Of Wolves and Devils: A Dark Angel Fanfiction Story
Episode 16:
Past Germany's western borders, several nights ago…
Dark brown, yellow, and white bricked hydroelectric and steam run towers of power plants are along the western shores. Blackened Lego brick styled cathedral like houses, apartment tall warehouses, and churches in mostly rustic brown and cobblestone grayish white line every streetlight lit city block.
It was largely built with help from Denmark helping their allies have houses to sleep in, and their tension filled agreements with Greenland to make it all possible. The same could be said of a good handful of countries who banded together with limited technology resources after the Pulse against gangs and terrorists: Led by France, Spain, Canada, and the UK.
Covert ops looking guys in mostly blackish blue and green Sicherheit uniforms patrol the fogged over night in their shiny silver and black cars: With yellow and blue highlights parting the fog and faint wind. Some have long brown haired topless women in red lingerie, getting real "close" and "kissing up" to the pulled over officers. Some have built-in music players blazing punk music.
Speeders go by. But, most of German Security let it fly.
After the Pulse, the government just simplified the no speed limits areas with no speed limit anywhere, plenty of built-in overhead sprinkler heads to put out a car crash on automatic, and a water system to filter and drain it back into the sprinklers to use again.
Fog often comes and goes out here, because of so much accumulated moisture from steam run power over the years.
A light brown short haired guy with a brown overcoat and a light blue worker vest comes walking into a car lot: Looking a little tired as he walks over the black mat. It makes the glass doors kinetically open on a hidden away fast gear and pulley system.
The car lot is mostly silvery framed all over, with metal black window shades to pull down and a metal flat roof. Even the furnaces and metalwork work station have silvery framed glass around them.
A fairly long blond woman in a black formal buttoned business suit is at the wooden looking front desk. She greets him politely, "hello, Mister. Do you have a appointment?"
The guy answers, "yeah. Mr. Ordin to see Mr. Patrono."
The secretary takes a minute: Looking through the flameproof blackened gray laptop and the appointment book on it.
With a faint amused smile… She figures, "oh, yes. I see. You're thirty minutes early. Why don't you go out and treat yourself to a quick snack across the way and then come in?"
With a eerie grin… The guy concludes, "oh, I won't be long. But, you might be."
He closes his eyes…just before lasers go off from all over his body.
The secretary screams, "nein!"
Glass walls and shutters explode. The laptop and reception area is all ablaze.
Across the car lot, engines and electric components are swept up quick in the flames. Screams pierce the calm of the fog.
Debris scatters across five city blocks…setting them aflame before bursting apart streetlights and sprinklers. Tiny sizzles of water don't do a thing.
The screams get louder and louder as people run from their beds and kitchens.
German Security car sirens are whirling off, as German Security officers scramble for the fire. One of them calls the fire department.
But, by the time the mostly red fire trucks get there…twelve city blocks are burning down.
The calm of the night has burned away. And, in its place is fear: Pure fear.
Presently, in another city of Western Germany…
The police station is mostly blackened, barely lit with hanging light bulbs over gray walls. And, a half hung up bulletin board full of photos is before a brownish blond medium haired police captain.
A teary eyed Max is standing not far off a half broke chair, in her black catsuit. She's looking at pictures, taken of a certain car lot.
In the pictures… Hints of splatters of dark red liquid and liquid metal cover the shards left of the lot of cars.
Max grimly voices, "hmm. There's one set of images I sure as hell would like to purge out of my memory."
Glaringly, Police Captain Donatrum solemnly mutters, "yep. It didn't end there either."
Max wonders uneasily, "how many?"
Holding up one of the photos from the bulletin board… Captain Donatrum recollects, "three in one day. And, that's not getting into the other cyborg shits that have been storming in. Some had turned their pagers into grenades. Some decided to fill themselves up with lasers inside out."
Max looks stunned, "oh, god." Captain Donatrum adds, "yep."
Max is thinking to herself, "damn. Thought the ZFA was all ten-hut and secretive or something. Not even trying to cover their cybernetic asses, and they're still kicking our asses with trick shots!"
More worried than sarcastic, Max puts to question, "how have you guys been holding up?"
Captain Donatrum looks up at her.
He sighs heavily, "not that well. That's why we reached out to you people."
He paces around a bit.
