Hey guys ! I'm back with one of my best (I hope) chapters of the Mystery among the Corridors! And this time, there's a lot of stuff going on :)

This chapter will be a little bit of a cross-over of Sonic and Half-Life 2. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter, read and review! ;D

Chapter 9: Discoveries and declarations

When Apple, Benny and the Sonic team arrived into City 17, the first thing they saw was a giant holographic screen on top of a building, showing a man with short white hair and a short white beard.

"Welcome." The man started. "Welcome to City 17. You have chosen or been chosen to relocate to one of our finest remaining urban centres. I thought so much of City 17 that I elected to establish my administration here. In the citadel so thoughtfully provided by our benefactors, I've been proud to call City 17 my home. And so, whether you're here to stay or passing through on your way to parts unknown, welcome, to City 17. It's safer here."

As they all listened to the man's welcome, they looked confusingly at the city in front of them. It was a dirty place and there were police men on each road corner and hardly any citizens. But instead of police men, they were soldiers in suits with a mask to cover their face. They knew the man on the screen was lying about the place being safe. After that, Apple, Benny and the Sonic team separated into small groups of four. Apple was with Benny, Sonic and Amy, Tails was with Cosmo, Knuckles and Tikal, and Shadow was with Rouge, Silver and Blaze. And the search for Spiker begun.

Meanwhile, Spiker was jumping on top of buildings, on his way to a small destroyed part of City 17. But when he jumped off the last building, somebody was shooting towards Spiker from the shadows. Spiker was still in his mutated form.

He landed and held his hand out and said, "Hey guys! It's me! SPIKER!" then the shootings stopped.

"Spiker?" a dark voice came from the shadows. "What in the world happened to you! You don't look the same at all, I thought you were some creature sent by Dr. Breen!"

"Well anyway, what brings you up here, Spike-head?" teased another voice from the shadows. But Spiker glanced back like if he was going to attack.

"SHUT UP ZAYRO!" shouted the dark voice. "You see what he became? You don't want to mess up with him!"

Spiker looked down, not looking angry anymore. "Eggman came, took control of me, and because of him, I destroy part of City 23. He hurt one of my best friends, and then I ran away." The two shades kept silent. "So, what have you been up to lately Blade?" he asked to the other shadow.

Blade smiled. "Nothing much. Although I have to go in town because some combines have messed up with some unknown people. They must come from a nearby town." Spiker looked up, he jumped away in direction of the town centre. "Hey, Spiker! Where are you going!" Blade called. "Merda." He sweared in Italian. He then started running his way towards where Spiker was going.

Meanwhile, Apple and the rest of the gang were looking for Spiker, but no luck. When they asked citizens, they all would answer "Sorry but we can't talk. Combines everywhere." And when they asked Combine soldiers, they all would answer them to go away, move along, or even trying to hit them with a stun stick so they would go. Shadow wouldn't appreciate it, so he punched back the Combine and ran away. Apple was running in a deserted street, but she then knocked somebody down and fell on that person. It was a black echidna with red eyes, wearing dark black cargo jeans, and a dark green trench coat. They both looking at each other's eyes wide open, blushing.

"Oh! Sorry." Apple said as she got up, blushing a lot.

"It's alright." said the black echidna. "You looking for somebody?" he asked.

"How did you know?" asked Apple surprisingly.

"Well I heard that some people were messing up with Combine soldiers, and my friend Spiker ran his way to..." he was interrupted by Apple.

"You know Spiker! Where is he!" she asked in a hurry.

"Wow, stay calm. I thought it was somebody els when I saw him come back. He looked like some dangerous beast. I heard Eggman controlled Spiker, made him attack City 23 and then Eggman hurt one of his friends. I guess you're one of his friends as well, right?

"Yes." Apple replied. "Actually, I'm the one Eggman hurt." she said in hesitation.

"Oh." the echidna replied. "By the way, what's your name? I'm Shard. Shard the echidna. And I have to say you're one of the prettiest girls I've ever met." He blinked at her.

