Author's Note: So basically, real life sucks and has taken all my time away from writing. Bleh. On the other hand this weekend is my second Fic-Writing Anniversary, and fortunately I have found time to do at least some recently, so to celebrate, here's a fresh chapter of Thresholding. Enjoy!

Thresholding by CidGregor

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

This fic is dedicated to Post, for all he has contributed to its existence. (WoW has eaten your soul!)
Chapter 29

It couldn't be.

HE couldn't be.

He wasn't really standing there in that awful black and orange armor that she'd watched plummet to its doom so long ago.

He wasn't staring at her with that one great, all-seeing eye that felt like it could stare right into her soul.

He wasn't speaking to her with that cold, mechanical voice that had fooled her into hating her own friends, into trying to kill them all.

But it was. It was all impossible….but it still was.

"Terra…how lovely to see you again, my dear…" Slade spoke. If he held any grudge toward her for her betrayal, he hid it well. "When I heard about your return…and to the Titans, no less…I must say, I was skeptical at first. But here you are. All grown up and playing in the big leagues now."

She knew Slade was smirking behind that mask. She could hear it in his voice. He was mocking her.

"What's the meaning of this, Slade?" Raven interrupted him in a harsh voice. "Why did you come here?"

Slade's eye held on Terra for a few moments more, and then to her relief he turned from her and toward the rest of the congregation at Area 51. "As I said…I am here to offer a solution to your…numbers problem."

"We don't want or need help from the likes of you, Slade," Raven continued, speaking for the group. "Go crawl back under whatever slimy rock you came out of!"

Slade seemed unfazed. "Not an unexpected answer, I'll admit," he said. "But a foolish one. I'm afraid you don't have much choice in the matter."

"Threatening us isn't gonna work, Slade!" Beast Boy shouted, jumping up on top of the counter. "We don't want to have anything to do with you!"

"I assure you, this is no threat…merely a statement of fact."

Slade turned his awful eye on General Lambert. "Your problem is one of numbers. You lack them. You only have enough to assure yourselves a fighting chance in three of the four landing sites. The last…the middle east…you are coming up far too short on troops, aren't you?"

"How in blazes do you know that?.!" Lambert demanded.

"I have my ways," Slade responded simply. "But I think we all know that's not what's important here. What IS important is that you need troops. Troops that I can provide. So what you truly need…is me."

"We told you once already, Slade," Cyborg rumbled. "We. Ain't. Interested."

"And I have told you, as well…you don't really have a choice in this matter. You will accept my help…or you will die."

"What do you care if we die?" Beast Boy snapped. "You've tried pretty hard to kill us!"

Slade chuckled derisively. "You're quite right, Beast Boy. Whether or not any of you die in the coming war is not something I'm particularly concerned with. I am, however, as much in the business of self-preservation as the rest of you. And it is not in my best interests for the Gordanian invasion to be successful. They will rape this world, until it has fed their war machine all it can, and then they will leave it a floating, dead husk of a planet. Nothing will be left standing. Or living."

He turned back to Lambert. "And as things stand, General…that is the future facing us all. You will attempt to spread your troops among all the target sites, but none will have the manpower to get the job done. Your forces will not stop those devices the Gordanians have erected. They will be slaughtered, and once those towers become fully operational, the rest of us will follow shortly in their footsteps." His eye roamed the room as he spoke, briefly meeting those of each of the Justice League and the Titans, none of whom looked very happy to be sitting there hearing him, for the most part.

Terra, on the other hand, was holding her breath and listening with rapt attention to Slade's every word, at once flooded with debilitating fear of and intense fury toward the man. Memories flooded her endlessly; of first meeting him in the diamond mine, of training with him, of stealing and destroying for him…of feeling her body utterly and completely controlled by him…and ultimately, of taking back control, and defeating him. Since her own return, she'd hoped – foolishly, she realized – that that would be the end of it, that she'd never have to face that dark corner of her life again. But it was catching up to her at last…Slade was back…

"What exactly do you know about these towers?" Lambert meanwhile demanded.

"No more than you, I'm sure," Slade told him. "But I'd say it's a safe assumption they're the weapons of your destruction, if the Gordanians get their way. And believe it or not, General, I don't want that to happen any more than you do."

"Then what exactly are you proposing here?"

"Quite simply, General, I am here to help. I can provide you all the forces you will need to fill in the gaping hole in your own. You can focus your armies on the Amazon and Europe, while mine handle the middle east."

"Bullshit," Lambert shot back. "It would take at least a hundred thousand men to have a fighting chance out there. There's no way you have that kind of an army."