He starts ranting, "as far as I am concerned, East Germany is a lost cause to shits and anarchy. But…that doesn't mean I don't think about them when I go to sleep at night."
With a bottled up anger… Max is thinking to herself, "and I take it fighting the power and taking out brothels aren't part of your vision thing: Like most cops around here."
She figures, "you used to be in East Germany yourself."
With a death like glare at a broken window… Captain Donatrum goes on, "not exactly. My cousin was though. Kind of puny, but smart. Used to go visit him...before the ZFA tore through it and nearly killed all of us hard working people. Faint laugh. We were already full of our share of security after the Pulse. When I killed rioters that day…it felt good: Purging the system of verzögerns and puny shits. But, these days…it feels kind of better: Knowing what cyborg shits really are, and how to purge them where we can get them. You know?"
With a sharp glare filled with mixed feelings… Max comments, "yeah. I know the feeling."
She's already on her way out the silvery framed door: Pocketing the photos in her hand.
With a eerie concentrated look to him… Captain Donatrum considers, "you must have been through some shit yourself. Maybe after you're done here, we can get to know each other over beers."
Max slightly turns back, and quickly turns back to the door.
She mutters back, "not a chance." And, she walks out.
Captain Donatrum stands there, looking confused.
He turns to her direction. But, she's already gone.
Captain Donatrum is left asking at nothing, "was it something I said?"
Meanwhile, down in Seattle…
In a certain warehouse, before the often lit and paid for shipped in candles… Devrom is sitting there with Probert, drinking some from a bottle of alcohol.
His self given role as a martial arts instructor has been fairly good to him.
In Probert's hands is a book titled The Scholl Case: The Deadly End of a Marriage. It's got wintery branches and a fog covered atmosphere for a cover.
Devrom puts down the bottle.
He questions, "why do you do this to yourself? This doesn't have to do with your Thetan. And yet, you act as though it is."
Probert faintly chuckles, "you know I'm not the only one who started reading up. Most of us in the Midwest have been kept in the dark at just how dire the world has gotten. We're mostly seeing to our own wounded. But, some like myself have begun to explore what's past the Mississippi."
In reflection, Devrom faintly smiles, "you want to prepare yourself for what may come for you and your community. I can kind of understand that."
Probert points out, "that, and my Christian beliefs: Which are different than yours. Nevertheless…I have missed these kind of discussions with Clemento."
Thinking back to a certain Scientologist friend from their past… Devrom considers, "I am thankful for that. I have missed him too." With a faint smile, Probert adds, "you're welcome."
Devrom is quick to realize, "yet you seem to be pained by something."
Probert surmises, "I am. If people in Germany like Mr. Scholl and Mr. Selmayr hated restrictions and rules they were given so much that they were driven to commit murder…why didn't they go to another country to be more at peace: Without violence and with happier marriages?"
Devrom says, "heavy sigh. Well, Probert… That's a hard question: For anyone. There's always going to be times when we don't like rules or something a good friend says. But, we come onto the planet Teegeeack with one set of memories after another towards the Clear State. And sometimes, it's hard to tell the imposed reactive engrams from the path you have consciously taken."
Probert considers nervously, "hmm. True. I guess I just wish we could all be more at peace."
Teary eyed… Devrom openly admits, "I wish that too. But, most of Europe was hit hard by the Pulse. Many of them find it hard to tell imposed conditions of dire living from the path that is theirs to take: Especially most of Germany. They have become overwhelmed with Neo-Nazis and gangs, because of a sudden lack of restrictions and rules they blindly saw as their barred paths given light."
Wide eyed, Probert looks to him, "how do you know this?"
Devrom explains simply, "I only recently found out myself. But, let's just say I know some super troopers from Eyes Only."
Probert says, "I see. Still… I wish it could all be more peaceful."
Devrom tries to assure, "the war with Xeno and his forces will end someday. It's just not today."
Probert faintly looks to the mirrors.
He just faintly says, "yeah. In a way, I think you're right. But…I wish it would end sooner."
As he looks in the same direction as the mirrors, Devrom faintly nods back, "I welcome that day too, brother. I think about it a lot."
Over in Western Germany, a hour and nineteen minutes later…
Most of the streetlights and sprinklers are down, riddled with bullets.
The early afternoon is mostly clear skies: Only some big white clouds.