Apple blushed. "Thanks. I'm Apple. Apple the TreeFox. But we still need to find Spiker and the rest of my friends."

"And I have to get my weapons. We might have to fight Combine soldiers if Spiker is in a fight." Shard replied. He then heard some shootings from a near by street. "That must be Spiker. Let's go!"

"Right!" Apple said as they started running where the shooting was coming from.

They ran through a couple of blocks until they found Spiker fighting Combine soldiers. The Combines were shooting towards Spiker, but he used his absorption power to fire back the bullets towards the Combines killing them. When they would run to him, he would punch them away. But then, coming out of nowhere, a hail of lightning bolts hit all the Combines around Spiker and they were all vaporised into dust. Spiker looked around, trying to find who helped him. He then saw on top of a building Benny with his hand charged in electricity. Benny jumped down and joined Apple and Shard who were running towards Spiker. Spiker took a step back, trying to run away.

"Wait, Spiker!" called Apple. "Thank God we found you!" she said as the rest of the Sonic team joined up with Apple, Benny and Shard.

"We were all worried about you." started Benny. "Especially Apple."

Spiker had his eyes wide open and started at Apple for a while. He finally started walking towards the whole team. But while he was walking, his monstrous form was disappearing. His hair became normal, his knuckles were short again, but the right half of his body was still mutated. After a while of hesitation, he looked up at everybody with a smile and said, "I'm glad all of you are here."

Everybody smiled, even Shard who normally isn't emotional. After that, some strange figure came out of nowhere and said, "Hey there, did I miss the party?" said that person. It was a purple hedgehog, wearing only gloves and shoes and an AK-47 in his back.

Shard was the first to reply. "Zayro, not only did you missed the party but you just ruined this emotional moment we were having." he teased.

But then, Amy looked up at Zayro and said out loud, "Zayro? Is that really you!" Everybody was looking at Amy.

"Long time no see, huh Amy?" Zayro said in a very cocky tone. Amy was trembling and blushing at the same time.

Sonic looked at her and asked, "Do you know that guy?"

Amy couldn't stand it. She then said, "I went on a date with him..."

Everybody was looking at Amy astonished and with their mouths open, except for Spiker, Shard and Zayro.

"W-w-wait. Are you saying you went... with another guy... before me?" Sonic said stuttering.

"I can explain!" started Amy all embarrassed. "I was walking down the street and there he was, charismatic, and asked me kindly to go on a date with him. I couldn't resist! I'M SO SORRY!" Amy was almost in tears how embarrassed she was. She then started crying. But then, something wrapped it's arms around her. She looked up and saw Sonic looking at her with a smile.

"It's alright Amy." started Sonic. "Anyway, that happened a while ago, before we actually got together. All that matters now is that we're together and that we love each other really much." After he said those phrases, Amy jumped on Sonic and gave him a kiss on the lips, and they kissed for at least a minute.

After their lips separated, Amy said, "Thank you." Sonic was blushing, and the rest of the gang was all going 'aww' at the two cute hedgehog couple.

Later on, Shard made everybody visit City 17. After that, they all went to a little abandoned house on the side of City 17 where Shard and Zayro lived. Everybody was arguing about what Shard told the Sonic team about Dr. Breen's dictatorship (reminder: Dr. Breen is the man on the holographic screen in the beginning of the chapter). But apparently, he wasn't the only one leading terror in City 17. But then, Apple noticed Spiker wasn't in the house anymore.

"Hey Shard." Apple said.

"Si?" replied Shard in italian.

"Do you know where Spiker went?"

"I think he went to the nearby river I mentioned earlier. He always goes there before going to sleep. But if you want to go and see him, I'll have to accompany you because there are sometimes Combine guard guarding the whole sector, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"That's so sweet of you." Apple smiled at Shard. "Shall we go then? Leave the gang with Zayro telling all of his 'amazing' stories?" she teased.

