Stories To Be

Bits and Pieces of my stories. Some posts here will be continuances of a story. Some will be details or ideas for a scene or other part of a story that isn't next but I don't want to forget. Each post will be titled with the name of the story it belongs to, to keep things from being confusing.

Stories In Progress

  • Bane of Death
  • Tabled Unfinished Stories

  • Troia
  • The Lost Song
  • New Mutants: Angel
  • The Unending Story
  • Finished Stories

  • End, The - Feint of Heart Warning
  • Faith Winterfields
  • Flight
  • Chronicles of Gaia
  • Project, The
  • What's At S.T.E.A.K.
  • Poems

  • Sense of Wonder
  • Happiness In Health
  • Thoughts
  • Anticipation (of News)
  • Family

  • Please let me know what you think!  Comment or e-mail me.  Both positive and negitive critiques expected!

    Friday, January 20, 2006

    Edited: Catrina Maximoff
    (First Half) 

    Father is Pietro Maximoff. Mother is unknown, as it's inconsequential for she was human.

    Born in 1984, Pietro found out about her two years later, and when it was determined she was a mutant, took her from her mother. Five years later Pietro married Crystal (of the Inhumans), which means his daughter grew up amongst the Inhumans starting before the age of seven (when her father married), but as she was not an Inhuman she was not exposed to the mists. She has a half-sister, Luna (daughter of Pietro and Crystal), and a half-uncle, Watts (son of Magneto and Polaris) who she is a year older than.

    Believes as her father and grand-father that mutants are superior to humans. She also believes this gives mutants certain rights over humans, though does believe humans have their place. But growing up watching and listening to her family, she has decided that in order for mutants to achieve their rightful status as the superior race they need to start acting like a superior race, and not like petty humans. Otherwise she is a pretty typical teenage girl.

    ---

    Full version below based on histories found at:
    http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/q/quicksilver.htm
    http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/maximoffdjango.htm
    http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/c/crystal.htm

    ---

    Once an average young Romanian gypsy woman met a dashing man with strikingly white hair. He told her he was searching for his parents, gypsies by the names of Django and Marya Maximoff. He was noticeably years older than her, but that only added to her attraction for him. She told him she'd not heard of any by those names, but promised to help him, claiming she had plenty of contacts. She asked where she'd be able to find him with any news she turned up. He refused to give a location, instead telling her he'd be back in a week to learn what she'd found out.

    The woman did spread the word of a lost son looking for his parents with the family name of Maximoff. But she did not initially have the contacts she claimed. She used the week to start making them instead. When the man returned, she told him all she had no information yet, but the word was out and she was waiting to hear back from her contacts.

    Each time they met he was constantly looking around and always spoke with haste, but never gave the impression of looking over his shoulder nor did he ever seem to be out of breath. Each time they met she did all she could to make him return to her, anything and everything she could think of to make him want to return.

    Quickly meetings turned into meals. Then meals into full evenings together. The woman was elated. She believed her mystery man was falling in love with her. When he finally trusted her with his biggest secret, that he was a mutant, she was certain. She assumed it was only a matter of time before he asked her father for her hand. And seeing as he never took long to do anything, she knew she didn't have a long wait.

    The moment she discovered she was pregnant, she was the happiest woman in the world. It only lasted a short time however. For when he next returned to her, it was the last time she would see him. He told her he was leaving for good because he was joining some group called the Avengers. She tried to make him stay, even told him "we're having a baby!", but he shrugged her and the baby off with "no, you're having a baby."

    He disappeared after that. Try as she might, she was unable to find him. With her pregnancy advancing, she wasn't able to travel to the only location he had once mentioned to her: Wundagore Mountain in Transia.

    In 1984 she gave birth to a healthy girl. For a year she focused herself on taking care of and raising her daughter, whom she named Catrina.

    After Catrina was a year old her mother resumed her search for Pietro, taking Catrina with her. They traveled first to Transia. Catrina's mother changed their family name to Maximoff on the way. Not finding him there, they two traveled on to other parts of Eastern Europe. They spent nearly a year traveling around, staying with one gypsy tribe after another in search of Pietro or his parents. Catrina's mother figured if she found the Maximoffs she'd eventually find Pietro also.

