Young Justice: Directive 51 (Male Reader X Young Justice)

Chapter 44: The Dominoes Start to Fall

3rd Person POV:

Zatanna walked slowly down the large halls of the Watchtower. She and (Y/n) have both been having trouble sleeping since the Guest House incident two weeks ago.

Despite Zatanna's pleading with him to open up, (Y/n) seemed like an empty shell of his former self. Zatanna soon arrived at the observation deck. She began her walk through the grass, surrounded by trees and chirping birds as she looked out at the world below her.

For a quick moment everything seemed to slip away. All her worries were washed away like the flowing water in the nearby fountain.

Zatanna softly smiled before she was ripped out of her calm, heavenly state by Black Canary.

Dinah: "Sorry I'm late."

Zatanna sighed and turned around, facing her mentor and wiping her watery eyes.

Zatanna: "No, no it's okay. I was just enjoying the view."

Dinah smiled and led Zatanna to a nearby bench.

Dinah: "Still can't sleep?"

Zatanna: "Y-yeah... I think it's... all the stress. I'm so worried about (Y/n), he won't tell me anything. I know he found something down there and I know he's losing sleep over it, I just don't get why he thinks he has to do this by himself. I-I want to be there for him... but he's just been pushing everyone away. He goes through the same daily routine and acts like nothing's wrong... but we barely talk..."

Dinah: "Going down there was probably the hardest thing he's ever had to do. And losing it to a massive explosion, Zatanna, you need to understand, that place was the last link to his past life. The last connection to his biological family. Despite never meeting them it still must hurt knowing he has no way of ever finding them. Before now there was always a sliver of hope that he could find some small trail of clues, now, that's all buried under a hundred feet of rock."

Zatanna just nodded her head as she thought back to the previous nights of her sleeping alone in their bed and (Y/n) staying up, working on his laptop but refusing to share what he was doing. She could hear voices from audio files being played but she always respected his privacy and never tried to sneak out to the kitchen to listen in.

Almost every morning she'd find (Y/n) asleep on the couch and could tell he'd been drinking, empty bottles would be littered in the recycling bin and half empty ones scattered across the counter.

Zatanna: "Something's eating him up inside and he won't let me help... why won't he let me help him?!"

Zatanna was overwhelmed by the crushing wave of emotions and started sobbing, trying to wipe the tears from her face as Dinah pulled her into a hug.

Dinah: "I'll talk to him, you'll just have to be patient. It will get better but this is a very difficult time for (Y/n), we have to be ready to help him even if he wants to shut us out."

Zatanna forced herself to stop crying and wiped away the tears. Soon she slipped out of the hug and thanked Dinah for helping her.

Dinah: "How are Barbara and Artemis holding up?"

Zatanna: "Barbara is still in the hospital, the drug saved her life but we didn't get enough of it into her system. The doctors don't think she'll be able to walk again. Dick hasn't left her side. Artemis is back with her mother. She managed to push all her emotions away to help Barbara but being back with everyone just reminded her of Wally. She may need to speak with you as well."

Dinah: "Well then, it looks like I've got a busy few days coming up."

Zatanna: "Thank you so much, I-I know the League is busy and all and I'm not the most popular person with the other Leaguers right now..."