Hello again! So I've been trying to figure out how to write another crossover of Edge of Tomorrow with a film that has a Jason Statham character in it, and I found one. If you haven't seen Redemption (or Hummingbird as it's called everywhere else outside of the US and Canada), then check it out. It's a very different style of acting from Statham, but it's good. Just a head's up, though, there will be spoilers for it in this story!

Anyway, I've given the background for Joey Jones's character in this chapter, so you don't have to watch the movie to understand. I do character development as I go along too. Also, any information on Rita is from her wiki page online.

...

Sept 2021: I have revamped this story, just in case you've read it before and are like, "What the heck just happened?!" I got inspired by lorenamag to delve a bit more into Rita's past. I know it's not as deep as I could go into her history, but I do have plans at some point to write a new story more focused on Rita's past, so stay tuned! For now, this is what I'm adding to this story.

For the purpose of this story, there is only a three year age difference between Joey and Rita.

This: \\\\\\ followed by italics in a flashback scene means it is a flashback within the flashback. I wanted to use the the asterisk, but it wouldn't work, so it took a while to find a symbol that stayed after I saved the draft.

Italics in present day scenes are of thoughts or memories of someone speaking.

I changed some things in Rita's story (i.e. Hendricks, the fate of her parents, and where she grew up). I've made up most of it but kept a few things about her mentioned in the film to make her story come to life. I've never read the book version, so I'm using the film.

And yes, I have Statham's character younger than I'm sure he's supposed to be in the Redemption film, but hey, it's fiction, and I don't care lol.

Just please be kind :D

Happy reading :)

2020

Joseph Smith was standing and waiting patiently for the guard to bring him out. After almost seven years behind bars, he was used to protocol and procedures. He held out his arms to be cuffed, and they walked him down past all the other prisoners. There was always yelling and shouting of some kind, but he was used to it now. They approached the warden's office, and Joey had to admit that he was surprised to find himself here. His mind rattled through images and memories, trying to figure out what he had done wrong. He did his best to keep his nose clean in here.

"Have a seat," Warden Wilson gestured. Joey sat. His guard backed up to stand by the door, hands crossed in front of him. Joey looked around the room while the warden went through what Joey assumed was his file.

"Joseph Smith," he said after a moment. Joey nodded. That was his legal name. He had gone by Joey Jones for a while now, though.

"That's me," Joey replied.

"'Post traumatic stress disorder, combat fatigue, psychotic break...'" Warden Wilson read. "Killed five civilians out of revenge for five of your team members being killed in front of you."

"Yup," Joey nodded. He wasn't sure why this was being hashed over again. He had the nightmares at night about it to keep reminding him about what he had done. He lived with it every day. The guilt and regret was enormous.

"Did you really have a psychotic break?"

"I don't know," Joey answered. "Maybe. If they say I did, then maybe I did."

"Hm," Warden Wilson said, shutting the file. He touched his fingers together on the desk, looking at Joey.

"Did I do something wrong?" Joey asked.

"No," Warden Wilson shook his head.

"Then why am I here?"

"Well, as you may well know, there has been a war going on since 2015," Warden Wilson began.

"With the Mimics. Yea, I heard," Joey said. He had felt sick thinking about his daughter, Ruby, getting killed by them. She'd be fourteen now.

"Well, we're losing," Warden Wilson went on. Joey shifted in his chair. He had an inkling about where this was going.

"We are?"

"Yes. It has come down to desperation, and that is why you are sitting in that chair right now."

"You want me to go to war," Joey said, confirming his suspicions.

"Well, you were trained to be the best," Warden Wilson nodded. "The very best, really. It's a shame you snapped..."

"It's a mistake I live with every single day and regret," Joey interrupted. "If I could go back and change it, I would."

"I get it."

"So, what are you saying? That I'm to go fight a war now?"

"That's what they asked for," the warden sighed and nodded.

"'They?'" Joey echoed.

