Ava Romanov

Code-Name: Chesire

Position: X-Men (Active - Trainer), Council, Entrepreneur (Bar)

Ethnicity: Caucasian of Russian Descent

Sex: Female

Age: 24

Appearance:

Hair: Warm reddish brown, slightly wavy, and down past her shoulders.

Eyes: Pale yellow

Skin: Olive, nicely tanned.

Weight: 115lbs

Height: 5’5”

Other: Ava has her ears pierced three times(two in the lobe and one in her cartilage) and several tattoos.

Date Of Birth: September 27

Place Of Birth: Moscow, Russia

Education: High School graduate, some college.

Mother:

Name: Ana Romanov

Age: 39 (Deceased)

Race: Mutant

Father:

Name: Piotr Romanov

Age: 42 (Deceased)

Race: Mutant

Other Relatives: One older brother Niko (26) and one younger sister Sasha (22) location currently known.

Powers: Illusions: Ava has the ability to create illusions so realistic as to fool the human senses as well as most electronic devices (Video Cameras and Video Recordings).At their most basic level Ava can use her powers to disguise or change her appearance; size, coloration, gender, etc. On a more complex level she can use her powers to alter someone's perception of the world around them; throwing illusions to change the environment, confuse senses, even create decoys to draw fire or feign attacks.

Synesthesic Projection: As Ava's powers have developed so has the level of affect her illusions had on those subjected to them. Through a mild form of empathy Ava is able to tap into a persons mind and trigger sensation. For example, if she were to create a garden with her powers she could cause those seeing it to actually smell the flowers. This ability is also Ava's primary offensive useage of her powers. If she has an illusion attack an enemy they would "feel" the damage inflicted. All damages caused within the illusion, even though it itself is not real, can become real if the person believes so - such as the person will not be actually physically harmed, but will believe they are, and those not in good health or with weak minds could pass out, go into shock, or have a heart attack or stroke in reaction to the trauma.

Power Limitations: Illusions: Well trained psychics and Sentinels can easily see through Ava's powers. The amount of time and the level of complexity of the illusions gauges the level of stress put on her mind. Holding an illusion for too long has been known to give her severe migraines and nose bleeds. Ava's level of control over her abilities is greatly affected by her emotions.

Ava cannot use her abilities to change her eyes, no matter what they retain their electric yellow hue. This means she has lost her ability to blend into the background of one of her warps, her eyes remain visible no matter how hard she tries.

Synesthesic Projection: Ava is really just coming into this aspect of her powers and as such she is still working on her control. She has a hard time maintaining these illusions and has to put twice the effort into guaranteeing they have any effect at all. The damage she causes is completely isolated to her target's mind, she cannot cause real damage with an illusion. She can only project sensations she's experienced first hand.

Psychics are totally immune to this part of her powers.

Hobbies and Interests: Ava loves bartending, drinking, dancing, fashion, big guns, explosives, boys, girls, tattoos, motorcycles, and really anything else fast, loud, or possibly foolish.

Background: Born in Moscow, Russia Ava had a mostly normal upbringing. Both of her parents were employed by the government and as such Ava spent a great deal of her time alone at home with her siblings. In hindsight the young woman is grateful for these times, they taught her independence.

It was not until 2007 that things became dangerous for mutants in Russia. An uprising was brewing and the Romanov family was at the center of it. With three known mutants in their ranks and the possibility for two more the family was left with two options, go to war or get out. Ana and Piotr chose the latter and made plans to leave their home.

There was just one thing that needed to be taken care of first, something the Elder Romanov’s had to do before they could be free, something they could not do with their children waiting in the wings. So they did what was necessary. They put their children on a train bound for Great Britain with a promise that they would meet them in a few days…they were never seen or heard from again.

In England the children made due on their own for as long as they could but after nearly a year they were picked up by Social Services. The children were each sent to a different home with no means of communicating with one another. Six months in Ava was adopted by wealthy English family.

At seventeen the young Russian began to consider Universities. Though her adopted parents wanted her to attend Oxford Ava had her heart set on attending an American school. To prove to them that she could take care of herself 3000 miles away the family took a trip to the states.

