Original subtitles

(slow eerie music)

(slow mysterious piano music)

- I was out patrolling No Man's Land,

still in uniform, nobody wanted the shift,

so I took it.

So one night, I saw these two guys fighting in an alley,

and I went to break it up.

And I chased this guy up to a roof.

He got the drop on me and he threw me off.

- He what?

- I know how it sounds, which is why I never told anyone.

But I remember flying through the air thinking,

"This is it."

And I woke up on the sidewalk and,

I don't remember landing.

I don't remember any pain.

I had blood on my uniform, you know, but,

I was disoriented.

I looked across the street and I saw this man,

just watching me, smiling.

And then when I blinked, he was gone.

- But our John Doe, that's the guy?

- It's him or his twin brother.

- Jeez.

- You know it is patrolling No Man's Land.

We've been trained to keep our eyes up front

and ignore any kind of weird crap that we see and-

- Oh, speaking of ignoring.

- And what are we ignoring, ladies?

- Whatcha got?

- I heard you got the waterfront victim, hm?

Have any updates yet?

- [Riley] Dr. Hunt's performed the autopsy,

we're downloading the video footage.

We'll know more in a few hours.

- Oh, right.

Can you close it quickly, huh?

Because Gil Finney is doing another series of articles

about how this department is wasting resources and money

and call me crazy, but I don't need you wasting

too much time on a transient.

- Hey, hey, hey.

You should relax around her.

She doesn't think that you're dirty

just because your first partner was.

- I can't tell if she'd consider me being dirty

to be a pro or a con, 'till I figure that out,

I'm just gonna keep my distance.

- Oh, come on, piece of junk.

- You should just get a new one.

- Yeah, like the department will shell

out that kind of money.

Okay, got it.

That's our victim.

- [Riley] Yeah, what about the other guy?

- [Kara] Can't really see him.

- Shit, what just happened?

- I don't know.

This is what they sent.

- Let's go check the video logs.

- No, I'll go.

You should go canvas.

- Or we could just go together.

- No, it'll be faster if we split up.

- I'm starting to think you're avoiding me on purpose.

- Okay, we can go together and talk

about your crush on Dr. Hunt.

- Hunt? What're you talking about?

- Oh, please.

You're Miss Calm and Cool most of the time, but around her?

You trip all over yourself, literally.

And it's so cute.

- I don't!

I'd have to be insane to date someone from work.

- Yeah, sure.

- Okay, but I'm expecting a phone call

when you find that extra video.

- [Kara] Yes.

- [Riley] All right.

(car unlock chirps)

- [Samael] Excuse me, sorry.

- I'm in a bit of a hurry,

but you can talk to anyone in there,

if you're making a report.

- But I need to speak with you, Riley.

- Do I know you?

- No, my name is Samael, we've never met.

But we have a mutual friend, Ridwan.

- Sorry, I think I'd remember a name like that.

- You wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him.

Your medical examiner retrieved his body this morning.

- What do you know about that?

- I suppose you don't want to discuss this here?

- Yeah, okay, I know a place we can go.

(slow eerie music)

The dead man's name is Ridwan?

- I want to tell you everything, but,

(clears throat) there's some things you need to know first.

What do you know about Marchosias?

- Marchosias?

The boogeyman from No Man's Land.

People have been talking about him since I was a kid.

He runs things down there,

from drugs to prostitution, you name it.

But, he's a myth.

He's an urban legend.

- Oh, he exists.

He is a demon, and he is as real as you or I.

- Demon?

Sure.

I guess if you're trying to stop him

that would make you an angel.

(clears throat) - Precisely.

- Yeah okay, I've heard crazier things in No Man's Land,

but all right, angels, demons, I'm on board.

You're an angel.

That Ridwan guy is an angel too, I guess.

- Mm-hmm.

What do you remember about your first partner?

- Chelsea Stanton?

Good cop, turned crooked.

She's in jail now.

- Not your first partner on the force.

Christine Lee.

- Oh.

She caught me stealing.

She gave me a lecture instead of a criminal record.

She made sure I went to school.

She's the reason why I wanted to become a cop.

- She made you the protector of No Man's Land.

- Yeah, I guess.

It's why I've kept coming down here,

even when the others won't.

I wanna make her proud.

- Maybe you misunderstand me.

She physically marked you.

- My tattoo?

- It's more than just a tattoo, Riley.

Did she ever tell you what it means?

- She said it marked me as a champion.

She believed in me, she thought I could help people.

What does any of this got to do with the guy in the box?

