Welcome to paradise

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh" Eddie screamed as he seemed to fall for eternity.

He felt something slip around his body, and his feet planted firmly to the floor, "Sweetheart?" He says with tears of joy in his eyes, looking at the exquisite BC Rich Warlock slung about his person. He gently strokes the head, and along the neck of the guitar, it vibrates under his touch, "It is you! I thought..." His eyes well up, "I thought I'd never see you again" he strums the guitar lovingly, and it responds with its signature growl.

Eddie looks around....he's on stage, not just on any stage. He's in one of the most famous arenas in the world. Madison Square Garden, he'd made it.

An audible pop and a table appears. On it a hat, gown, diploma and a framed picture of him flipping the principal the bird. He chuckles to himself.

He sees his shadow grow on the floor as lights flicker behind him. It's a movie playing on the stage backdrop. It's Hellfire. Dustin, Mike and Lucas have their arms around some younger-looking kids in the cafeteria and invite them to their table.

The movie cuts to the hellfire club, but the person at the head of it repeatedly changes, cycling through each member sitting in his throne-like seat.

He feels proud, smiling, and as Dustin hits the screen, he mutters quietly, "Don't ever change."

He wipes his eyes with the back of his leather jacket.

"Hey now, no time for tears in utopia, my friend", he hears from behind him.

He turns around, but no one is there, they must be in the darkness of the stalls, but he can't quite see as a spotlight beaming down onto him.

"Hello?" He says nervously, "Is someone there?" He holds his hand up to his eyes to shield them from the spotlight.

An angular face moves into the light, with wavy brown hair and a very bohemian-type outfit. They wave, keeping their distance, "Welcome to your hereafter, Eddie the Brave."

Eddie has a sudden realisation. He remembers lying on the ground, looking up at Dustin now. He smiles, but it's tinged with worry, "Some of these things...aren't real. Does that mean it's all not real?" He waves at the table and then rests his hands back on his guitar.

"Most of what you see here is your own creation, yes", The man approaches carefully, "but some of it is happening, has happened, will happen?" He says with a questioning inflexion at the end, "I'm not sure of all the technicalities. I'm still working it all out. I'm Klaus". He extends a hand to Eddie.

Eddie smirks and clasps his hand shaking it enthusiastically, "Well, you already know my name, even if you got it slightly wrong", he says, pacing in a little circle.

"Wrong?" Questions Klaus. He puts his hands on his hips, "I don't think so. Not here. I'm usually right, even though no one listens."

Eddie laughs, "You remind me of someone I know....knew...yeah knew" he finishes a little sadly, kicking at the ground.

Eddie looks at Klaus from underneath his hair, "They called me Eddie the Banished, not the Brave." He smiles a little, fond memories racing around his mind, "Are they all ok?" He asks tentatively.

Klaus gives Eddie a big grin and shakes his head, "I mean, it's not good out there, and they are all licking their wounds. Be they physical, mental or emotional. But you know...they are still there. Well, you know...after you left...they are in that time, but not now, because if now was then, I wouldn't be born yet." He puts his hand to his mouth, "I'm not even born yet."

Eddie's eyes are wide for a moment, then squinting in confusion.

Klaus reassures him with a few pats on the shoulder, "Time is weird here...well anywhere where my family is concerned...but here it doesn't behave exactly correctly."

Eddie still looks confused, "Well, I guess it isn't the craziest thing I've heard or seen this week."

Klaus smiles, "That's the spirit... talking of which, " he clicks his fingers, and two mojito cocktails appear. He takes one for himself and offers one to Eddie, which he accepts very quickly.

Klaus waves his hand at the wall, and a window appears. It's Eddie's trailer. His uncle is placing his plectrum necklace around a framed picture of Eddie and placing a gentle kiss on the image.

A second location appears to their left, a basement room. He sees a kid he doesn't know with Mike, Dustin and Lucas. They are gathered around an easel.
"No, no can you make him look more like buff," says Dustin
"I...I mean, I can..." The painter says
"Yeah, exactly, in his vest holding his guitar", Mike adds
"On a mountain of skulls!!" Lucas chimed in enthusiastically

Klaus waves Eddie around to see the painting, and Eddie grins hugely, saying, "It looks like a Dio album cover."

"It sure does," says Klaus smiling happily at Eddie, "Very Metal." Klaus throws up the devil horn metal hand sign at Eddie.

Steve races into the room with Eddie's battle vest, "This is it, Will", he offers gently and carefully, hanging it up on the wall. Robin and Nancy shortly follow in, their eyes in awe of the painting.

"Now, it's not finished yet," Will says quickly, trying to calm everyone down.

"I'm sure if anyone can make Eddie look like his true heroic self, it's Will the Wise" Dustin smiles through tears, clapping his hand on Will's back.

Klaus turns to Eddie, who has tears streaming down his face, "See, I told you...you're a hero...you'll be immortalised forever as Eddie The Brave".