    Each night the mother looked upon her daughter as she slept, and promised the child her father and a real family. She would gingerly run her fingers over the strikingly white hair Catrina had inherited from Pietro. That hair, which belonged to her greatest love, was also her constant reminder of her greatest loss and pain. It was her constant reminder of why she couldn't give up in her search, and why life ate at her a little more each day.

    All the traveling and constant pining for her lost love slowly took its tool on Catrina's mother. By the time Catrina was two, it was evident to those they were staying with that her mother was dying. That gypsy family took Catrina's plight and her mother's pain to heart, and a new search began in earnest. Within a month came the news that had been waited on since before Catrina was conceived: Django Maximoff was found. He had settled down in Vladivostok a few months before.

    The meeting between Catrina's mother and grandfather was bittersweet and full of tears. Marya Maximoff had died years ago during the attack that had separated Dajango from Pietro and his twin sister Wanda. Django had not known his adoptive children were still alive, but was overjoyed to hear of Pietro and to discover he had a granddaughter. Catrina's mother was saddened that she would not yet be able to find Pietro through his father, but was gladdened to have real family again.

    No one was certain what Catrina's mother died from. Medially it was a severe cold she had caught the day she had learned about Django. Some say in actuality it was a broken heart. Some say she had already died years ago, but had not passed from life only to make sure her daughter made it to another who would take care of her, who was of her self claimed family. Whatever the truth, Catrina's mother gave in to death in a matter of nights after arriving in Vladivostok.

    Django did take Catrina on as his own. But he was scared. He was not any more well off than he had been years ago when raising his own children, and he had lost them after turning to stealing because he couldn't afford to properly take care of them. What if the same happened again? His only hope was in knowing his son could still be alive. He started searching for his son while raising Catrina with some help from kindly neighbors.

    Catrina loved the open life style and freedom to run around in the woods she had while growing up with Django. She loved the dolls he made for her to play with. But mostly she loved her grandfather. He was gentle and kind, and there was never a doubt in Catrina's mind that she was loved in return.

    One day Django found a picture of the Avengers in the Tass newspaper, and recognized Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch as his children. He figured that they had been hiding from him as punishment for the tragedy he had brought upon them and their tribe. Deciding he had paid enough penance, Django returned to his shamanic magicks, and began saving his rubles to travel to the USA and retrieve his children.

    Catrina especially enjoyed the magicks her grandfather did, watching him whenever she had the chance. She grew to believe her grandfather was a powerful man. Since he used his skills to help others, and since no one else could do what he did, Catrina assumed he was much better a person than anyone else she knew. Which made her feel special as well.

    Catrina was five when Django left for the USA to be reunited with his children. He hadn't enough money to take her with him, but neighbors offered to care for her and he took them up on it. As planned, Django returned to Transia with Pietro and Wanda.

    Even though Django thought Pietro and Wanda were his biological children Ana and Mateo, there was no mistaking Catrina was Pietro's child. But no sooner did Django introduce Catrina to her father and aunt, was Wanda summoned to Wundagore mountain. Pietro left to investigate, leaving the two behind. After assuring Catrina would be watched after, Django also headed out after his children. During the attacks that followed, first at the village after Pietro and Django returned to call for the Avengers, and then back at the mountain, Django died saving Wanda.

    Only once everything was over, and after Django had been buried in his forest, did either of the twins remember Catrina. Pietro couldn't recall who her mother was, only a vague memory of once being told by some woman of a child. The two decided they couldn't just leave the child, and so asked around about her mother or someone else who could care for her. No one in the area knew anything other than the mother had died days after bring Catrina to Django. The girl had no other known family either.

    Crystal, who Pietro was courting at the time, and who learned of Catrina through Wanda, refused to let Pietro leave Catrina without any family. She had Catrina brought to Attilan to be cared for. After Pietro and Crystal married, Crystal took Catrina to raise as her own.