Most everyone's houses have bulletproof shutters and glass windows closed. Patrols have been constant. But, even with most Germans off the street, there hasn't been trespassers coming in for days.
Over communications, in a long dark blue sleeved shirt… Logan checks, "Max? Talk to me."
Over comlink, Max figures snarkily, "I'm good. Just static with lasers not really close to frying my ass."
The dark brown medium haired cyborg up there facing her is burning up rubber skin and shards of dark green clothes in lasers and splatters of liquid metal coming from all over his torso.
Max is up on a dark red and brown bricked cathedral like rooftop, easily jump flip tumbling away from the lasers coming at her.
Logan goes, "faint chuckle. Ok. Talk to me after?"
Max faintly smiles from the other end, "sounds good."
Meanwhile, out in Eastern Germany…
Out here, there are no sprinklers. There's not much anything but warehouses for broken down homes, half naked bruised and beaten slaves chained to improvised cells with wet reeking yellow underwear, gangs with spiked cuffs and gray jackets, and gangs with punk hairstyles of pink and purple.
Smog, piles of ashes, and crashed down burnt up streetlights line the burnt down brick and stone buildings of civilization. And, many a Nazi flag is up over the ash.
In the midst of the anarchy… A bricked furnace run power hub of rustic brown explodes.
A Eyes Only agent in a black catsuit and matching gloves is knocked back by the explosion. Ribbons of a dark green army uniform go up in the smoke.
And, in the smoke and flames…is a ZFA member going by MajorTaze.
He's a ex-soldier gone anti-German mercenary, who was kicked out of the German military for burning his commander on fire for ordering him around when he had "better ideas". It was in camp, and the fire was easily put out by some commanders. But, it set him on the path to becoming what he is.
He's become quickly known for putting on soldiers's clothes in enemy lines and throwing the burning remains around from his own lasers.
The Eyes Only agent with very short red hair groans and coughs violently as he's crawling out from a pile of ash. His name is Jeff Shadnex.
With his flaming dark red mullet and flaming up rubber skin hands out… MajorTaze calls out, "I don't know what Regierung you're under. But, I got a message for them: With you good and tot!"
He charges right for the ash: About to light it all up with lasers charging up.
Meanwhile, out in the United Kingdom…
It's clear skies out: Not even a hint of fog rolling in.
Traffic lights and security cameras are as far as the eye can see.
But, with so many cameras from street intersection to street intersection, no one has volunteered for house surveillance or corporate surveillance. Most felt it was too bad for business or impersonal.
Spiraling highways as tall as skyscrapers have greatly turned out the levels of traffic, with warehouses doubling as parking garages and stone museum styled houses along every street.
With Canada ensuring their protection from a Pulse, they've been mostly with clear skies, well paid salaries, and low level silvery and coal black A.I. construction machines.
Although…A.I. has become a heated topic.
South British armed forces will fire at any A.I. machine that sets foot in South Britain. They'd much rather outlaw them than give up manual labor.
But, against the ZFA… North and South definitely come together as one.
With dark red military special forces attire and mostly desert tan army uniforms… Troops stands around a smashed in section of highway.
Cars are smashed in a pile up below. Tens of cars are swiftly turning around back down and up.
A British commander orders, "take them down!"
Down there, a ZFA cyborg in mostly shot up rubber skin, a black overcoat, and dark red elbow pads and knee pads is holding a sunglasses black scanner equipped laser rifle. He's leading a gang in black overcoats, with matching scanner equipped laser rifles and Nazi symbols on their sleeves.
Krit is in a mostly bright green Canadian army uniform with a Intelligence Branch badge on the shoulder: Side tumbling off away from the lasers.
A laser from the ZFA cyborg accidentally hits one of the gang members, who cries out in burning pain while clutching his side.
With Krit having tumbled out of range of fire… The troops shoot most of them down: Their laser rifles making very easy targets.
The ZFA cyborg though is faster.
With mechanical whirls… He fires back.
Several officers burn up in their screams, before others slightly retreat back from the lasers.
With a glare of cold anger… A getting up Krit mutters, "some soldiers got to stay buried."
He shoots at a sparking electric car engine, right under the ZFA cyborg.
The engine explodes off…taking the screaming burning up cyborg with it.
Meanwhile, out in France…
The Palace of Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, the resorts of Cote D'azur… They've all been destroyed in civil unrest and nuclear fallout in the wake of the Pulse: When the typical reporting system for France went up in smoke and no one could call it in.
