Breakthrough

, or Team Breakthrough, are a group of parahumans from all walks of life.

Modus operandi
The team formed initially out of one of Dr. Yamada's therapy groups, as its members became closer; Chris stated that "the reason for this project is supposed to be we know each other". They did not yet consider themselves a team early on, but rather in the process of forming one. The team-up was proposed as continuation of the therapy group, which all six of members were attending at the moment. 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. Victoria compared this approach to those of the Las Vegas Protectorate team and Watchdog. Eventually, the team expanded its focus from just Cedar Point to a larger scale, cooperating with other hero teams in order to manage local crime throughout the City, as well as investigate the plots they had uncovered.

Structure
Victoria was initially brought in by Dr. Yamada to act as the group's mentor, due to her experience with capes and cape teams; she scouted out possible locations for the team's first target, eventually choosing Hollow Point. Victoria, Ashley, and Tristan eventually were established as the team's three leaders, each of whom had a different style and role.

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. 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. At some point, the group shared details like names and the fact that Ashley had not used a computer before.

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. 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. . 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. At August 24th, the final member, Sveta (screen name Kraken_in_a_Jar) joined the chat.

Early-Ward
After failing to recruit Weld in time to talk to the group about super heroics Dr. Yamada reached out to Victoria Dallon to assist with unforeseen group ambition. Victoria attended one of the group's meetings, where she was introduced to its members and ultimately became the group's coach.

Victoria decided that Hollow Point would be the team's first target, an area where several groups of villains were gathering and setting up. 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. 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.

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. However, a new invention from Kenzie which could give them information about the portal situation kept the remaining members for another mission.

At a meeting in Earth N, the group and its members were forced to pick names, settling on the name Breakthrough, a favourite of Swansong.

They convinced locals to assist in their investigation, saved a suspect, and got a new lead, which pointed to the prison as a potential site for future trouble. With the Wardens mostly gone, Earth Cheit making its moves, and the portal situation still causing trouble, the team decided to change its approach, establishing a collaborative network between teams to better manage local crime, similar to how they approached Hollow Point but on a larger scale. They began to organize teams to work together, both to address criminal activity and to investigate the conspiracy regarding the prison. These efforts were interrupted, however, by a PR crisis centered around Kenzie and her parents.

Breakthrough appear on the talk show Hard Boiled, in order to defend Kenzie from being slanderized. It was this show that drew the attention of Goddess. Goddess arranged a meeting with Breakthrough, and despite meeting her through projections, Breakthrough were successfully mastered by Goddess, with the exception of Byron.

Byron desperately tries to convince the team that they have been compromised, but only manages to make any leeway with Victoria, by enacting Master/Stranger protocols. The Major Malfunctions contact the team, and Victoria and Byron set out to assist them. There, they are attacked by Teachers thralls and the Pharmacist of the prison, who is a powerful Trump.

The team reunites, and Kenzie shows she can lock down the portals to the prison world, preventing Teacher from having access. Goddess then enters the headquarters alongside Amy, and masters Byron. She decides that she will attack the prison, and the team sets out. Before they can leave, Amy attempts to touch Victoria, who almost murders her as a result.

The attack on the prison begins, with members of Foresight joining the fray, as well as an army of Teacher thralls, Lung, Blindside, and Kingdom Come. Antares gets into a vicious fight with Lung, and ultimately catches the Pharmacist, allowing Goddess to master Lung.

The team, and Monokeros, are sent by Goddess to find the other mercenaries Teacher hired, and to stop the prisoners ankle bombs from going off. They manage to disable the bombs. While returning to Goddess, Monokeros turns on the team and tries to make Kenzie kill herself. Kenzie fights back against the mastering however, and Monokeros is chucked into a hole.

Returning to the crowd of capes, Victoria notes that Chris has probably decided to leave the team for good. With the assistance of Natalie and Ratcatcher, Victoria eats some drugged food that allows her to break free of the mastering, and begins to pass it around. Goddess catches onto this, and attacks them, only to be quickly and brutally killed by Cryptid. He and Amy, then decide to set off to Earth Shin with all the prisoners.

Post-Goddess' Takeover
The team decides to go on a shopping trip together and work over everything they know.

Formed a partnership with The Undersiders.

Were major players in the The Hunt for Cradle.

Post-Time Bubble Pop
Stumbled across Teacher's plot to break up Hero teams. Caused serious damage to T-Cauldron's intelligence network by capturing Case Twelve.

Got involved in the Shin Diplomatic Crisis

Were one of the teams that assaulted the Cauldron Compound.

Post-Attack on Teacher
The team lost a member, and had another grievously injured.

Interrupted Deathchester's pillaging.

Made a powerful enemy by messing with the dream room of Rain's Cluster. Vanquished it. Trudged through The Shardspace to find Teacher and ruin his progress again.

The Wardens split up the team, confiscate their tinker-tech and temporarily bench them during the ensuing investigation. Most of the team gets eventually released from suspicion, with exception of Victoria, although it does not last long for her either.

All of the team was present during The Second Shin Crisis, albeit still split up and under oversight of others.

The Ice Breaks
After the crisis started they were assigned in the same group as The Undersiders, The Major Malfunctions and Deathchester, and stationed in the ruin of Mathers' compound between Titan Eve and Titan Oberon. Later they had to fight both of the titans.

The Wardens mobilized them alongside Case 53s and Faultline’s Crew, against Titan Fortuna, who together with her Titans had moved towards the Earth Shin portal. Chris Elman rejoined them, as heroes were caught in the second reality breaking event and had to fight an ever increasing number of Titans. At the same time, Rain completed a sabotage mission on the virtual side of the Firmament.

Breakthrough, accompanied by Chris Elman and Harbinger V, visited Contessa's seat of power inside the Shardrealm, and received a series of visions regarding the nature of the Eye and the previous cycles. Contessa also warns them about Simurgh taking over Titan Fortuna and summoning more Endbringers with the help of Titan Valkyrie and Eidolon's shade.

Breakthrough participated in the initial assault on The Simurgh. Later, following her, they returned inside Wardens' Compound and helped to secure it. They received an order from Defiant to find and protect Dinah Alcott. After a run in with Bloodplay they were forced to split up, with Rain and Sveta following with their task, and Victoria, Byron, and Chris going to the labs to seek medical supplies.

Together with The Wardens and The Undersiders they push The Simurgh out of the Wardens' Compound, with Rain and Victoria delivering the final blows.

Chris betrayed the team again.

Defiant encountered them after the Simurgh's defeat. Victoria and Breakthrough found a way to set the genocide plan in motion even without Chris's help, beginning with themselves.

Ward Epilogue
The team was disbanded with Victoria and Sveta going into semi-retirement, and Rain preparing to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Trivia

 * 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.
 * Before the name Breakthrough was decided on, the fanbase referred to the group simply as Team Therapy, and sometimes as Misfits Toys, among other inventive names.
 * One of the other names discussed by the team in-story was "Defense Mechanism," which was rejected for being too Tinker-y.