Disclaimer: I do not own the Metal Gear Series, or any of its characters.

++++++++++++++++++ THE OTHER SNAKE : A Meryl/Solidus Fanfic By: Cmdr. Gabe E. ++++++++++++++++++

Chapter 1 : Meeting of Minds.

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"I'm sorry, Meryl. But we cannot be. You know what I am, and I don't want to give you the burden of spending the rest of your life with someone like me. Goodbye, Meryl.Goodbye."

And then he left...

That's the only thing Meryl can remember about her Snake.THE Snake she loved. Those last words he spoke before he headed off to face his brother Liquid. She leaned back against the tree she was tied against. She can feel the pressure of the rope on her wrist, pressing against her skin so hard. She winced at the pain, but she didn't care.

She knew this was not the time to think of such things. Such things as pain, or physical injury. Snake was out there somewhere. He has not come back ever since he left for Liquid. And no matter what happens, she's going to get him back. But how?

The bushes near Meryl suddenly moved.."He's back.Snake is back.", she whispered.

Out of the bushes came Snake. He walked toward her with a gun in his hand, looking rather angry as he approached her. He didn't look much like the menacing Snake in the big shell. This time he was just a regular man, wearing regular clothes torn from the plane crash. But Meryl knew he was not just anyone. This man was the perfect clone.

Meryl looked up at him. He was staring down at her with such cold eyes..such a pale face. It was definitely Snake all right. Not just her Snake..Not the Snake with the warmth in his eyes. This Snake's eyes were dead.numbed by the hardships of life..and one of them blank, as a scar ran across it, from his eyebrow, down to his temple.

"I see you've regained consciousness. It's been a day since we arrived in this forest, but there's still no sign of Liquid or Solid's tracks. Looks like you've led me astray, wench! No matter. Once I've had enough of this game, I'll dispatch you and do everything by myself."

Meryl looked back at him without fear as she spat back. "You know you can't reach them by yourself! You think I don't know anything about you, George? You're sick...and you know you need me! You're men have turned their back on you and I'm the only one you've got right now."

Solidus pulled his gun from his side and pressed the tip of the barrel against Meryl's forehead. She felt her head press against the tree as Solidus pressed the gun against her. "Never ever taunt me, Meryl! Need you? I don't need anyone! I'm Big Boss' perfect clone! And your Snake? YOUR Snake?!! He's just a defect, little girl. If you ask me, he's the one who needs all the help right now."

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO NEEDS HELP, SOLIDUS!!! BECAUSE YOU CAN NEVER BE SNAKE!!! YOU CAN NEVER BE AS GOOD AS SNAKE!!! You can't even measure up to half the person he is!!! You're the defect!!! You and your brother liquid! It seems as if they forgot to give both of you something they gave snake.a heart!!!". Meryl wasn't scared. She just had to say it out loud. If she couldn't physically fight him, she'd fight him with words.

The next thing she felt was the gun smacking against her face as Solidus hit her with it. "Shut up, girl!"

Solidus pressed the gun against Meryl's forehead again, pushing her head back against the tree. This time though, she felt as if he'd pull the trigger any time soon. Her heart was racing.but she was ready. She grew up as a soldier, and she knew the consequences of being one.

"You're too young to know what you're talking about!!!" He pressed the gun harderer against her, making Meryl close her eyes shut from the pressure. "Do you know what it's like growing up, with everyone expecting so highly of you?!! Do you know what it's like to lead a fake country, spending every moment, every minute of your life worrying that THEY will soon kill you.replace you with a new puppet and dump you like some worthless piece of trash?!!! You don't know what it's like to be up there with all the devils, my child. Devils are not underground. They're up there.atop the stairs of power!!! Remember that from someone who's been there before."

"Can't you see, Solidus? That's the difference between you and Solid. He's been up there before..he's been there before. But he never changed..never."

"SHUT UP!!! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO SHUT UP?!!! I am NOT your Snake and I will never be!!! At least I don't get into the troubles his human sensitivity gets him into. If I was him, I should have killed Liquid years ago at Shadow Moses. Pansy bastard that Snake is."

Meryl felt the urge to punch him back. To get him back for talking about Snake in that way.for hurting her while she was defenseless. But she couldn't. The more she struggled, the more the binds hurt. She squirmed at her position as she tried to loosen the grip on her wrists.

"Tsk Tsk Tsk.no chance, child. I may be old, but I do know how to tie up someone nice and tight.". Solidus pulled the gun away and looked up at the sky. "It's getting dark. We better move to a safer place. Looks like you'll be set free sooner after all."

Solidus kneeled down beside Meryl and pulled out a pocket knife. "Don't worry.I'll TRY not to cut you, that is, if you stay still. Escaping won't do you any good. It will only get you cut deep!"

Meryl whinced as he slowly cut the rope off her. But she knew she will have the chance to fight back if she could just time it right...and it looks like that time has just come.

As soon as Solidus cut the last rope from her, she threw a fast punch right at his face, giving it all the energy she's saved from being tied up for an hour or so. The punch knocked him face-down on the ground. He collapsed on the floor, blood dripping from his lips, staining the grass beneath him. He coughed as he slowly pushed himself from the ground.

But before he could get up, Meryl sent a kick right at his stomach, making him fall on his back from the impact. Solidus laid on the ground, panting, with a hand on the area right below his chest. "Damn you,woman", he whispered.

"Looks like the table's just turned, Solidus. I'm going to be in control now.". Meryl picked up the gun he dropped earlier and pointed it at him. "Maybe I should just take the opportunity right now. It's not everyday that you catch Big Boss' perfect clone off-guard."

"I don't think so, Meryl." Solidus quickly reached for his pocket knife, but Meryl was not distracted enough to not notice. She quickly fired a shot as soon he threw the knife aimed at her hand.

...and then there was silence.

..... The searing pain made Meryl drop the gun on the ground. "Oh God!" she cried, as she saw the large cut on the back of her right hand. She quickly tore a piece of cloth from her tank top and wrapped it tight around her injured hand. "Damn you, Solidus!....Solidus?"

She looked forward as she saw nothing on the ground. Solidus was gone, leaving a puddle of blood and a trail of it right after him.

"I knew I shot him! With all that blood loss, I doubt that he'd gone far enough. I hate to admit it, but I might need him in the future. I guess it's better to keep your enemies close than to let them wander off unguarded."

After securing the cloth on her injured hand, Meryl picked up the gun and went after the trail of blood.