He was still amazed that Sebastian had even been able to find the place. Fuji had only disclosed the location of his laboratory to them once, and that had been years ago, when the ferry still ran out to New Island. Yet somehow, Namba marveled, his colleague had managed to find what was left of the abandoned lab with disturbingly little difficulty, barking out accurate directions to the girl piloting their helicopter.
It was especially bothersome because Namba had been much more involved in the Mewtwo project than the other man had been. Or so he thought.
" Did I mention I have an eidetic memory?" Sebastian smirked, noticing the odd look he was getting from his friend as he climbed out of the chopper.
" I see." Namba gave the slightest nod in response. That explained a lot. " No wonder you made it to the top as fast as you did."
" Do I detect spite?"
Namba ignored Sebastian's comment and began to walk towards the ruined structure, the other man close behind him.
" I still don't understand what this is supposed to accomplish."
" We're looking for something."
Sebastian approached the rubble and pushed a piece of sheetrock aside with his foot. The island wasn't huge, but it was covered in what hadn't been washed away after the lab had blown up. The two of them stood there and stared in silence for a moment before the taller man rolled his sleeves up.
" What?" Namba continued to stand and stare.
" Anything. It won't take much to get Giovanni to believe us."
" Do you think he won't suspect we've fabricated it ourselves?"
Sebastian paused.
" He's been…brainwashed, for lack of a better word. But he's not stupid. Fuji's research was revolutionary…cloning was only explored in primitive animals hundreds of years ago. Nothing ever really came of it, and probably for good reason. It had never been tried on humans or pokemon before, and that…" he grunted as he turned a particularly large piece of stone over, "…is why Giovanni was so interested in it, though he somehow doesn't remember it now."
" He thinks you and I are spouting nonsense." Namba joined his colleague in searching through the trash and rubble.
" Yes, apparently the recollection of most everyone in the research department is still not enough confirmation that The Mewtwo Project actually happened. He's too stubborn to ever admit he's in the wrong…" the professor added under his breath. " If we can find one shred of Fuji's research here, then all we…hello."
Underneath the rock there was a large mass of papers. They were far from in decent condition, charred and some of them torn, but much of it was still readable. Namba squinted.
" You would think it had all been incinerated when the lab was destroyed."
" If I were a religious man, I'd say it was a sign from God."
" A sign that what?"
" That you and I are supposed to find that damned creature our department created and use it for it's original intended purpose."
They shared a knowing look and Sebastian collected the file, which the two of them began reading immediately, hoping for their sake that Fuji had been one who liked to record his findings and processes in great detail. Perhaps, Sebastian had rambled on the plane, they could even improve on Fuji's methods, and create something greater. Just proving the existence of Mewtwo to Giovanni didn't guarantee that they would find it again. Hell, it had slipped through their fingers twice already.
" …this is not about Mewtwo." Namba groaned impatiently as he read a few paragraphs, turning away. Sebastian grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back.
" That doesn't matter. Anything about the little girl is just as good."
Sebastian continued reading and Namba peered over his shoulder.
" Giovanni isn't interested in collecting humans."
Namba was thwapped on the forhead.
" They used the same process to create the girl as they used to create Mewtwo. I thought you said you worked with him on this project, you dolt."
" On the pokemon part."
" Anyhow…" Sebastian skimmed the papers, flipping through them as if they were an animation of some sort. " …we'll be taking this back to show Giovanni. It isn't much, but it's a start."
" What about this?"
Namba reached down to pick up what had been beneath the papers and the rubble. It was a small, thin, black something that just fit between his index finger and thumb. Sebastian smiled…he could be quite absent-minded, but Namba had always had an eye for details that everyone else usually passed over. Even with glasses, Sebastian was often apt to miss the small things….then again, that didn't really matter when you had a team of 10 or 12 going behind you to pick up the slack.
" What is that?" Sebastian leaned closer.
" Do you think it's important?" the other man asked.
" Come here."
" Wh- SON OF A-!"
In one swift movement Sebastian had taken the thing from Namba and plucked something from his eye at the same time.
" Just as I thought." he held them in front of his face and examined them comparatively while the other professor hopped around the island with his hands over his face. " It appears to be an eyelash."
" Eyelash…" Namba stopped running around and came in close to examine the object. " That's what they used to make it."
" An eyelash?" Sebastian's eyes shot up to meet his.
" The eyelash that came from Mew. That's what they used to make the clone."
The wind blew harshly enough to make a few pebbles roll around. Sebastian stared at Namba through whispering bangs, and his glasses glimmered for a moment as the corners of his mouth turned up into a self-satisfied smirk.
" Well well well. Should we need to put another Mewtwo in front of Giovanni to convince him it's real…then that's precisely what we'll do."