope for humanity, for yourself. It's been around 1500 years, you've lost everyone and everything, and yet you still remain hopeful. That's usually all it takes," he says, arching an expectant eyebrow at her. She ponders.

"…Are you encouraging me to try and stop you from your reign of evil?"

Chase snorts. "What the hell else would you have me do? I've already won; I've beaten down humanity and turned the earth into a wasteland. Now it's your turn."

"And what if I don't want to? Why can't I just let the world go to hell?" she challenges. She's standing again, glaring at him with hands balled into fists. Kimiko's really starting to regret coming to him; come to think of it, why had she come in the first place?

"Because, dear Kimiko, that's just not your style," Chase smirks and gestures idly with his hand, letting her know their conversation is over.