- Everything.

An ancient war between good and evil

is being waged in this city.

Throughout history, the angels and demons

have chosen human champions to fight for them.

Christine Lee was a champion for Heaven

and she chose you to be her successor.

- Oh my god, you think I'm Buffy.

- Buffy?

Oh (laughs)

I suppose that is an apt comparison.

Throughout history, the champions of good and evil

have fought one another on behave of their respective sides.

Good fought for truth and hope.

Evil poisoned people's mind to fear

and foster disillusionment.

- Yeah, like Samantha Bee and Fox News.

- Then five years ago, Christine Lee died.

You were not informed of your responsibility

so Ridwan and Marchosias chose to pause the battle.

- Well,

I've got to tell you piece suddenly doesn't look so hot.

- People are allowed to choose their own path.

Even still some of them chose the darker route.

- Yeah, I've heard enough.

- I swear to you, all of this is true.

- Oh, I get it.

Angels, demons, I believe it's real.

I just don't want any part of it.

- When you were a teenager you ran away from home

because you could no longer bear your father's friends

coming into your room at night.

(utensils clashing)

- Watch your mouth.

- Your tattoo is protection, Riley.

But it also marks you.

It is your duty to help those like you,

to save those who are praying to be saved.

How could you turn your back to that?

- Do you know who killed Ridwan?

- I do.

He was meeting with Marchosias last night on the waterfront.

Got into an argument, Marchosias killed him.

- Why?

- You have to ask why a demon would kill an angel?

- Why me?

- Because without even knowing you were a champion

you stood against the darkness

even though there was darkness in you.

- So you guys want me because I'm a bad girl?

- No, because you've seen evil.

With a few different choices

you could have been a champion for evil.

You had to do whatever was necessary

to survive on the streets of No Man's Land.

I think in order to fight the forces of evil,

one must have one foot in hell.

- As far as I'm concerned,

that truce can keep going.

I'll keep doing what I do and you and your demons

can leave me the hell alone.

- Okay.

- What the hell?

- Ridwan's wings were cut from his body.

We form our bodies to walk on this plane of existence.

When we no longer need them, we leave the husks behind.

Ridwan wore this body for 10 years.

He and other angels would come

to try and help those who wanted help.

There's only so much they can do.

- And I'm just a cop.

- You could be so much more, Riley.

- Do you really want to make a difference in No Man's Land

more than getting closure just one case at a time?

This is how you achieve it.

Think about my offer detective.

The soul of this entire city is at stake.

- Oh my god!

You just scared the crap out of me.

I didn't think anybody was down here or could you know,

breathe.

- I'm sorry, I should have said something.

- It's okay.

Are you,

okay?

- Yes.

- Really?

'Cause you look a little, I'm going to go with goofy.

- Goofy? - Well that's a medical term.

I studied very hard in doctor school.

What's going on?

- It's this case.

It's taken some really odd turns.

- Well I thought you loved odd.

- I do

but there's a limit.

You said the victim was middle aged, right?

- I did.

- [Riley] Can you tell me how old exactly?

- I can't.

Unfortunately, there was a mix up

when I sent the tests into the lab.

I don't know what happened, everything else came up clear

but somehow,

the skeletal maturity results

got mixed up with a fifth grader.

- Meaning...

- They say the guy is 10 years old.

Obviously I'm going to have them run it again

or you know,

maybe the guy was 10 years old and he just looked really bad

for his age because No Man's Land

is notoriously tough on kids.

You sure you're okay?

- Yes.

I'm fine.

- All right.

Well if you do need somebody to talk to,

then my church has a couple law enforcement groups.

- Yeah not so much the church type.

You know hellfires, brimstone, snakes,

apples.

- I am.

- Really?

- No.

No.

For me it's just a place where I can talk with people,

I can talk about my experiences and they understand them.

Or,

I'm always here if you need an ear.

- So for the record you're touching me.

- I know.

- Well, thanks for the offer to listen

but I don't want to bother you.

- No are you kidding me?

I'm stuck down here all day with these guys.

Don't tell them I said so, but they suck at conversation.

They're a bunch of stiffs.

(laughs)

- Probably hard to get a word in, huh?

- You have no idea, they're like,

"Oh look at me, I'm dead and stuff."

(sighs)

- Yeah, I'm,

gonna get out of your hair.

Next time I come down I promise I'll wear a bell.

- Or you could just say hi.

It's probably a little more fashionable.

(slow dramatic string music)

(TV tuning static)

(sighs)