While visiting Tulane University Ava was identified as an unregistered mutant. When her parents attempted to defend her the police opened fire, killing her mother and father. In a state of panic Ava activated her powers for the first time and escaped onto the streets of New Orleans.

Her parent's deaths were ruled an accident, a glitch in the sentinel's programming. Ava was offered little in the way of comfort from the local government. Thankfully her parent's had planned well for her future and she was left extremely financially secure. Picking up a bartending job on Bourbon Street, Ava was mostly just surviving day to day.

Everything changed when she met the X-Men. They were mutants just like her working together to try and change the world. She didn't hesitate for even a moment when she was offered a chance to join in on their fight.

For some time she stayed at Buchanon Theatre and worked with the New Orleans based X-Team. She learned to control her powers and even managed to assist on a few missions. Namely in the fight against the Alpha Sentinel and the unsuccessful attempt at stealing Cerebro's parts from the government.

It wasn't always great or safe but she stopped feeling so alone, she made friends, she made a family. Jamie, Medina, Oliver, Noelle...everyone. It was Jamie's kidnapping that changed things. She was like Ava's sister and the thought of losing her and her unborn child was unbearable.

When Jamie and Trent were finally returned the telepathic girl wasn't the same, she didn't feel safe - couldn't imagine raising her child in such a dangerous environment. When she decided to leave Ava knew what she had to do, she couldn't imagine being in New Orleans without her best friend. As Jamie and Teddy departed for a new life in England Ava headed south, a safehouse in Colombia seemed like an awesome place to be a normal person and avoid conflict. Everything was perfect... for awhile at least.

She didn't receive much news regarding the states but what she did wasn't good. The attacks on Utopia and Atlantis, crazed Sentinels, Purifiers and Therizo pushing for humans to fight back...every new piece of intel made Ava thankful she had left when she did.

When Apocalypse resurfaced she knew things were going to get bad, she could have never guessed just how bad. The destruction in California was hard to watch, the ensuing violence between humans and mutants, even harder. None of these incidences spurned her to act though, she was too scared to do anything, too scared to die a hero.

It was seeing Noelle amongst Apocalypse's followers that forced a change in her. Seeing her friend turn on their team forced her to think about those she'd left behind in New Orleans. How much had gone wrong if the former Team Leader had defected?

As the US began to crumble things in South America began to change for the worse. Once peaceful countries were beginning to grow restless; oppressed mutants began to fight back in some and Government agencies started forcibly conscripting mutants in others. It was time to move on.

Ava was out gathering travel supplies when the bombings happened. By the time she got back to the safe house it was little more than a pile of smoldering rubble. The other mutants that had been staying there were no where to be found. She was devastated. With Sentinels and the local authorities circling she couldn't risk waiting around, she couldn't stop to look. All she could do was run.

With Noelle, War, reigning hell down on Mexico and the United States growing more volatile everyday it took quite a long time to get back Stateside but once she did she beelined for New Orleans. She had just found the base, just found what was left of her family, when the attack happened.

With everyone scattered Ava clung to familiar faces, the few that were left and tried to push forward, vowing to never leave them again. She was one of the X-Men and she would be one until she died.

Personality: Since finding out that she was a mutant Ava has had to grow up a lot. She's lost people, killed people, and watched friends become enemies. She knows that the world is a dark place but she can't force herself to give up hope. She is brash, impulsive, and reckless. She swears too often, drinks too much, and does pretty much whatever she wants whenever she wants. She's quick to violence when it's necessary, stubborn, and downright stunted when it comes to communicating her feelings. She's flawed, sure, but she's also someone who cares deeply for her friends and someone who would lay down her life for the greater good. To those she's close to she's funny, loyal to a fault, and nurturing in her own strange way. She is a surprisingly good listener.

Special Notes: She keeps a locket with pictures of her parents around her neck at all times. Has several tattoos; the word 'Hope' on her left wrist, an Opium poppy on her right forearm, a Dove on her ribcage, and a prayer in Russian down her spine. She's taphophobic (the fear of being buried alive). Thanks to Tank she is well trained with small blades and firearms. She knows her way around a homemade explosive. She's one hell of a bartender!

Play by: Phoebe Tonkin

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