C.A.T.

Katrinka Romanov is a Russian Magician. She was unknown until she made the big stage, and even then she is only famous with Magician fans. The magic shows she has done in Las Vegas were small compared to say the now retired Siegfried & Roy, but she has performed all around the world and speaks a number of languages.

C.A.T. is a thief with a specialty in corporate espionage. Known to be a female, there is a little else known about her as she is not very talkative about herself. Generally, correspondence is done through secure channels and only a few get to see the mystery woman's masked face.

Correspondence from Cat is signed in the image of a black panther curling about the letters C.A.T. In much smaller letters beneath the three large letters are the words: Certified at Theft.

Background
Katrinka was abandoned as a kid; she lived on the streets of Moscow and picked pockets, stole and did what she needed to survive. She was arrested and put in a state orphanage where she was noticed by USSR officials for her skills and transferred to a special training program. Being a simple kid without any major worries or concerns was something she never got. She was trained to be a co-op thief, an information spy. And this is where personality developed.

Katrinka was surly and distrustful; she would bite the hand that fed her if she thought it could turn on her. But she also laughed and mocked hardship and the threat of punishment. She lived a hard life, but refused to be depressed about it. When she joined the government program, at first it was difficult. She rebelled, and the punishments taught her that there were things to fear but in the end, they never really HURT her, they just terrorized her. When she first decided to go along, her controllers distrusted her, but she soon proved she had a change of heart.

The kid finally figured it out. Do your work without complaint, there is no trouble. Do your job well, and they actually REWARDED you! That was the key, the reward. Katrinka went crazy after that reward, starting to volunteer for jobs, try to excel beyond expectations, take on additional training courses when she wasn’t in the field and so on. She began to turn from a bratty kid, into a beautiful and talented teenager with a biting wit, but intelligence to back it up. When her powers manifested, Katrinka a.k.a. Cat was on a job that was going south quickly. She was close to being captured when suddenly all the cameras and security, all the electronics when down in the area as if an EMP bomb was just set off. Sick, Katrinka crawled to safety and to her controller where she was quickly isolated and technology was removed from the scene.

It took a few months of intense before Cat could be around technology again and control her powers to even block them out. When she went on missions again, it was with the backup of her newfound mutant powers. She noticed that she sensed when dangerous was closing in, and sometimes she would be able to predict the direction but not always. She kept this additional talent to herself.

When the USSR was crumbling, and some of the ‘dirty secrets’ were beings swept under the rug Cat ran for it. The Cold War was over, and she was free from her responsibilities as her owners were ‘replaced’. She grabbed her cat, her emergency kit she had packed long ago, and ran for the border.

When she crossed, she started working as a magician as a cover, and soon developed a new persona. She kept her Cat identity for side jobs for a more respectable cash flow. Over time, the cash flow and trill of the job became addictive and she couldn’t give it up. When she came to America for the first time, she obtained a steady manager and soon had some shows in Vegas.

For the time since USSR’s fall, she has worked as a magician and a freelance corporate espionage specialty thief. Her technological knowhow and powers, combined with her USSR trained skills have given her the ability to thrive in a world that turned upside down for her. Her personality allowed for a quick recover, and she believes herself happier than ever. Still, in a weak moment, she feels something is missing. It is that something that secretly drives her on, making her constantly search for something better.

Personality
Katrinka is a complicated individual. She grew up chaotic, switching between rebellions and willing to bite the hand that feeds her, to living free and carefree as she ignores consequences, laughing in the face of danger. A thrill-seeker at heart, she is eccentric, selfish and moody.

Katrinka is also a very kind individual and has her own set of morals. She avoids hurting others unless her life depends on it; she is even considerate of others emotionally in many circumstances unless one of her selfish moments crops up. She can feel regret and be guilt tripped especially if she is doing something that could have dangerous results for others (especially good people).

When she works as Cat for thievery jobs, she donates part of her payments to her favorite charity at the time, and she will even work charity events as a magician for discounted prices and occasionally for free (if it is one she truly believes in). Cat is often non-confrontational in many things, though if she truly believes she is right she more than stands up for her 'rights'.

Katrinka enjoys extreme sports, risking her life, and making her own way. She doesnt like just accepting what other people say to her, but she will obey a handler if she gets something good from it. Her ability to trust is often with 'conditions'. It is not that she cannot love, quite the opposite, she just has difficulty opening herself up for the option with fellow human beings.

In the end, Cat is one that searches for excitement and meaning to life, believes life isnt worth it unless you are having fun, and enjoys money. She also cares about others, shows compassion, and doesnt like bullies.

Logs

 * 2010-03-13 - Who does it remind you of? - C.A.T. is on a job, and it's riskier than she suspected, especially when Captain America ruins her game. (DG: 2011-03-13 - Sigma International B&E)
 * 2010-03-19 - Stop Worrying HELP! is on the Way! - Attacked by Sin and Crossbones due to a blotched job, C.A.T. manages to escape, but she knows she needs help if she is going to survive. A visit to the Avengers Mansion goes NOT according to plan, but it's better than nothing.