Leonard Snart was no stranger to spending time in Iron Heights Prison. The prison's warden - Clarence Boddicker - hated him with every fiber of his being. When Leo arrived, he ordered his immediate transfer to a high-security wing, located directly above the Warden's office.
The last person Leonard expected to see during his first day back in prison was Ayana Allen.
Surprised, Leonard stopped walking, watching her approach. As he watched her, he remembered why he liked her so much. Ayana Allen may have started out as just another girl in Central City, but she grew up to become a strong, resilient woman.
When Leo first met Ayana, she had been 17 years old. She was hanging out with the wrong crowd, doing stupid things, and getting herself into trouble. She was also completely fearless, which seemed to get her into even more trouble.
One night, Ayana's reckless behavior landed her in a bar fight. There was a clear winner between her and the other guy. Before he knew what was happening, Leo had slammed him hard into the bar's wall, knocking him unconscious.
While that might have saved Ayana from serious harm, the entire situation landed her in trouble. Leo got off light; it was only because she was such a convincing liar that she avoided getting charged for assault.
Instead, she received a month-long sentence for destruction of property, leaving Leo wondering what exactly was so special about her.
After a week of Ayana refusing to talk to him, Leo decided to approach her again. He wasn't sure why he wanted to talk to her so badly, but he couldn't stop himself.
His second attempt proved to be much more successful. Although she didn't seem thrilled to see him, Ayana eventually broke down, opening up to him.
"A name is a powerful thing, Snart," She informed him, "Your name defines who you are." Her eyes met his, "Sometimes it defines who you want to be, who you should be."
Shaking his head, he brought himself back to the present. Ayana's curious eyes locked onto his.
"Didn't know you were back in town," Leonard commented, readjusting his shackles.
"Not many do," She smirked, "I see some things never change."
He chuckled, shrugging, "It's temporary,"
"It always is with you," She countered.
One of the officers escorting him, interrupted them, clearing his throat loudly.
"Mr. Snart," The officer began, "I need to take you to your cell."
"Sure," Leonard nodded, "Lead the way."
Leonard gave her a quick wink, heading down the hallway, with the guard following closely behind him.
Ayana watched him disappear, a small smile on her face. "And to think," She shook her head, "I thought I was over you."
She sighed, finally making her way to the prison's exit. For now, she had other things to worry about.
Like seeing her brother for the first time in six years.
She made her way back into the center of Central City, everything appeared the same as it had when she left.
At least, everything appeared to be the same.
Unfortunately, things weren't quite the same anymore.
If there was one thing she learned from six years spent in the League of Assassins, it was how quickly things can change.
She made her way towards the familiar building. Anxiety filling her with each step, she fought the urge to turn around. She had done that enough times already. Instead, she forced herself to continue moving forwards.
Entering the precinct, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
The familiar smell of gunpowder, and copper made her stomach flutter. Her hands began to shake slightly, as she approached the desk where two uniformed officers stood.
"Hello Officer Weatherly," She greeted the older of the two.
"Ayana Allen, Joe didn't tell me you were back in town." His tone was surprised.
"That's cause Joe didn't know," The familiar voice of Joe West rang out behind her, startling her.
She turned around, smiling widely. "So much for the element of surprise."
Joe wrapped his foster daughter in a tight hug, "I'm never letting you out of my sight again."
"Joe," Her voice trailed off, he cut her off.
"Hey," He kissed her on the top of the head, "Have you seen Barry yet?"
She looked down, "No, not yet," She replied quietly, "I'm not sure how he's going to react when he sees me."
Joe placed his arm around her shoulders, rubbing her back comfortingly. "Trust me, he's going to be happy to see you."
Ayana smiled weakly, nodding her head. She took another deep breath, focusing on her mission.
Ayana moved towards the stairs leading up to the precinct's forensic lab, climbing the stairs to the second floor, keeping her eyes straight ahead. She was determined to do this. No matter how difficult it might be.
All she had to do was walk up those steps and see him. This was her little brother, the one she loved more than anything.
She rounded the corner, nearly running into someone blocking the hallway. Ayana stumbled backwards, startled, turning to face the man. She was met with hazel eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Aya?" Barry asked.
For a moment, Ayana could only stare at him, frozen in place. It felt like ages since she'd last seen him. Six long years.
Six years she could never get back.
How she missed him.
"Barry?" She whispered, her voice cracking.
Barry gently grabbed her arms, pulling her close. "It's you," She breathed.
They held each other for several moments, lost in their own world. A world that neither of them had ever been able to forget.
Eventually, they pulled apart, staring at each other. Ayana was relieved to see a small smile on his face.
"It's good to see you," He breathed.
Ayana wiped away a few tears, fighting back her own emotions. "You look so grown up," She complimented him.
"Six years makes a big difference," Barry pointed out.
"Especially when it comes to height," Ayana joked, teasing her brother.
They shared a laugh, exchanging smiles. Just being near him, talking to him, reminded her of all the good memories they shared.
After a moment, Barry cleared his throat. "Listen, I need to go. Got work stuff to do,"
"Okay..." She responded softly, feeling a pang of disappointment.
"Coffee later, at Jitters?" Barry asked, a hopeful expression on his face.
"Definitely," She promised.
Barry flashed her another smile, "Good. Gotta run, sis," He waved goodbye.
"Bye, Barry," She called after him, watching as he continued down the hallway.
The seconds that passed felt like hours.
"Well, that went better than expected," Ayana remarked, chuckling lightly.
Walking towards the exit, she found herself thinking about how different things would've been if she'd made a different decision six years ago. If she had stayed in Central City, instead of running away from her problems.
She closed her eyes, pushing those thoughts away.
Now wasn't the time to dwell on regrets.
Now was the time to move forward. To put her past behind her.
And to try to make amends for the mistakes she had made.
Ayana stepped outside, making her way to the street. After stopping at a nearby diner, she hailed a cab. It didn't take long before the cab came to a stop in front of her apartment building.
She paid the driver, before entering the elevator, pressing the button for her floor.
Finally, she made her way inside her apartment, putting her key in the lock. Once the door swung open, she closed it behind her.
Closing her eyes, she let out a heavy sigh, collapsing against the door.
"Welcome home, Ayana," She muttered to herself.