Editing Breakthrough (section)

==History==
===Post-[[Gold Morning]]===
Group session were initiated by [[Jessica Yamada|Mrs. Yamada]] somewhere around two months and a week before [[Ward|the story start]], with one or two sessions a week.<ref name="2.5" /> Prior to the inaugural meeting, Mrs. 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.”<br><br>[...]<br><br>“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?” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/05/27/eclipse-x-2/ 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. [[Damsel of Distress II|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?”<br><br>“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.”<br><br>“Was I second choice?” I asked.<br><br>“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.”<br><br>“And she seemed okay, almost relieved, at me doing ''this'',” I said.<br><br>“As okay as she is with any of this,” Sveta said. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/02/17/shade-4-6/ Excerpt] from [[Shade 4.6]]</ref> Mrs. 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-[[Mathers Compound Assault|Fallen Fall]]===
Following the Mathers compound assault, Rain and Ashley turned themselves to the authorities; this, in addition to the disappearance of Mrs. Yamada in a portal, fractured the team.<ref>''I don’t know how I’m going to help these guys, Jessica.''<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>''What do I even do?'' - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/06/05/torch-7-5/ 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 e1">“You want our cape names, or group, or-”<br><br>“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.”<br><br>[...]<br><br>“Team Breakthrough.  Capricorn, Tress, Antares, Lookout, and Cryptid.  We’re here to talk about the state of things, and to see about sharing information.” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/06/16/torch-7-8/ Excerpt] from [[Torch 7.8]]</ref> a favorite of [[Swansong]].<ref name="7.8 e2">““When we were talking about names in that conversation where Defense Mechanism came up, we mentioned one, and it might be too on the nose, but Swansong liked it,” Lookout said.  “She’s not here right now, but it might be nice if she got a say, and it suits Rain, which would be nice.”<br><br>“What was it?” I asked.<br><br>“Breakthrough.” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/06/16/torch-7-8/ Excerpt] from [[Torch 7.8]]</ref>

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.<ref>[[Torch 7.9]]</ref> 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.<ref name="8.2">“I think so long as those issues exist, no matter what we do, there’ll be pushing, shoving, and trying to get people to take some cases or to get others for ourselves.  If we can address those issues… say we all get a special allotment, we put funds into a pot and apportion it out, and we organize, with communication and sharing of information.”<br><br>“I can do the getting and sharing information parts,” Lookout said.<br><br>“And,” I said.  “Keeping in mind this whole Cheit thing is demanding attention and resources while they’re doing other things in the background- it potentially addresses some of the other heroing issues we run into.  Like how hard it can be to go run off and do something where we’re needed when things can be going to pieces on the home front.”<br><br>“Meaning we can go investigate this group that attacked the portals while still maintaining a territory,” Capricorn said.<br><br>“Or investigate whatever.  Yes, for sure,” I said.  “And then a week later, we might babysit another territory while simultaneously giving the team in charge there a new, fresh set of eyes for any ongoing problems, while they do their thing.”<br><br>[...]<br><br>“Nothing too special,” I said.  “Except that people were already talking to us and communicating about collaborating.  They wanted a chance at doing their part in Hollow Point.  Let’s… I don’t know.  We’d coordinate until things were coordinated.  Let’s learn from our mistakes, and make every territory into a Hollow Point.  Make it so the bad guys don’t know who’s going to show up on a given day.  And because we have other focuses and bigger priorities, we offer leniency if they help us with the things that matter.” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2018/07/07/beacon-8-2/ Excerpt] from [[Beacon 8.2]]</ref> 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.<ref>[[Beacon 8.8]]</ref>

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 [[Teacher]]s 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 [[Goddess' Takeover|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 [[Antares vs Lung|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.<ref>[[Gleaming 9.15]]</ref>

===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 [[Teacher's Group|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]].<ref>[[From Within 16.8]]</ref> Vanquished it. Trudged through [[The Shardspace]] to find [[Teacher]] and ruin his progress again.<ref>[[From Within 16.12]]</ref>

[[The Wardens]] split up the team, confiscate their tinker-tech and temporarily bench them during the ensuing investigation.<ref>[[Sundown 17.1]]</ref> Most of the team gets eventually released from suspicion, with exception of [[Victoria Dallon|Victoria]],<ref name="II17.6">[[Sundown 17.6]]</ref> 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]].<ref name="II18.2">[[Radiation 18.2]]</ref> Later they had to fight both of the titans.<ref name="II18.4">[[Radiation 18.4]]</ref>
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The Firmament bombing
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[[The Wardens]] mobilized them alongside [[Case 53]]s and [[Faultline’s Crew]], against [[Titan Fortuna]], who together with her Titans had moved towards the [[Earth Shin]] [[portal]].<ref name="II19.3">[[Infrared 19.3]]</ref> [[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]].<ref name="II19.c">[[Infrared 19.c]]</ref>
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Scuffle with Fortuna's network
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Breakthrough, accompanied by [[Chris Elman]] and [[Harbinger V]], visited Contessa's seat of power inside [[the Shardrealm]],<ref name="II19.7">[[Infrared 19.7]]</ref> and received a series of visions regarding the nature of the Eye and the previous [[cycle]]s.<ref name="II19.8">[[Infrared 19.8]]</ref> Contessa also warns them about [[Simurgh]] taking over [[Titan Fortuna]] and summoning more [[Endbringers]] with the help of Titan [[Valkyrie]] and [[Eidolon]]'s shade.<ref name="II19.9">[[Infrared 19.9]]</ref>

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 Vera|Byron]], and Chris going to the labs to seek medical supplies.<ref name="II20.4">[[Last 20.4]]</ref>

Together with [[The Wardens]] and [[The Undersiders]] they push [[The Simurgh]] out of [[Cauldron Compound|the Wardens' Compound]], with [[Rain]] and Victoria delivering the final blows.<ref name="II20.7">[[Last 20.7]]</ref>

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.<ref>Antares hummed. It was faint, like a tuning fork. Her teammates did the same.<br>[...]<br>She took him by the hand.<br><br>With one gauntlet, he moved her arm up to a part of his forearm where skin was still skin. He felt the hum shiver through flesh, making subtle changes.<br><br>A death sentence, like the one she and her team already carried. [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 20.a II]] </ref>

===Ward Epilogue===
The team was disbanded with Victoria and Sveta going into semi-retirement, and Rain preparing to serve the remainder of his sentence.<ref>Breakthrough is done.  Too many retirements or people moving teams.  Um, but I’m still in touch with them!” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/04/21/last-20-e4/Excerpt] from [[Last 20.e4]]</ref>