"The ones that sent you up that mountain to start with," Warden Wilson confirmed. "The ones that got you trained." He had been in that meeting himself. Those people had frightened him a little being as high up as they were. Warden Wilson did not want any backlash from them in any way, so he agreed to let Joey out.

Joey sat there and tried to comprehend this. He didn't know how to feel about this. Anxiety clawed at the back of his throat.

"So I go win the war and then what, come back here?" he asked.

"This war has a very high mortality rate," Warden Wilson shrugged. "I think they're assuming you won't live to worry about what happens when the war is over."

"And if I do survive?"

"Then we cross that bridge when we get there."

Joey knew how easy it was to get lost in the world. He'd done it for a while before getting caught. The only reason he'd gotten caught was because for one summer, seven years ago, before he'd been found, he had brought his old self back to life instead of staying as a homeless, drunk bum on the street. He had acted as a destructive version of himself before he was pointed in the right direction by someone, and he tried to do the right thing for five different situations to make up for the five murders he'd done. He still felt guilty, though. Then, he got caught and brought to jail. He still thought about Sister Cristina sometimes and whether or not she was still in Africa or if she was even still alive. She had told him that if he wanted to be a good man, just be a good man. It reminded him of someone else he knew from long ago.

"When do I start?" Joey asked. As much as he felt anxiety about being in a war again, he was just as eager to kill the enemy. There was no risk of hurting civilians this time. Aliens were all fair game.

"Right now," Warden Wilson said, gesturing for the guard to come and unlock Joey's cuffs.

"Who will I be working under?" Joey asked.

"A Sergeant Major Rita Vrataski. You will be joining her elite task force."

Joey felt a pause then as he digested the name.

"Okay."

"It is not broadcasted that you are a prisoner. In order for Rita to understand you mean business and to be taken seriously, you will be getting your rank of sergeant back, but don't get attached to it."

"Fine." He didn't bother to say that it would mean nothing to Rita, nothing at all.

"Win this war for us, Joseph," Warden Wilson said, looking at him then. "We're all counting on you."

"No pressure," Joey said sarcastically.

"Let's go," the guard said, and together they walked out of the jail, something Joey had never expected to do for the remainder of his life.

...

Rita Vrataski was growing impatient as she waited for her new team member to come. This war was beginning to get to her, and she wanted to end it. Now. General Brigham himself had called her in for a meeting the day before over the phone, explaining that he had someone coming to join her task force that was going to be a huge asset in order to win this war. Rita wasn't given a name or told where this person was coming from, but she somehow felt irked that they needed to bring in some sort of savior now, five years after the war had started. Why hadn't they brought this person in before now? She turned to look as the truck came rolling to a stop a few feet from her. Master Sergeant Farell hopped out and came towards her.

"Special delivery," he said, tipping his hat at her. "He seems a bit off, but who wouldn't be knowing that you could die tomorrow?"

"Where are they?" Rita asked, looking but not seeing the person Farell was referring to.

Farell gestured to the driver, who turned to talk to someone in the back. The door then opened, and a man jumped out. As he walked towards her, Rita couldn't believe what she was seeing. A lot of different things went through her mind in this moment, and she felt a lump form in her throat, but she quickly swallowed it down. The anger took over again.

Joey had been working up his nerve to leave that truck as soon as he saw Rita standing there waiting for him. Seeing her brought everything all back once more and in full force. He stopped in front of her, his arms behind his back. He wasn't sure what else to do with them. He very much doubted she'd want a hug.

"This is..." Farell started, but he didn't get far. Rita practically lunged forward, slapping Joey in the face with all her might. Joey barely stumbled, but he did close his eyes. He'd known it was going to come.

"I deserved that," he said with a nod. "Nice to see you too, Ria."

"I guess you two already know each other," Farell chuckled.

"I am NOT taking him on my team," Rita said forcefully, doing her best to not think about the fact he used his nickname for her.

