Ava

**Ava** was a recurring character in the second season of Into The Badlands. She is portrayed by Eve Connolly.

Ava was a powerful Abbot at the Monastery . Her job was to help train M.K. until The Master superseded her. She eventually abandoned her role as an abbot and fled the monastery with M.K. She was killed protecting him.

## Biography

### Early life

Much of Ava's life prior living at the monastery is unknown. She was born with the "gift" and was taken into the monastery when she was eleven. From that point on, she trained until she was able to control her gift and was promoted to an abbot.

### An abbot's duty

Being an abbot at the monastery, Ava trained relentlessly with M.K. while sparring with *bō* staffs. Pushing him to fight harder, M.K. managed to get the better of Ava and she nearly fell over. Thankfully, she was grabbed by him to prevent her from falling. After their training was finished, M.K. questioned when he would ever meet the Master. As she danced around the question, M.K. aggressively tapped her with his staff, prompting her to kick him to the ground. Ava sternly stated that he will meet the Master whenever M.K. is ready. The following day, Ava and M.K. had a solo training session. However, she was confronted about sharing their personal conversations with the Master. Ava insisted that she was only doing her job since she was his abbot. After M.K. became a lot more aggressive in training, he was distracted by the Master's presence. Oblivious of the Master, Ava used it to her advantage and tripped M.K. Finally surprised by the Master, she was relieved as M.K.'s abbot.

On another training day, Ava approached M.K. and mentioned that Tate, a novice, had ran away. When asked if the abbots will find him, she responded that "they always do." After their short exchange, Ava lingered to ask what it was like being trained under the Master. She mentioned through all her years there, she had never seen the Master take up a novice. When M.K. implied that his experience had been frightening because of his dark past, Ava reassured him by saying everyone in the monastery was just as guilty.

One night in the monastery, Ava caught M.K. eavesdropping on something he wasn't supposed to see: Tate being tortured at the expense of having his powers suppressed. She covered M.K.'s mouth so they could silently sneak away without being heard. Finally a safe distance, M.K. asked for an answer. Ava explained that since Tate was disobedient, he was dangerous and it was better to be safe than sorry. M.K. tried to convince her that they were no longer safe and that they could run away, but she declined. She watched M.K. speechlessly as he made his choice and walked off.

### Defection and death

In charge of a group-training session, Ava ended it by sounding the crank alarm. When counting the students, she noticed that M.K. was missing.  Right then and there, Ava decided to leave the monastery to locate him. She eventually found him, but he was in danger and nearly killed by a man. Ava threw an axe at the man's face and killed him, saving M.K. Evidently happy to be reunited, Ava reminded that they should be quick because the Abbots would be after them. When M.K. suggested figuring out where to go, Ava hinted that there was no time because the abbots could track his gift. When told her that he could no longer use his gift, Ava was surprised and theorized that it had something to do with his training under the Master. Asking him how it happened, M.K. avoided her question and walked off.

Ultimately, Ava followed him and settled down in an abandoned holiday store. Both spoke over a campfire, having M.K. question what was being celebrated. Ava mentioned the pre-apocalyptic world and their "strange rituals". When asked on her opinion about civilization's knowledge of the world ending, she quoted the Master by saying that there are no ends; only endless cycles of rebirths. When Ava became saddened, she told M.K. that since she was no longer an abbot, she no longer had anything. When asked about her family, she confessed that she remembered nothing about them. However, M.K. tried to make Ava feel better by telling her the truth about his past and his mother's death. In disbelief, Ava quietly listened and showed sympathy.

Shortly separating, Ava was approached by M.K. with a magazine that showed the city of Azra. He hinted that they could start over and forget the abbots, leaving Ava hopeful. Seconds later, Ava detected intruders that turned out to be abbots Ramona and Dury. While she and M.K. hid from them, they escaped into a separate room. While keeping look out, Ava turned back to see M.K. accompanied by a stranger, Sunny. Ava nearly attacked but was told he was a friend. Shortly afterward, they were caught by the abbots and they all immediately engaged in battle. Ava activated her gift, forcing the abbots to do the same. Eventually being the last one standing, she faced three abbots (including Cyan) on her own. She was ultimately repelled and impaled by falling on a broken rod. Before Ramona could touch M.K. Ava managed to puncture her throat before collapsing. Accompanied by M.K., her final words were that she feared there was no rebirths after death. Fighting to say more, she died in M.K.'s arms.

## Personality

Due to her role as an abbot, Ava could be very strict when required, but becoming close to her novice was inevitable. As a mentor, she was unacceptable of any remotely ill treatment from anyone. For instance, when M.K. wrongfully tapped her with his staff for some direct answers, Ava retaliated by kicking him to the ground to put him in his place. However, Ava was still a teenager and, needless to say, did not know the answer to everything. Growing accustomed to her lifestyle as an abbot, Ava was comfortable with serving the Master. When confronted with challenging questions about the Master, she began to rethink her role. Overall, after forming a relatively close bond with M.K., Ava proved herself to be very loyal and compassionate. She would always show empathy and try to console him whenever he felt depressed. When he decided to run away, Ava traced him down and killed a man who threatened to kill M.K. In the end, she decided to run away with him, taking his word over the monastery she had worked years with. Even when she was gravely wounded, she still managed to save M.K.s life before losing her own.

## Skills and Abilities

* **The Gift:** A mystical forces that grants the user enhanced powers, making them incredibly powerful opponents.
	+ **Enhanced Agility:** The Gift grants the user agility, coordination, balance, equilibrium, and dexterity. This grants the user the ability to perform feats such as flips and attack combos that normal humans could not.
	+ **Enhanced Durability:** The Gift grants the user enhanced durability. This greatly increases their bodily resilience levels, allowing the users to punch through solid concrete without hurting themselves.
	+ **Enhanced Reflexes:** The Gift grants the user reflexes that are enhanced to inhuman levels. This allows them to react instantly to almost anything, including fast moving projectiles such as flying daggers or arrows and catch mid-air.
	+ **Enhanced Stamina:** The Gift grants the user the ability to take on numerous groups of enemies without getting tired.
	+ **Enhanced Strength:** The Gift grants the user enhanced strength, making them strong enough to throw around enemies twice their size or punch through solid brick walls.
	+ **Enhanced Jumping:** The Gift grants the user the ability to jump several stories in a single bound.
* **Gift Control:** When highly trained, the user is able to activate their Gift without the need to cut themselves.
* **Skilled hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist:** Ava is highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, as seen in her fight against Dury and Ramona.
* **Skilled *Bō* Staff User:**  Ava was proficient in the use of *bō* staffs, being able to easily fend herself and sweep opponents off their feet
* **Skilled Marksman:** Ava was able to accurately throw an axe and make it hit an enemy in the head

## Weaknesses

* **Body Deterioration:** Overuse of the Gift can cause the body to burn out and over time kill the user.
* **Limited Use:** The Gift can't used for long periods of time as it quickly exhausts the body, making the user quite weak when they turn off their Gift.

## Appearances

### Season Two

* 201. "Tiger Pushes Mountain"
* 202. "Force of Eagle's Claw"
* 203. "Red Sun, Silver Moon"
* 205. "Monkey Leaps Through Mist"
* 206. "Leopard Stalks in Snow"

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Force of Eagle's Claw"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Tiger Pushes Mountain"
3. ↑ "Red Sun, Silver Moon"
4. ↑ "Monkey Leaps Through Mist"
5. ↑ "Leopard Stalks in Snow"