    Catrina never quite understood what had happened to her beloved grandfather. She hadn't seen him die nor had she been there for his funeral. She knew he hadn't come with her and her father to their new home, but did not know why and didn't believe anyone when they tried to explain he was gone for good. After all, he wasn't like normal people, he had powers. And she believed he was still the most powerful person she knew, even after learning her father, aunt, and new mother all had wonderful powers of their own. Her love for her grandfather was absolute, and it refused to let her believe he was dead. The way Catrina loved was perhaps the one thing she had inherited from her biological mother, even though she barely remembered that mother.

    The next year was full of changes for Catrina. A new family at a new home. A new way of living and style of eating. Tutors that taught her new lessons on things her grandfather hadn't had the ability to teach her. Learning what mutants and Inhumans were, and all about their history. Learning a new language, as seldom was any language but Inhuman spoken in Attilan, and learning how to write. Learning what was considered proper behavior, and then relearning what was proper in different situations. And learning about her family and her own history. Though some of it came easily to her, much was a struggle at first. Only Crystal's constant guidance and reassurance helped Catrina through. The way Crystal spoke to her reminded Catrina of how her grandfather spoke when trying to admonish her even though he admired what she had done.

    On Crystal's side, she saw how much Catrina was like Pietro. Prideful, resourceful, and charming. The girl made friends so easily, and then would try to get what she wanted by using whichever was more effective of a smile or a pout. But she also had no issue taking care of herself, and always seemed to be looking out for herself even when there was no call for it. It all made Crystal wonder just how Catrina and her grandfather had lived. Catrina had no sense of money or material goods, and Crystal had every reason to believe the two had been very poor, yet Catrina was perfectly healthy and happy. Crystal surmised Catrina must have learned many ways to get by as a child. As Catrina grew Crystal noticed more and more the subtle manipulation Catrina worked on any that came in contact with her, and wondered if Catrina even understood what she was doing.

    Catrina also had Pietro's smile, and soon was adopting mannerisms from Crystal, whom Catrina happily called Mother. But it wasn't Pietro's eyes that peered out from under the white hair Catrina had inherited from him. No matter how much she looked like Pietro or acted like Crystal, those eyes betrayed her to the heritage of another. Pietro recognized them, but could not place who they belonged to, and it bothered him. It bothered him because whenever he thought too hard on whose eyes Catrina had, only bad feelings arose.

    It wasn't long into the next year before Crystal became pregnant. But it wasn't until the first time Catrina told Crystal "I love you, Mother" that Crystal started to feel confident in having a baby. Crystal and Catrina had steadily grown together since Catrina's arrival, and a baby being on the way only brought them closer. Catrina loved the thought of having a sibling, and just marveled that Mother had the baby inside her stomach. wanted to be part of everything that involved the baby, and Crystal encouraged it. All Crystal wanted was a close happy family. And it concerned her to see Pietro had not gotten close at all with Catrina in the couple years she had been with them. It made her wonder how her husband was going to be with the baby, and perhaps even with her after the pregnacy.

    The year after the baby was born, a girl which they named Luna, was one of the most eventful years for the family. It started with the birth, which was widely celebrated for Crystal was the heir in the royal family of Inhuman, which made the baby the next heir.

    Then the mutant Magneto came to Attilan and confronted Pietro and his twin Wanda with news that he, Magneto, was their biological father. Pietro denounced Magneto for the callous treatment of them when they were members of his Brotherhood, and refused to believe he had changed his ways. For a time that drove a wedge even further between Pietro and Catrina, for she mistakenly thought Magneto was her grandfather Django finally come back. After all, he was clearly more powerful than any other single person in Attilan and he was Pietro's father. Such simple things make simple conclusions in a child's mind, and therefore what Catrina knew was that her father had sent away the person she loved the most. For Pietro's part, he found whose eyes Catrina had, and for a time could barely look at her without seeing Magneto as well, whom he despised.

    Once Luna began to grow from a eating and sleeping thing into an interactive being, strange things started occurring around the family. Pietro became more withdrawn and absent, causing Crystal to frequently ask "Now where *is* your father?" Catrina would always answer her, trying to soothe her Mother, but more and more often Catrina turned out to be correct in her answer, even when the answers were odd. At times Catrina would react to Luna, pacifying her before Crystal even noticed Luna needed something, or Catrina would react to something Pietro or Crystal had not said.