"Well, take it up with the big boys. I'm just the delivery man," Farell commented. He went back to the truck and got in. Then it was gone. Rita was left glaring at Joey, not even feeling the slightest bit of satisfaction that her hand print was now on his cheek.

"Ria, I..."

"I thought you were dead," Rita cut him off. She was clenching her fists now. "They said you'd disappeared, and I figured you either killed yourself or got killed."

"I'm sorry."

He did look sorry. Rita could see a lot of hurt and pain in his eyes just from his gaze.

"You look like shit," she commented.

"Jail has that effect," he answered without thinking. He didn't say why he'd been in jail, as promised, so maybe she'd think it was for something else. He didn't say anything more, and Rita worked her jaw hard to keep her emotions in check.

"Do you even think about him?" Rita asked.

"Every single day," Joey answered. Every time he closed his eyes, it was all there.

"Why are you even here?"

"Apparently you need my skills."

"I don't want your skills," Rita spat. "I don't want someone who did a war crime on my team..."

"You found out," he said. Of course she would. If roles had been reversed, he'd work hard to find out too.

"I asked around. This rank has some perks."

"Look, no one is to know about me," Joey said.

"Fine. I suppose they gave you back your sergeant status too," Rita said. Joey's bowed head gave her the answer. "Unbelievable!"

"I made a mistake, Rita," Joey said then, getting a little angry. "I made a mistake because I am human. You think I don't regret it? You think I don't spend every waking moment wishing I hadn't done it? It has made me almost lose my mind, Rita. I will never forgive myself for what I did, ever."

"It was the wrong way to avenge my brother, Joey," Rita said quietly. "He wouldn't have wanted you to do that. Neither would my father."

"I know," Joey said, hurting inside all over again. Geoff Vrataski had been Joey's best friend. They grew up together. They had served together. Joey had watched him die in front of him when they got ambushed. His grief and shock made him carry out an act that was unforgivable. He looked at Rita now, and he saw a lot of her brother in her. It was almost uncanny.

"You were a teacher," Joey noted. "How the hell did you end up here?"

"If my brother was alive, he'd be here," Rita answered. "I'm taking his place. Also, I have nothing left to lose."

"I see."

Rita looked at Joey, and even though she was angry and didn't want him helping her, she knew that her team was better off with him on it. She would bury the past for now. When it was all over, she'd go back to being angry at him.

"Come on then," Rita said, walking towards the training area now. "If I'm stuck with you, then you better know what we're dealing with."

Joey followed her. He knew she was still mad at him, but at least she hadn't shot him. That was a start.

...

The rest of the Dog Soldier Squad looked up as Rita came in with Joey behind her. These men were her special elite task force. They were the best of the best. Rita was very aware that she was the only female on that squad, but she was given respect. She was their leader after all.

"Who's the newbie?" Frank asked. He was picking at his teeth with his toothpick as usual. Frank (Frances) Bisset was the most laid back guy Rita had ever known in a war. Nothing seemed to phase him.

"This is Joseph..."

"Jones," Joey finished for her. "Call me Joey."

Rita stared at him, confused as to why he went with an obviously fake name. Joey knew that in order for people to not figure out who he was, he had to keep the fake name. Warden Wilson had encouraged it.

"Nice to meet ya, Joey," Frank nodded.

"That's Frank Bisset," Rita gestured. "That's Billy Reed, Chuck Kelly, and Logan Wagner."

"'Sup?" Chuck asked.

"Good to have you," Billy commented.

"Why are we getting fresh meat now?" Logan asked, not bothering to acknowledge Joey. He was looking at Rita for an answer.

"Well, Joey has some different training from us," Rita answered. "General Brigham seems to think he will be an asset to help us win this war."

"We'll see," Logan snorted.

"Right," Rita said. She turned to Joey. "Your bunk is there."

"Thanks."

She walked out then, and Joey was left looking at four guys who were staring back at him until they eventually went back to doing what they were doing. Joey didn't like being a newbie at all. This was going to be interesting.

As always, I appreciate feedback.