++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Other Snake : A Meryl/Solidus Fanfic

Chapter 3: Enter the WolfPack

++++++++++++++++++++++++

"What the?!!! PUT ME DOWN!!! WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO CARRY ME IN SUCH A MANNER?!!!" Meryl struggled as she pounded her fist on his chest.

Solidus quickly set Meryl down on the ground, cautious that she doesn't hit his wound with all her bickering. "Hey look, missy. You were the one who reached out to me! You practically begged for me to take you in my arms!!!"

Meryl knew this was true. But she didn't know it was actually happening in real life.and she also didn't know it was the other Snake who she was dealing with. "Well I.I didn't intend for it to happen!!! At least I still dream of the things I look forward to in life!!! Why are we in such a rush any way?!!!"

Solidus looked around them as if he could feel something coming..as if he could smell trouble in the air. In a second, he found himself diving towards Meryl as they landed hidden in a huge patch of high bushes.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!! GET OFFI!!" meryl struggled again, trying to push him off of her, as solidus pinned her down on the ground. She could feel her efforts wasted as his weight is against her, helplessly keeping her glued to the grassy floor.

"Keep quiet! They're coming.Just stay calm or you'll give us away."

Meryl tried to stay as calm as she could. But she felt uneasy feeling every part of him against her "Well, I do hope whoever they will are go away soon."

"Shhh.I know these men. They could smell and hear anything from a mile away.". That's why I need you to stay still..

Meryl could feel the ground rumbling, like a herd of four-legged beasts were headed towards their way. As the rumbling grew nearer, she could hear the voices of men talking..She couldn't figure out what they were saying since they weren't near enough to be understood, but she knew that whoever these men were, they were the ones Solidus was talking about.

Solidus suddenly held Meryl close underneath him.

"Solidus!! What are you doing?!!!!!" She helplessly struggled, as she tried to push him off. She could feel him offensively keeping her as close to him as he could. She'd definitely never felt anyone hold her this close before.and this had to end NOW "Solidus!!!!"

"Shut up and let me do the work! It's not what you think it is, okay?!!! Damn girls nowadays!!!" Solidus held her even closer as the men on horses came nearer. "Now stay calm, you hear? When you feel them right next to us, stay calm...you understand?". Meryl nodded her head in agreement. "And don't.I mean NEVER EVER make a single sound.Don't even breathe deeply, okay? Do that, and we're dead!". Meryl nodded her head again.

She was not sure what Solidus was up to, but since he's the only one who had an idea of what these people are, she had no choice but to follow.

The men in horses finally came. They wore trenchcoats and other gadgets around them. They also wore a scarf around their necks, almost hiding the lower part of their faces. All garments appear as if they've been worn out by time.

Their leader was called BloodHound. Just by looking at him, you'd know he was the head of the pack. He had the stance of leadership, the face of experience and the eyes of a hawk. He sniffed the air..looked around and sniffed again, slightly in the other direction. "They're here.I can smell HER."

Meryl felt a bead of sweat run down her forehead. As Solidus heard of this, he held Meryl tighter. Meryl squirmed a bit, but had no choice to submit to such.offense.

One of the members of the WolfPack moved his horse closer to Bloodhound "Sir, the smell seemed to have fainted.I believe they've headed off to another direction?"

"Maybe...we'll halt all searches for now. It seemed as if they knew we were coming. We have to strike a different approach later. Something that won't easily be detected by those two. Too bad Liquid wants both of them alive. We could easily dispatch them now if needed.Anyway, let's all head back to camp, men! We need our rest for the hunt later."

Meryl could feel the sound of the horses' hooves fading as the WolfPack flees the area. This made her slowly feel at ease again, like a boulder just taken off her shoulders..but then she noticed Solidus' body still pressing hard against hers.."WHY YOU..PERVERT!!!!!!!!!!!" She quickly kneed him off of her with as much power as she could, and he gets off- guard, clutching his stomach. "GOD, WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!! If they were any where closer, they could have still smelled you!!!"

Meryl quickly pushed him off of her as she stood up, brushing herself off, as if trying to tidy up her body. "Well maybe I would have rather kicked their butt back there, instead of being HARASSED BY YOU!!! Look, Solidus.I may look fragile, but dammit, I won't tolerate anyone who offends me in the "sexual" area!! Do you know how hard it is to be a woman amongst all the men in the military?!!!"

Solidus stood up, towering over Meryl, as he spat back at her "HARASS YOU?!! I PRACTICALLY SAVED YOUR LIFE!!!"

"Yeah right!!! I've already heard that excuse a couple of times before, Sears!!! I know how men think.and you are one of the worst I've ever met!!!"

Solidus suddenly grabbed Meryl by her wrists and pinned her up against a tree "Don't you get it?!!! I SAVED YOUR LIFE!!! S-A-V-E-D!! can't you understand anything I'm saying?!!! Those guys could detect anyone through any of their senses, especially by smell! By holding you as close to me as I could, I masked your scent since they're already familiar with what Liquid smells like! To them, I was just a shadow of Liquid Snake!!! Do I have to explain everything to you?!!!"

Meryl looked back at him.Staring him in the eyes. No matter what happened there, she still couldn't acccept that such a man had to be that close to her..But she did have no choice. "Fine.I.I understand. Thank you."

"Good." Solidus let go of her wrists, and once again placed a hand on his stomach wound. "I'm not like any other men. I don't get tempted by the likes of you. For me, you're just a soldier with breasts! Nothing more.nothing less." He sneered as he turned away from her, and grunted as he felt another pain shoot through his stomach wound.

"NNn!!! We better get going. I don't think that sissy boyfriend of yours could handle Liquid alone." He signaled Meryl to go follow him.

"Are you sure it's safe to travel? That group could just be out there waiting for us!"

"That's why you have to stay close to me.Believe me. I don't like it either, but when they're around, you have to be right next to me, you got that, kid?" he looked at her justifying what he just said. As if to say 'you have no choice'.

"Fine. I'll do what must be done. So.where do we head off to next?"

Solidus looked at the way where the riders fled to. "Up north. They said they would retreat to camp. And I know the WolfPack..they'll always camp near the homebase..And I have a feeling that's where those kid brothers of mine are."

"Then north it is." Meryl went towards the direction pointed by Solidus. She didn't really trust him, even after that "saving" stunt he pulled. But at this point in time, he's the only one who knows most of what's going on in that place.

They both trekked through the forest, staying as close to each other as they could. Silence was their only form of defense. Meryl had no choice but to follow Solidus wherever his instincts led him. At this point in time, she didn't care about herself anymore. The only thing she wanted was to see Snake again. She just wanted to see HIM again.