    At first it was thought Catrina was simply reading the signs her parents and sister were giving off, as they weren't all that subtle. But then came the night when Magneto returned to Attilan to try again to recruit his children. A fairly long and very loud verbal fight ensued as Pietro got out everything he needed to say to his father. It escalated to the point where objects began rattling and jerking around the room. Wanda and Pietro started to accuse Magneto, until the older man reached out and grabbed one of the objects and physically held it out for them all to see. It was a rubber bouncing ball, not something Magneto could control. Surprised and confused, all three immediately went on alert and started looking around. Rapidly Pietro found an upset Catrina eavesdropping around the corner. As soon as she looked up at him and realized she was caught, everything in the room suddenly stopped moving. That was the moment it became clear Catrina was manifesting mutant powers.

    Catrina was eight, and it was only then Pietro started to look on his older daughter in a new way. It was also only then that Magneto gave the girl any notice. She was a mutant, which made her existence worthwhile to Magneto, and important to Pietro. For the next year Catrina and Pietro finally started to get close as he took an active role in her learning her powers and pride in her achievements.

    Luna's second year ended with the girls' parents breaking up. Crystal had taken too much of being neglected by Pietro. And then Pietro found he could not forgive her for her infidelity. Catrina spent several nights listening to fights between her parents and blaming Luna for the family's problems before Pietro left Attilan and his family for a time.

    For Catrina the one good thing that came out of that all was with Pietro gone, Magneto could visit his granddaughter unchallenged. He thought it important she be brought up and taught correctly, something he had been unable to do for his own first two children. He could not fault Crystal in how she raised Catrina. He did find Catrina's education lacking however, and took it upon himself to teach her those things that were missing, as well as attempt to help her learn her continually emerging powers. It has been easy to pin point Catrina's mutant abilities to being mental in nature, and since Magneto himself had limited mental powers (likely where she inherited her powers from) it made sense he train her to control her own, at least until she surpassed him.

    Catrina loved having her grandfather around again, still unaware Magneto was not the grandfather who had raised her for three years, and eagerly took to him and his lessons of history, Hebrew, and superiority. She was also more than excited to have powers of her own and be as special as her grandfather and parents. Magneto was careful not to contradict the lessons of respect and properness she had received from the Inhumans, and impressed on her the morality of not taking away a mutant's right to be him or herself, even if it was different from her.

    Crystal allowed Magneto time with Catrina, to learn and play, because she still believed in the ideals of family and because Catrina so much wanted to be around him. Crystal and Magneto also made sure Catrina and Luna regularly saw their Uncle David, Magneto's youngest child who was a year younger than Catrina, and their grandmother Polaris, Magneto's wife.

    It wasn't until Crystal and Pietro's first attempt at reconciliation that Catrina realized Luna was not the cause of her parents' breaking up. It had been revealed that Pietro's mind had been swayed to deep anger against his family and the Avengers by one of Crystal's cousins with mental powers. After that Catrina started taking an interest in Luna again, playing with her for the first time since their parents had split up, and letting Luna follow her around and copy what she did as most younger sisters do to older sisters.

    The couple tried for reconciliation at the command of Black Bolt, the current King of the Inhumans. Even after the reconciliation failed, Catrina kept with her the two lessons she had learned. First, that her sister was not at fault for things she had no control over. Second, that controlling another's mind to go against what the person normally would do had repercussions beyond that one person. It was how her father had been taken away, and even after the mind control was over he still stayed away from his wife. Though he did often come by to visit Catrina and Luna.

    At the failing of the next of their parents' attempts at reconciliation Pietro gave Catrina the task of looking after her sister, saying to her the same thing his adoptive father had said to him about his own sister: "she is your true sister and you must always protect her." Catrina took his words to heart, and promised to help keep Luna safe. She was growing to love her sister as much as her grandfather.

    Eventually Crystal joined the Avengers and took Luna and Catrina to Earth with her to live for a while. It was during this time Catrina's powers seemed to significantly advanced for the first time. With so many minds around, Catrina suddenly found herself overwhelmed and occasionally out of control.

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    posted by Jennifer Michelle  @6:21 AM
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