Chase the Morning

Genre: Horror/Romance
Rating: M
Warnings: Genderbending, gore, mutilation, character death, sexual scenes, language, abuse (will vary chapter-to-chapter)
Pairings: Den/Fem!Pru, eventual Den/Fem!Nor, SuFin, various others (will be mentioned chapter-by-chapter)

JUST SO YOU GUYS KNOW, THIS IS NOT A RETELLING OF THE MOVIE. It will contain certain elements, just for familiarity's sake, though.
I don't own anything that you recognize.

(And yes, I know, the last bloody thing I need is to be starting another story. Especially when I've not yet finished Tip of the Iceberg. But I've been sitting on this for a couple of months, and I couldn't wait any longer.)

Prologue: A Song of Introduction

The year is 2056. Much of the world has fallen into chaos, as mass-spread disease and organ failures have ravaged the planet. Out of the ashes rose a company called GeneCo, which offered affordable organ replacements to those who had suffered organ failure, with payment plans available if necessary; it also offered a type of anesthesia called "zydrate", to numb the pain and make surgery easier and faster.

It quickly grew to employ over 98,000 people in 124 countries, making more money annually than several dozen nations, and effectively running several countries in the meantime.

Eventually, surgery became compulsive, addictive – a brand new set of designer organs! New eyes! A new set of bones! – and most people fell into debt very quickly.

That was when the repossessions, as well as the black market dealings, began.

Those who fell behind on payments were in constant fear of their lives, as the Repossession Men – or "Repo Men", as they became known as – were hired by GeneCo to re-obtain GeneCo's property – by any means necessary.

At roughly the same time, zydrate – which was quickly found to be incredibly addictive – was offered legally for an exorbitant price, which drove men and women to collect the drug in the only way they could – by robbing graves and sucking corpses dry of the substance.

This, of course, was almost immediately outlawed worldwide, with any "Graverobber" caught being punished with death.

Now, Romulus Vargas, founder and owner of GeneCo, is dying. His right hand man, Frederick Scherer, is the only other person who is aware of this fact.

The news of his impending death has forced Vargas to look closely at his three grandchildren, to determine which one would be the most suitable heir to the massive company; thus far, none of them have made the cut. In desperation, Romulus has sent Frederick out to find an heir – using whatever means deemed necessary.

At the same time, a bright young woman named Astrid has moved back into her abusive family home to take care of her dying, Zydrate-addicted sister. A man named Kristoffer robs graves and sells drugs for a living. Two members of a powerful family within GeneCo play a dangerous game with junkies and Repo Men. Roxie Sweet, formerly known as Marion Bonnefoy, changes her looks daily and plots to bring down Prussia Beilschmidt, the star of the Genetic Opera, and take her place; Maria just wants to get out of the limelight, even if that means losing her life.

How are these things all connected? And more importantly, who will inherit GeneCo?

All will be revealed… at the Genetic Opera!

The Main Players

Kristoffer Densen – A Graverobber, a Drunk and a Zydrate Addict; Also known as Konge

Astrid Bondevik – A Caring Elder Sister

Emilia Bondevik – A Zydrate Addict

Aksel Bondevik – Father to Astrid and Emilia; an Accountant at GeneCo

Freya Bondevik – Their Deceased Mother

Linnea Bondevik – Their Stepmother

Berwald Oxenstierna – A Surgeon for GeneCo; Secret Partner to Tino and Adoptive Father of Peter

Tino Väinämoïnen – Berwald's Secret Partner; A Repo Man

Peter Kirkland-Oxenstierna – Berwald's Adoptive Son, aged 12 ½

GeneCo

Romulus Vargas – Owner and Founder of GeneCo

Frederick Scherer – Romulus' Right-hand Man; GeneCo's Top Surgeon

Marion "Amber Sweet" Bonnefoy – Romulus' Eldest Grandchild, a Zydrate Addict

Lovino Vargas – Romulus' Second Eldest Grandchild; Feliciano's Brother; Perpetually Homicidally Angry

Feliciano Vargas – Romulus' Youngest Grandchild; Lovino's Brother; Collector of Faces

Magdalena "Prussia" Beilschmidt – lead performer at GeneCo's Genetic Opera

Ivan Braginski – A Repoman

Various Others

Lars van Rijn – A Dealer, Graverobber, and Kristoffer's Roommate

Charlotte van Rijn – A Zydrate Addict's Anonymous Leader, former addict and Lars' sister

Natalia Arlovskaya – A Dealer; Ivan's half-sister