Breakthrough

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   <default>Breakthrough</default>
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<image source="Image"></image> <image source="image"></image> <header>Information</header> <label>Alignment</label> <label>Leader(s)</label> <label>Leader(s)</label> <label>Allies</label> <label>Allies</label> <label>Status</label> <label>Location</label> <label>First Appearance</label> <header>First Appearance</header> <label>Worm Debut</label> <label>Ward Debut</label> </infobox> Breakthrough is a team of parahumans from all walks of life.

Modus operandi

Chris stated that "the reason for this project is supposed to be we know each other".<ref name="P.3"/> They did not yet consider themselves a team, but rather in the process of forming one.<ref>Heart_Shaped_Pupil: I’m looking at joining a team. Kind of. We’re still figuring a lot out. It’s exciting. they’re neat. - Glow-worm P.7</ref> The team-up was proposed as continuation of the therapy group, which all six of members were attending at the moment.<ref name="2.5">Flare 2.5</ref> Outside of meet-ups, they coordinated primarily via the Parahumans Online chat.

As a hero group, they determined that their approach would be going after villain teams, such as in Cedar Point, as information gatherers and scouts, using Kenzie's power to monitor the situation, while sending in their own members and members of other teams.<ref name="3.4">“Yeah,” Tristan said. “Look, no rush, we do this slow and careful. We put you guys out there, Ashley and Chris can plant cameras, Kenzie handles backend, we gather all the data we can, and we find out what the masterminds are doing and where the organizations are most vulnerable.”

[...]

“Then we hit them,” Ashley said.

[...]

“Maybe,” Tristan said. “Maybe. We assess the situation, we maybe even spread disinformation, and then we have discussions, involving other cape teams, maybe. If it seems doable, we hit them. We have a lot going for us if we want to blitz the enemy or ruin a plan in progress. When it’s time to make our play, we can do big, we can hit hard, and we can move fast. If it doesn’t seem doable, we sell the info to another cape team.” - Excerpt from Glare 3.4</ref> Victoria compared this approach to those of the Las Vegas Protectorate team and Watchdog.<ref>“It reminds me of the Las Vegas capes,” I said. “And a bit of Watchdog.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Tristan asked.

Las Vegas had been damned effective, as had Watchdog. But where Las Vegas had been a subtle, careful player with a few questionable, mysterious individuals in their ranks making the most of their backgrounds and skills, much like this team in disposition and direction, they’d also been a team that had turned villain at a critical time. Watchdog had been careful and scrupulous, making measured moves with the best intel and agents they had at their disposal, and Watchdog hadn’t survived Gold Morning as an organization. - Excerpt from Glare 3.4</ref>

Members

Name	Cape Name	Description
Ashley Stillons	Swansong<ref>“I was thinking of a name to do with swans,” Ashley said, as I clicked. “An awful lot of the bird names are taken,” I said. “It was a trend once. What were you considering?” “Swansong,” she said. “If I go with the white costume.” - Excerpt from Shadow 5.1</ref>/Damsel of Distress	A former villain gaining her footing in the new world.
Chris Elman	Cryptid<ref name="7.8" />	A secretive Changer who may be falling apart.
Kenzie Martin	Lookout<ref name="7.8" /> (formerly Looksee)	A young but terrifyingly powerful Tinker and former Ward.
Rain Frazier	—	A former member of The Fallen looking for safety.
Sveta Karelia	Tress<ref name="7.8" />	A Case 53 parahuman trying to make up for her past.
Tristan and Byron Vera	Capricorn	A Case 70 pair of twins sharing a body.
Victoria Dallon	Antares<ref name="7.8" />	The group's mentor, with a troubled past of her own.

History

Post-Gold Morning

Group session were initiated by Dr. Yamada somewhere around two months and a week before the story start, with one or two sessions a week.<ref name="2.5" /> Prior to the inaugural meeting, Dr. Yamada discussed goals and expectations with each patient individually; after the members introduced themselves and discussed their backgrounds, she prompted them to consider whether they wanted to change.<ref>“Our inaugural session is winding down,” Jessica said. “I’ve talked to each of you about goals. We outlined some goals and expectations before and after you decided to try this group. It would be good to think about where you stand on that.”

[...]

“When we discuss goals,” Jessica said. “We think about change. What do we need or want to change? Very commonly, in my experience, it’s something we raise during first sessions or something we leave as homework. Let me build on that, though. Change. Do you want to change?” - Excerpt from Eclipse x.2</ref> At some point, the group shared details like names and the fact that Ashley had not used a computer before.<ref name="P.3">Glow-worm P.3</ref>

Glow-worm

As they got to know each other, the therapy group eventually decided to form a hero team together, discussing the matter on the newly set up Parahumans Online forum. Tristan (screen name Capricorn), Chris (Strange_Mammal), and Kenzie (Heart_Shaped_Pupil) were the first to join the chat. Ashley (Mangled_Wings) was then invited by Chris on August 19th after making her account.<ref name="P.3" /> However, she disconnected after he mentioned proof that she had lied about a minor detail.