"Quite true. I'd be surprised if I had half that number," Slade admitted. "But my forces have a critical advantage that yours do not."

"What advantage?"

Slade gestured to the displays in the center of the room, specifically one showing a section of the outer rim of the Gordanian's forces in the middle east. Defensive laser turrets had been erected there, each mounted on glowing sensors.

"Yeah, they're laser turrets. What about them?" Lambert asked.

"Do you know what they are mounted to?"

Lambert peered at them closely. "Some kind of targeting sensor."

"Bio-form targeting sensors, to be precise. They will target anything that breathes within their range, and ensure it does not continue to breathe much longer. Useless in places that flourish with life, as with the other impact zones, but highly effective in a lifeless, empty desert." Slade narrowed his eye at the general. "Your forces would be targeted and decimated by these alone. Mine, however…" He gestured at his entourage, the two dozen robotic warriors, his message clear.

"With his robot armies he could get the jump on the Gordanians…" Cyborg finished the thought. "They won't show up on the sensors…he could hit them with a sneak attack they'd never see coming!"

Terra saw Lambert considering Slade's words, and somehow, she knew the conclusion he was coming to. She could see it in his eyes. Lambert was no fool. He saw the massive advantage Slade's offer would provide. They were going to take his offer. They were going to let Slade help them, even after everything he'd done…everything he'd made her do. Terra shivered at the thought, and prayed they would reconsider sending her there…to the desert…alone…with him.

"How soon could you put enough of your droids there to pull it off?" Lambert asked.

"Immediately," Slade assured. "They await my command as we speak."

"…And why should we trust you?"

"Because it is the only way any of us will live to see tomorrow."

That did it for Lambert. His body language said it all. He was agreeing to Slade's offer. "…We'll still be sending some of our own people to make sure you keep yourself in line."

"As you wish…just remember that every man you send to keep an eye on me is one less man fighting the Gordanians elsewhere…"

"Then I'll go."

Yet another voice that struck fear in Terra's heart…another cold, empty stare that made her feel as though her every secret was exposed for the viewing…

Slade eyed the man carefully. "Ahh…The Batman…to what do I owe the honor?"

Indeed, Batman had swooped down to the center of the room, and marched right up beside Slade, looming over him. "I don't trust anyone else to keep a careful enough eye on you."

Slade only chuckled, un-intimidated. "Now I see where Robin gets his…personable nature…"

Batman said nothing.

"Very well…tag along, if that is your wish…but if you're going to set some conditions, then so will I."

"There's always a catch with you, isn't there?" Raven murmured.

Slade ignored that. "My forces may be immune to the bio-sensors, but they're not immune to plain sight. Any attempt at an attack from the ground or the sky will be seen coming for miles. From underground, however…"

Terra knew it right then. She knew what he was going to say. What he was going to ask.

Lambert, apparently, didn't yet. "You want to attack from underground? How?"

"I need someone who can tunnel a way beneath the Gordanian base, under the sensors and out of their plain sight. Someone who excels at moving the earth under her feet…"

And then his horrible eye was on Terra again, and her fear was confirmed.

"…And young Terra here is just the sort of earth-bending expert I need…"

"No FREAKING WAY, SLADE!" Beast Boy burst out. He'd figured it out as well. "No WAY is Terra going with you!"

"It's not really your choice, now is it?" Slade replied coolly. "I require her assistance to ensure the success of my part in this attack. Without her my assault is far less likely to succeed. It is the only logical choice…"

He leveled his eye on Terra once more. "But nevertheless, it IS a choice…and it belongs to her."

"If you think she's going ANYWHERE with you after what you did, you're insane!" Beast Boy countered furiously.

"If Terra can't leave the past where it is and refuses to work with me, that is her choice…but I do want to make sure she realizes that if she doesn't, my forces will likely fail, and whatever weapon they've constructed there will activate, and most certainly enact the destruction of everything she cares about…you, for example…"

Terra jerked sharply at that. Beast Boy…

"Can you live with that on your conscience, Terra?" Slade turned to her, prodded her. "Can you bear the burden of knowing that your refusal to help me here today…will directly lead to the brutal slaughter of you…your friends…and your precious boyfriend there?"

"Terra, don't trust him!" Beast Boy shouted. "He's evil!"

"He's also probably right," Cyborg said, his tone grim. "We mess up here, it's game over, BB. For good. And we already planned for Terra to be there anyway--"

"I don't care!" Beast Boy yelled defiantly. "We're not sending her there with him!"