"But of course." Shard replied politely. And they began walking together in the forest. They did meet a couple of Combine soldiers, but they let Apple and Shard pass because they were off-duty and didn't really care who passed or not. After a while, Apple and Shard stopped to rest a bit. But Shard then got up and stood in front of Apple.

"I..." he started hesitatingly.

"What is it Shard?" said Apple.

Shard closed his eyes, kneeled down and said, "W-w-will you, Apple the TreeFox, b-be m-my g-g-girlfriend?" Shard asked stuttering and blushing.

Apple was astonished. She had her eyes wide open staring at Shard. "W-w-well..." she started. "I-I can't really tell, I mean, we just met and..." she was thinking for a while. She then said, embarrassed and blushing, "I-I'm sorry, but I can't." Shard looked up surprised, not knowing what to say. "It's not that I don't like you, it's just..." she lost her words. "Well... I know you're a really nice guy, I like you a lot, but... I love somebody els."

Shard hesitated before saying anything els. "It-it-it's alright. Anyway it would be bad pushing you to be my girlfriend. It wouldn't be right." After he said that, he came to Apple, blushing, and gave her a hug. Apple held him as well.

"You're a great friend Shard, and I know you will some day find somebody and that you both will love each other very much." Apple then gave Shard a little kiss on the forehead and separated from each other, both blushing, and smiling. And they continued walking their way to the lake.

After their long march, Apple and Shard finally arrived to the lake. But then Apple asked, "Do you mind leaving me from here? I would like to speak to Spiker privately."

"Sure, just don't get harmed coming back." Shard said with a smile. And he ran off.

Apple then started walking along the large river of City 17 looking for Spiker. She then saw him sitting down his head inside his arms, like he was crying. Apple then walked gently near him, sat next to him and asked gently, "Are you alright?" It surprised Spiker because he didn't know she was here. "What are you doing here? It's getting late." But Spiker just looked down not saying anything. Apple saw a tear dripping down from Spiker's eye. "Are you crying? What's wrong?" she asked gently as she put her hand on Spiker's face.

"I've always felt like that." Spiker started. "Felt alone, rejected by others, hated, and now, after Eggman's attack, a monster." he paused for a little while. "Do you know why I ran away?" he asked Apple. She nodded. "I-I-I just can't say it like that. It's just..." he lost his words. He then took Apple's hand, looked straight into her green saphireeyes, and said,

"I love you..."

Apple looked straight back into Spiker's eyes with tears coming up her eyes. Spiker was about to get up and walk away. But Apple jumped on Spiker and held him tightly. Apple was now crying.

"Please don't go!" she cried. "I knew you needed somebody to love and I don't want you to be left alone forever! I always loved you!" Spiker was astonished.

Did she really loved him? He then turned around, his eyes wide open. They were both looking into each other's eyes, Spiker looking at the beautiful cherry red fox he loved, Apple looking at the strong echidna-like man she loved. Spiker moved near Apple, and they both started to cuddle up onto each other.

And as their bodies leaned together, their lips approached, pressed together, engaged into a romantic kiss. Spiker and Apple were holding each other tightly as the kiss was going on. It felt like the kiss was going on forever.

After they made out, Spiker pulled off slowly his lips off Apple's and said as he was hugging Apple, "I'll never leave you, I promise..." Apple looked at Spiker in the eyes smiling. She placed her hand on his and she jumped on Spiker and kissed him all over his face and tickled him. Spiker was laughing his head off since he's very ticklish.

After ten minutes of fooling around, they lied next to each other observing the beautiful moon light. They both looked at each other smiling. Spiker cuddled up on Apple and said,

"I never thought this would happen..." as he said those words, Apple kissed Spiker on the lips.

"You will never be alone.

You found somebody to love.

Forget your misery.

And go on with your life."

I just LOVE this chapter! :') (I'm crying right now) I also hope you guys liked this chapter, and I will write more. (the ending, I was a little inspired by the end of Chapter 38 of the 'Emerald High School Chaos!' story by AppletheFox4eva88) The story is long to be finished with Spiker's mystery. :D

Seeya later dear friends! :D