Beyond the Night: Beyond the Team (Young Justice/Teen Titans fanfic)

Mentorship

"Yrd ym sehtolc."

Zatanna took a deep breath, her eyes taking in the golden rays of sunlight flickering across the windows of the Watch Tower looking out over the planet Earth. The sun slowly set over the heavenly body, casting a beautiful sight to the beholder stationed on the viewing deck.

Her father let out a deep sigh of relief as he looked away from the scene in front of him. Batman worked at a nearby console while Wonder Woman stood nearby, waiting with a smile on her face. "I told her she'd be here soon, did I not?"

Zatara let out a sigh, looking down at his watch. "You were supposed to be here five minutes ago. What is with the delay?" A laugh escaped Zatanna's mouth, making her father look up, his eyes twinkling. He pulled his daughter into a gentle hug. "It's good to see you, though."

"You saw me at my graduation only a few days ago, tata." The young woman pushed away slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she was sure the stoic Batman's mouth twitched in amusement, but there was also the chance she was wrong. No, she definitely had to be.

"Congratulation on earning your bachelor degree. It is a major achievement, and at only nineteen?" Wonder Woman smiled at the younger female.

"Not really. These days, quite a few teens are fast-tracking themselves towards graduating high school, but starting college at the junior level. It meant though, despite being a league member for a year and a half that I missed league duties for a year, and I'm excited about resuming them." She looked at her father, watching his mouth twitch, his arms crossed.

"Well, I'm certainly glad for more women power."

"Well..." Zatanna pulled her hands behind her back. "I'm actually excited about getting my first student." Her father's mouth twitched. "Come, tata! You promised I'd be able to take on my first student." The female magician watched her father take a deep breath. "Please tell me you aren't being your overprotective self, tata."

"I'm actually not the most overprotective person in the league." Zatara shot Batman a pointed look, but Wonder Woman sighed.

"Oh, you are being overprotective Zatara." Wonder Woman glared at Batman. "Sometimes I wish a certain someone was more overprotective, but surely you can see that your daughter is what, nineteen now? Almost twenty I guess. Surely you can allow her a little more freedom. Isn't that why we decided she would be in charge of the team alongside Red Tornado and..."

"What team?" Zatanna took a deep breath, folding her arms across her chest. One of her eyebrows shot up as she wondered what the older adults were even talking about.

"The league has decided to form a team comprised of the young sidekicks of the league members." Batman spoke, remaining emotionless as ever. There was no way he'd smirked back then.

Zatanna tensed up, her bright blue eyes widening. "Wait. So instead of getting my own student – my own sidekick..." Her fingers lifted up into an air quote. "...I am having to watch over the other league members' sidekicks? You do know the last part of my training is to take on my own student, right? How much longer is it going to be postponed?"

"All in due time, figlia."

"In due time?" Zatanna bit her lip slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Since I'm the one who requested this of Zatara..." Batman spoke, receiving a glare from the man. "Your student is due back in a short period of time."

Zatanna's hands clenched into fists. "What do you mean my student is due back? Where is she, or he?"

"She has been on retreat to a temple until you finished your degree." For some reason Batman kept speaking.