With some help from their alliance with the UK and Canada, most of France's world renowned places and radiated shores were restored from the ground up. But, with so many rocks and metalwork readily around… Castles and medieval styled villages with limited electricity got extremely popular to go home with comfort all the sooner.
Some cities have rebuilt with Lego brick styled mostly bright white, orange, and yellow beach house like flat roof houses. But, most of the French have stuck to their more traditional oriented ways.
The skies are clear blue. Wind turbines and solar power are plentiful.
In the wake of the riots, the police and the military were combined into the French Unification Forces to shoot down any terrorist that comes, protect the innocent, and be witness protection when needed. Or at least, that's the organization's intentions.
But, in a mostly white painted stone castle… Things are not so clear blue.
The French Unification Forces in mostly tan green army uniforms are down the winding halls…firing silver barreled black ANF1 machine guns into shot up ZFA cyborgs in black overcoats.
The ZFA cyborgs got chains by their sides, as they're clutching their denting in sides. Metal liquid drips down the halls.
Charim is behind them, in a red overcoat. She faintly smiles in faint hope.
Then…they speed hurl their chains through some of the machine guns.
Several officers fall dead as their guns implode. And, a uproar of shrapnel comes down a coming down hall for more.
Charim sighs deeply, taking a deep breath.
She cries out, "Kuso ̄!"
She tumbles forward…diving through as one big humanoid drop of water.
She sends shrapnel and debris back at the swiftly short circuiting cyborgs…decimating them inside and out.
Charim reconstitutes herself against a intact wall: Teary eyed and catching her breath. The other officers look to her stunned.
The medium dark brown haired troop commander goes, "sensationnel."
He walks over to Charim, standing there quite confused.
He starts to ask, "so, if you could just do that…why…?!"
Not even looking up… Charim somberly replies, "I had to a few times. But, I've always hated having to. I hate killing! Sniffle! And, do you know how kuso ̄ kantan ni it is to get stomach pain with this biochemical therapy?! I can't tell you how miryoku-tekina it's been for me to go back to baby food or relieve myself in the ocean! Sniffle!"
Now looking super embarrassed… The commander says, "yeah. Sure. I'll give you a minute."
Sounding kind of relieved, Charim calls back, "thank you!"
The troops fall back to give her space.
Over communications, with a black microphone around her ear and a dark red cleavage showing top on… Original Cindy checks in concern, "you sure you're aiight? Cause Original Cindy heard big splashes. And, you ain't beating yourself up over this mission unless it's serious."
Over a waterproof made comlink… Charim whispers, "more or less. You must have heard." Original Cindy faintly nods, "yeah. Sure. I…just wish I could help a sister out more. You know?"
With a faint mixed smile… Charim insists faintly, "you've helped enough. But, you're ok."
Original Cindy faintly chuckles, "thanks Charim." Charim firmly adds, "ok."
Back with Jeff…
With only seconds to react… Jeff kicks up ash: Making MajorTaze reactively shield his eyes.
His lasers go all over the place.
They hit the ground and his own burning arms: Liquid metal dripping like mad.
The liquid metal trail soon catches fire, along with some of the ash.
Jeff jumps out of the ash in time…tackling MajorTaze as it explodes in a gray puff of smoke.
MajorTaze angrily throws Jeff off. He crash lands through a lone metal wall.
But, even as he can barely move…he pulls back and fires off his EMP crossbow.
Jeff mutters, "ZFA…violent cough…how's this for a message?"
MajorTaze is walking over to him: Determined to finish him…when sparks of fried circuitry courses through his nervous system.
A trail of dark red liquid and liquid metal bursts up from his chest. And, the flames around his burning screaming corpse from all the lit up liquid metal scorches whatever little is left of his humanity.
Back with Max…
By then, a German Sicherheit car is circling around: Sirens whirling.
Max is just standing there on the smoking burnt off top of the rooftop, looking amused.
She starts laughing at the guy.
In a mechanical voice, he calls out, "I'm just getting warmed up!"
She calls out, "yeah. I don't believe it. Why? Oh, right: Because you're a pathetic ZFA guy. You can't even shoot down a bird!"
In a angry cry, the ZFA cyborg leap charges at Max to try to fire all he's got.