The next day, Rain (of5) connected to the chat and discussed help with the PHO search function. Chris mentioned that he had video games to give him at the next meeting.<ref name="P.4">Glow-worm P.4</ref>. Half of the group at that point seemed to be busy with research and scouring the network for information.

By August 22nd, Ashley had rejoined the group chat.<ref name="P.6">Glow-worm P.6</ref> At August 24th, the final member, Sveta (screen name Kraken_in_a_Jar) joined the chat.<ref name="P.8">Glow-worm P.8</ref>

Early Ward

After failing to recruit Weld in time to talk to the group about super heroics<ref name="4.6 e3">“When Jessica- When Mrs. Yamada asked me to sit in with the group and help out. She asked Weld first, didn’t she?”

“Ah, you caught that,” Sveta said. The smile disappeared. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure if you did, and I didn’t want to risk hurting your feelings.”

“Was I second choice?” I asked.

“I don’t think so. Sorry, I don’t know for sure, but Weld was asked and he said no, but he said he’d be free a little while after. She could have waited and had Weld sit in, but she chose you.”

“And she seemed okay, almost relieved, at me doing this,” I said.

“As okay as she is with any of this,” Sveta said. - Excerpt from Shade 4.6</ref> Dr. Yamada reached out to Victoria Dallon to assist with unforeseen group ambition.<ref name="2.5" /> Victoria attended one of the group's meetings, where she was introduced to its members and ultimately became the group's coach.<ref>Flare 2.6</ref>

Victoria decided that Hollow Point would be the team's first target, an area where several groups of villains were gathering and setting up.<ref>Glare 3.1</ref> The team decided on a strategy where they would collect information on the goings-on in the area, while putting pressure on the Hollow Point villains by inviting in other hero teams to interfere.<ref name=3.4 /> However, as their monitoring continued, they began to learn of an upcoming attack on a Fallen camp, involving many villains and threatening Rain, his family, and other innocents. To help manage the situation, the team uses their connections to bring in the Patrol Block, Advance Guard, and The Wardens, and participate in the assault on the Mathers camp.<ref>Shadow 5.7</ref>

Post-Fallen Fall

Following the Mathers compound assault, Rain and Ashley turned themselves to the authorities; this, in addition to the disappearance of Dr. Yamada in a portal, fractured the team.<ref>I don’t know how I’m going to help these guys, Jessica.

I found myself actually hesitating before approaching Sveta, Tristan and Chris. The group had lost two of its members and its mentor in a matter of nine days.

Kenzie was missing, I noted. She was always early, barring extraordinary event. Worrying, when she was first or tied for first place among those I was most concerned about- she had just lost her friend, or whatever it was that Ashley was to her. Hard to pin down. That was the first half of it. The second half was the underlying threat within this group that Jessica had been so concerned about.

What do I even do? - Excerpt from Torch 7.5</ref> However, a new invention from Kenzie which could give them information about the portal situation kept the remaining members for another mission.<ref>Torch 7.5</ref>

At a meeting in Earth N, the group and its members were forced to pick names, settling on the name Breakthrough.<ref name="7.8">“You want our cape names, or group, or-”

“All of the above,” the man with the parted hair said. “It matters. This is a place where formality, titles, and roles matter. The name you choose is important.”

[...]

“Team Breakthrough. Capricorn, Tress, Antares, Lookout, and Cryptid. We’re here to talk about the state of things, and to see about sharing information.” - Excerpt from Torch 7.8</ref> They convinced locals to assist in their investigation, saved a suspect and got a new lead.<ref>Torch 7.9</ref>

Trivia

• Before the name Breakthrough was decided on,<ref>Torch 7.8</ref> the Fanbase referred to the group simply as Team Therapy,<ref>Shadow 5.5</ref> and sometimes as Misfits Toys, among other inventive names.
  • At one point, Chris referred to the team as "Caramel Friendship," though this didn't last, as their real name was decided upon not much later.<ref>He stopped hissing to say, “I regret asking. I miss Ashley and Rain already. Without them to balance out the group, we’re going to end up getting back together as team Caramel Friendship with tramp stamps like the Love Bugs have.” - Excerpt from Torch 7.5</ref>

Fanart Gallery

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  Illustration by Jess
• Illustration by Lonsheep
  Illustration by Lonsheep
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  Illustration by Ellen
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  Illustration by Cyrix
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  Illustration by John
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  Illustration by Funky and Nicholas
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  Illustration by Zacatigy/Lucas

References

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