Prolecto is a 2013 novel by Matthew MacDonald. It takes place in an alternate timeline at the turn of the millennium where technology is significantly more developed, police ride around in powered armor, and the government has a secret set of police who exist to hunt things that go bump in the night.
But those aren't the stars of this novel. Nope, the stars of this novel are a band of perfectly ordinary college students, who happen to be assisting on an archeology dig, when they discover what they're digging for. They were told it was a new source of energy. What they found... was a demon.
Two of them. One, Rosier, was your standard succubus, in suspended animation. The other, Azazel, was a parasite that exists to corrupt anyone who is exposed to it. Vivian Maybell... is exposed to both. And then it gets worse.
Now, a group of college students have to deal with becoming something not human, ending up on the evening news, accidentally releasing a parasitic organism that desires only world domination, the mysterious ideas of the Silverlight Corporation...
Oh, and Vivian thinks she might be gay. At least she has snark. A lot of snark. And, she knows one secret. She knows the meaning of the world.
It's all about Prolecto. The subject of Allure. Eros, Philius, Agape, Quietus. Once you understand these, you understand everything. And, she understands these.
Has a main website and expanded universe works at http://www.prolecto.net
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Tropes:
- Abnormal Ammo: During the finale. It turns out that the government has anti-demon Ammo that can kill a succubus in one hit. And there's just been an outbreak of Succubi, most of whom are innocent civilians caught in the crossover.
- Alpha Bitch: Sonya starts out as this. Then she becomes a succubus, gets superpowers, and realizes that she finally looks like the monster she always was... and breaks.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Anyone who is infected by Azazel's Ichor is completely under the control of the Azazel Core.
- Clarke's Third Law: Demons and Angels use technology similar to Marvel Movieverse's Norse Gods.
- Cute Clumsy Girl: Vivian. How do people tell that she's still herself after she gets turned into a succubus? She promptly breaks a priceless mirror.
- Demonic Possession: Subverted with Azazel. She can't actually possess most people, only turn them into People Puppets until Sonya goes through her second Villainous Breakdown.
- Deprogram: There is a device that functions like this. When it is used on an Azazel infectee, they are instantly returned to normal. Unfortunately, it can only be used by fitting a gas mask to the subject, so it's rather hard to use in battle.
- Evil Is Not a Toy: Subverted. Sonya knows exactly how dangerous Azazel is, and made plans to handle it that actually work. Then double subverted. Azazel breaks free when Sonya breaks again in the climax.
- Fantastic Science: Not only is this the origin of Silverlight, who also use Magitek, but Vivian's mom was a Fantastic Scientist.
- First-Episode Twist: The cast become Succubi, Sonya becomes possessed by Azazel.
- Fighting from the Inside: Attempted with Azazel Infectees: it never works more than briefly. However, it can distract them while a cure is used.
- Gambit Pileup: There are three or four separate powers trying to institute a scheme. In two of them, it's pretty much the same scheme.
- Gayngst: A major part of the series. In fact, this trope is why one character goes from "Good" to "Neutral".
- Subverted as other issues come to prominence, and the character is told, bluntly, to get over it.
- Given an interesting examination, where the character comes to the conclusion "Okay, which would people hate me for more. Being gay, or being a demon. Being gay... crud." Face–Heel Turn ensues.
- Downplayed in the release version, where the above Face–Heel Turn never happens. It is, however, used for a funny moment.
- Genki Girl: Kayla, the TA of the Succubi, is definitely this. She's introduced looking for cat pictures, announcing that she is going to look for cat pictures on the internet, and she also dresses as an Elegant Gothic Lolita.
- Godzilla Threshold: Azazel becomes a Kaiju, and starts absorbing everything she can. The heroes then pull out everything they can. They do more damage than Azazel... but in the end, it's worth it.
- Good Thing You Can Heal: Succubi can heal from just about anything. While they don't get cut in half often, they do get beat up a lot. They can, however, still feel pain, especially Vivian.
- Hazy-Feel Turn: A few of the succubi end up undergoing this. They decide to change things because the world sucks... but then behave with remarkable control.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Multiple. Vivian sacrifices herself to stop Azazel, Tobi sacrifices himself to save Kayla, and Kayla sacrifices herself to revive both.
- Holy Hand Grenade: HRE ammunition instant kills demons. The heroes are demons.
- How Much More Can He Take?: An element of the fight scenes. Since both characters are usually succubi who can regenerate from anything, battles generally consist of who can pull a finishing move first. Specifically, who can either infect the other with Azazel's Ichor, or who can use the reversal device and un-brainwash their friend.
- Immune to Bullets: Succubi can heal so quickly that bullets become meaningless. In a subversion, this does mean that a sufficient quantity of bullets can be used to stun them.
- Inverse Law of Utility and Lethality: Averted. A lot of characters have deadly powers... which is why all the villains tend to be capable of healing from them. The most egregious is the Succubi's blades, which another Succubi can easily regenerate from.
- Magic by Any Other Name: The abilities of angels, demons, and members of certain sects of the Survivalist Project like Kayla.
- More Dakka: Used as a solution to deal with Sonya, who is Immune to Bullets. It manages to disable her, for a bit.
- Near-Villain Victory: Subverted. The heroes rather flawlessly foil the villains' plans. Double Subverted when Azazel comes loose and gets within inches of winning.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Azazel tried to get free once before, in the 1930s, thus meaning that Silverlight had 70 years to prepare for the next attempt!
- Powers via Possession: Anyone infected by Azazel gets quite a bit stronger. Sonya pretty much gets the Superpower Lottery.
- Science Fantasy: Demons with laser guns. Definitely fits. That said, it does overlap with Urban Fantasy, as well.
- Second Love: Vivian's mom had two boyfriends. The second was Vivian's father. The first? A demon lord who is surprisingly friendly.
- Sequel Hook: Kayla was pulled body and soul into the afterlife, and never technically died. Thus, she can be rescued.
- Superpowered Evil Side: Subverted. The Succubi's feeder form looks the part... but has no attitude changes at all. Double Subverted when Azazel infectees use this form for battle.
- The Unmasqued World: The Masquerade breaks after the first volume. It breaks even more when Azazel opens the gates to Heaven and Hell... er, Rune Highguard and Rune Lowguard.
- Villainous Breakdown: Sonya, The Heavy of the villains, gets at least two of them — once when she gets turned into a demon, and once when her father is killed in front of her and all her plans unravel.
- Viral Transformation: Succubus transformation is this. Azazel's Ichor is a Mind Virus. Together, they become The Virus.
- World of Snark: There is a lot of snark coming from, well, just about everyone.
- You Can't Thwart Stage One: The heroes can't stop Azazel from getting out, or themselves from being turned into Succubi. Subverted with 'opening the gateway'. They stop the main villains from opening it, only for Azazel to pull out a separate plan to do it.
- You Know I'm Black, Right?: Played for laughs when Vivian complains about being judged by her skin color — in this case, being blue. The black officer in front of her coughs.