Max though just tumble back kicks into him: Stunning him and sending him crash tumbling down the side of the roof before he can even fire much.
Not long after…
Max is in a alleyway, standing over the cyborg's body.
With her acute hearing and cat like eyes though… She doesn't even have to feel a pulse: She still hears mechanical whirls and sees very little dark red liquid.
Over communications… Logan checks, "so…how did it go?"
With a mixed sense, Max answers, "he'll be having hospital food for a while. But, he's not dead: Just out. Though, I got to say: That was kind of easy."
A little relieved sounding, Logan says, "yeah. Still… It might be good for us. Once the police are done with checking him out, we can take him back to Eyes Only for our own examination: No chance of ZFA in the chain of command."
Max thinks out loud, "doesn't mean I have to like it. But, yeah. I get it. How is Jeff?"
Logan reports, "he's barely conscious. But, he's ok. I just called in a team to get him out of there." Max faintly chuckles, "well…least it's good on someone."
Then… A long blond haired German Security officer comes down the alley: Black pistol sticking out of her pocket.
The security officer asks politely, "miss…can I see some I.D?"
With a faint roll of her eyes… Max shows her her Eyes Only International badge.
Max annoyedly adds, "is that all, officer?"
The security officer figures, "that depends on your cooperation. This way, Miss Guevera."
She motions for her to come to the silvery security car further up the alley.
Max looks wide eyed. She starts to argue, "what the hell are you…?"
In a low voice, Logan calls out to her, "Max!"
Max lowly shouts back, "what?!"
The officer steps back a little warily: Thinking she's just talking on comlink.
Logan brings up, "heavy sigh. Max…I know this is going to sound screwed up. But, they're not going to arrest you." Max mutters nervously, "how do you know?"
Logan reasons, "because unlike you, I bothered to find out how homeland security does things in Germany. Unless they charge you with something, they just want to help."
Max comments uneasily, "well, they have a funny way of showing it."
The security officer firmly asks again, "miss?"
Pretending to not have heard… Max goes, "sorry, officer?"
Looking faintly relieved… The security officer takes her hand off her pistol.
She concludes, "I know you're a agent. And, I'm sorry if you're in the middle of talking to your commander. But, why don't we go for a ride?"
Max reluctantly answers, "ok."
The security officer faintly smiles, "appreciate it."
Max is thinking to herself, "guess worst to worse, I can always take on the officers without breaking a sweat. Still… Faint sigh. Every time I've been pulled over…that's when it all just plain sucks. But, if Logan says it's ok, it should be. Or, I'm going to so kick his ass when I get back."
She and the officer head over to the police car.
A few more security officers grab the ZFA cyborg body to bring into the car.
The first police officer gets the car door for Max.
As she's getting in…Max adds, "thanks."
Fifteen or so minutes later…
The first officer is driving. A dark brown medium haired officer is on the opposite front seat.
The two security officers in the back have transferred to another car: Leaving the back all to Max and a laid out ZFA cyborg body to start examining.
Max convinced the two security officers that they don't have to go to the station to examine him: She could do it all herself with little help, while some of the officers go to help on patrol. But, she also feels a little more comfortable with less officers around.
Slightly turning to her… The second officer wonders, "found anything?"
Max faintly sighs uneasily: Her bare hands shining with liquid metal.
She's wiping them off with a wet washcloth a lot to get it all out.
As she does… She concludes, "usually, they self destruct their cyborg microchips and crap. But, these parts look more mechanical: Even amateurish. The surgically broken bones aren't even all that strongly fortified. Something tells me this is turning out to be too easy."
The officers grimace at the swearing. But, they don't say anything about it.
The second officer faintly shrugs, "well, it's their bodies. Could just have run out of enough cybernetics to give out."
Max faintly chuckles. She figures, "no. I don't think that's it. Belarus has plenty. But, it was nice to think so." The second officer faintly nods, "sure."
Impatient sounding… The first officer wonders, "so what do we do now?"
Having gotten the liquid metal off… Max grabs up a dark red screened black pager from near the cyborg's neck: Covered in dried up liquid metal, wiring, and hints of dark red liquid. She recently surgically got it out with her knife.
As she's cleaning the knife with another washcloth… Max sums up, "the rest of him might be a pathetic cyborg job. But, this pager sure as hell isn't. Seems it plays through memories of what every ZFA cybernetic ass has been up to. We just got to let it play long enough to find out what they're up to."
