Bait 'n' Switch Codology

Code Name was having an interesting day.

The room was the standard run of the mill interrogation room. Dark, muggy, clearly under budget. Space for four ponies to sit. In Bullseye's case, float. The walls and floors were made out of some thick material Code Name probably wasn't allowed to know, disguised behind a rocky popcorn paint façade, all lit from a single electric lamp, hanging from the ceiling.

She was listening to an interesting mare, and a fantastical story. Code had been around the block far more than her presented 'fresh from boot' cop façade would have otherwise indicated, and as far as she could tell... Bullseye at least believed everything she had just told them. Ending on the explosion that killed her, and supposedly, the monster chasing her.

"So... I take it, that's all you've got to tell us?" Gerald asked

Bullseye nodded. "At least about the whole... uh... yeah."

Gerald looked to Code for what to do next. He'd done his part as the interchangeable good cop flawlessly, like he always did. The fact of the matter was, this was her show. Luckily, and after three seances, she'd gotten what she needed.

She took a deep breath and used a hoof to gently set down the pen on her notebook and toss it closed. "If you have any last remarks, now would be the time." She said professionally.

"I do-actually. Did they make it out?"

"Who?" Code asked back.

"Immersion and Johnson. Did they make it?"

Code frowned. She hated giving answers like this, "We can't discl-"

"Well, actually..." Gerald started, "If she's his next of kin, she has the right to know."

Now is not the time to be a lawyer, Gerald.

"Exactly. If." Code rebutted.

"He's fine." Gerald said quickly.

"Gerald." Code warned. He shrunk back with a guilty smile.

Bullseye's ethereal self leaned forwards. "My boxing gloves. They were my daddy's. Make sure he gets 'em. My tombstone; Make sure you put Terri's name on there too. She deserves it, after all that happened."

Code and Gerald exchanged a pair of looks. Code glanced at the unicorn in the room, casting the spell making this all possible. They continued to mutter with their eyes closed. They never did anything else.

Bullseye continued after the silence dragged on. "Or at least a picture... or something. I died wearing her face, that's all I'm sayin'."

Code leaned over, "That can be arranged."

"Thanks. Will it hurt?" Bullseye gestured to the unicorn in dark coverings. The runic circle they were standing on, and the magic keeping her there.

"No."

Bullseye nodded.

Code gestured to the unicorn. "That'll be all, specialist."

The unicorn's mumbling stopped, and the magic arching from their horn cut out. The runes on the floor went silent and stopped glowing. There was a lashing bit of magic that Code could only really sense, rather than see. Years of experience.

Bullseye made a face, "Oh-yeah. And, I never caught your name."

Code smiled, "No you didn't."

Bullseye smiled back as the mist she was made up began to fade. "You really got me with that." She said in a mixture of annoyance, appreciation, and melancholy.

Then she was gone.

Gerald sighed and flopped onto the table.

Code rolled her eyes, "Stop it. That wasn't nearly as bad as what happened with the griffon."

"Not like I can blame her."

"You're just tired, you big baby."

The unicorn left the room without a word.

Both of them sat there in silence for a moment while Code collected her notes.

"So?"

She raised an eyebrow, "So what?"

Gerald monotoned, "So what's the verdict? Miss, suit and tie."

Code Name adjusted said objects as she stood. "The verdict is I'll be dealing with this tomorrow, I have other things to attend to for now. Deciding what's true or not is your job, isn't it?" She shot back.

"You mean arguing about what's true or not."

"Whatever." She tossed the notebook and spare documents into her saddlebags.

"Tired then?"

"Late shifts." She answered.

Gerald gave her a sideways look, "I still think we should have told her."

"Gerald."

He lifted up a claw placatingly. "Listen, I kn-"

"We talked about this." Code Name cut him off, "And it's not either of our calls. Telling her we found Origami dead to a bullet miles away from the mansion would have only driven her into not talking to us at all."

He continued trying to back track, "I just th-"

"It's not your job to think." She cut him off again, "It's your job to be the slightly silly, dull in the head lawyer, who can good-cop-bad-cop with me so we can get the information we need to get this done. Okay?"

Gerald stared at her blankly as she huffed for a second. "You need to get laid." He said in mocking surprise.

Code Name facehoofed.

"How about drinks? On me?" He asked

She glared, "You wish."

A shrug, "Can't blame a guy for trying."

They both argued their way out of the interrogation room.

Neither of them saw the hanging lamp shift ever so slightly as they left.

It was probably just the air pressure changing in the room as they opened and closed the door.