"Then you sentence this planet to death," Slade countered bluntly.

Still Beast Boy looked ready to defy him to the grave. But Terra had had enough.

"…I'll go," she said quietly. And she could tell from the pleased look in his eye that Slade was smiling victoriously behind his mask.

"Terra, no!" Beast Boy urged. "You can't do this!"

"I have to," Terra said simply. "There's no other way."

Slade laid a congratulatory hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you've seen the light, my dear--"

"Shut up!.!.!" she shouted, thrusting his hand away in disgust as her more angry emotions took hold. "I'm not doing this for you, got it?.! I'm doing it because I have to in order to protect my friends! As far as I'm concerned, the second I'm done making your little tunnels, this little alliance is through. And if I even think you're trying to pull anything over my head again I'll leave you buried in the sand with the rest of the disgusting monsters out there!"

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Slade replied. He didn't seem intimidated in the least, but nor was he laughing at her bold words, and that was a small victory for Terra before she nearly collapsed back into her seat, shaking as her anger cooled and the fear set back in.

"Then we're settled," Lambert said grimly. "Slade's forces will temporarily ally with ours to destroy the Gordanian base in the middle east. Aquaman and Atlantis will fight them off in the ocean. The rest of us will split our forces between the Amazon and central Italy. You all have your assignments…good luck. Dismissed."

The officers in the room filed out quickly, while the Justice League and the Titans made for their respective ships, to launch themselves across the world. And as Terra headed slowly out with them, she felt far too many stares upon her for comfort. She knew what must have been running through many of their minds: she was working with Slade once again…could she really be trusted? Judging from more than a few faces, they didn't think that was the case. Batman in particular…his stare never left her. She constantly felt him analyzing her every movement and expression with an intense distrust and suspiciousness. And as much as she didn't blame him, it didn't make her any less uncomfortable.

She reached for Beast Boy's hand, looking for reassurance, but he drew away from her, marching ahead and not looking at her. He was mad…mad that she'd agreed to put herself in this awful position. Nothing she blamed him for, but it nevertheless stung. She needed him to be okay with it…she couldn't let them part ways at odds with each other.

She hurried to catch up to him as they got outside, and grabbed his arm at the foot of the T-Ship. "Beast Boy…"

He stopped, shuddering. "Terra…why…"

"Because I have to, Beast Boy…" she said back. "This is way bigger than you and me…if I don't go, everyone's gonna die…I can't be responsible for that, Beast Boy, I can't…"

"You don't know that!" Beast Boy burst out, whirling to face her. "What if Slade's just using that as an excuse to get his hands on you again?.!"

"You know we can't take that chance…" Terra whispered.

"I don't want you going out there alone, Terra…"

"I won't be alone…Batman will be there too. He'll keep Slade in line."

Beast Boy didn't seem terribly relieved, but his protests fell silent, the weight of logic pressing back against his own feelings.

"Beast Boy…"

He didn't look at her.

"…Garfield…"

That did the trick. He lifted his head, finally meeting her eyes, and without a second thought they pressed their lips together in an intense embrace, with all fire and passion that went with the realization and fear that it might be the last they would ever share. If there was ever in her life a moment Terra wanted to just freeze in time forever, it would be this one…

"Touching," came Slade's cold tone from just behind her, "but we really must be on our way, my dear."

Terra reluctantly broke the kiss and drew back. "I have to go…"

"I know…"

"Garfield, I--"

"Don't apologize. You don't have anything to be sorry for. Just…promise me you'll come back."

"…Only if you promise me the same thing."

"Pinky swear?"

He extended his right pinky to her, which she immediately responded to and hooked her own around his. "Pinky swear," she echoed. "We'll both come back."

"We'll both come back…" Beast Boy agreed.

And just like that, they parted ways; Beast Boy to his T-Ship pod, and Terra toward the looming figure of Slade, who stood waiting within his own personal transport. She wasn't even halfway there, however, before a firm hand clapped onto her shoulder and held her back. A hand gloved in pitch-black leather.

"We'll meet you there," Batman said, his tone making it obvious that it wasn't negotiable. Slade's eye narrowed, but he didn't protest, and lifted off on his own toward their battle site.

"Th-thanks…" Terra managed to whisper. But as she looked up into Batman's eyes and almost involuntarily took a step back from the distrusting scowl on his face, Terra was suddenly no longer sure that she'd gotten the better end of the bargain…

Then he had swooped around and marched onward to his bat-plane, and it was all Terra could do to hurry along in his footsteps.