The pager is a little cracked. But, it's cycling through the recent fights with the ZFA from France and Britain to here from a first person view no problem.
Not long after… It comes up on a giant superdense hardened metal ball crossbow styled metal launcher: Mounted up on top of a warehouse, out in smog.
A hour or so later, out in Eastern Germany…
The security car pulls up, several miles away from the warehouse.
A gang with spiked cuffs and gray jackets seems to be on guard with their black motorcycles and black rifles: Likely paid to guard the place for the ZFA.
The two officers get out of the car, pistols firing in seconds. Rifles fire back.
Max run charge jumps off of the car…violently kicking off one of the bikers.
She tumbles back from the incoming bullets, before getting on the motorcycle.
Several bullets hit the bikers in the heart. They fall dead off their motorcycles.
A bullet hits the second officer's arm. But, he doubles back behind the car to keep firing.
Max speeds on on motorcycle for the warehouse.
A few bikers double back to try to shoot her down. But, she's already too far away for them.
Max cuts around some incoming superdense metal balls. Apparently, the crossbow is on a turntable and can angle down.
She determinedly angles the motorcycle right for the warehouse door, smashing it in.
Dust goes off from the fallen door. Several mechanical whirls are heard.
Coming down the steps…is Machettel: More determined than ever to finish her. She has scanner equipped sunglasses, and mostly liquid metal coated arms under her mostly ripped apart sleeves.
Max tumbles off the motorcycle: Getting up quick, ready to fight.
She calls out, "you upgraded yourself just to kill me cause you were too pathetic to before?"
Machettel mutters determinedly, "no. The ZFA just evened the field. Now we'll have a fight."
Max goes, "yeah? Well, bring it on!"
Machettel jump spin charges for Max: Using her arms as blunt blades.
She doubles back stunned. But, Max tumbles back to her feet.
As she clutches her aching pulsing head… Max mutters dizzily, "nice."
Machettel smirks confidently, "thanks." Max adds, "too bad it won't last for you."
The smirk fades quick from Machettel…as Max with her eyes closed jump tackles her against a metal worktable.
The table crashes over. A oil can and several black crane like robot parts go fly crashing off.
Machettel whirls her arm around at Max. But, she's just as dizzy now.
Max catches her arm, and decks Machettel with her other arm.
With a hand angled at 90 degrees… Machettel surprise attacks her: With a katana blade coming out of her arm.
With her struggling to stay conscious, she doesn't stab Max in the heart. But…it has made a deep dark red cut in her side.
Max groans sharply and violently. She can feel her body pulsing all over in pain from the blade hitting bone.
Machettel looks ready to tear the blade up further.
But, in those few seconds… Max side throw tumbles her whole body over.
She violently slams Machettel against the side of the stairs…taking her out.
Max pulls the blade out from her dark red liquid dripping side.
She shakily gets back up: Leaning on the table on its side for support while clutching her side with a reddening glove over it.
Her vision's a little blurry. But, she's not falling over.
As she's coughing violently some between heaving breathing… She catches sight of the fallen spilled over oil can and the robot parts.
Over communications… Logan calls out, "Max? Max, are you ok? Max!"
Max faintly chuckles assuringly, "I kicked Machettel's ass. That's on me for good and bad. But, I can still walk."
Logan sighs in relief, "thank god. For a second there, I thought you were going to die."
Max sarcastically adds, "you're not getting this bitch away from you, Logan. You're stuck with me for life." Logan faintly chuckles, "there are worse things."
Max is tempted to faintly smile. But…her smile suddenly fades.
Logan checks again, "you ok?"
Max slowly walks over to the motorcycle: Still clutching her side.
Looking frustrated… Max says, "aside from getting last minute built cyborgs after our asses… Yeah. I'll be ok."
Logan sighs deeply. He realizes, "well…that explains kind of easy."
Max mutters uneasily, "yeah. I get it all too well. They're planning something large…while they're observing us through the pawns."
For, across the room…the crane like robot parts are clearly parts of miniature Chinese knockoffs of the Savfiugagssaĸ Pitsortuvoĸ exoskeleton model: Which Max has recognized as faintly seen hints of very similar parts in the cyborg in the car that she looked over…and probably in Machettel's unconscious recently fashioned cyborg body as well.