TMNT Raphael x Male! Reader - Hello Stranger

Chapter 31- Exposure Therapy

Important note: violence and slight gore. Expect it a lot going forward into this story.

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"Why are we meditating again?" (M/N) mumbled as he opened one eye, releasing his posture to slump over with a little groan.

Master Splinter sat, crisscrossed, across from him, eyes opening to view (M/N) with a glimmer of amusement.

"You are not required to join me, however, if you want to find the root of your mysterious dreams..."

(M/N) nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I get it..."

Splinter folded his hands in his lap once more, closing his eyes, which (M/N) took as his cue to join him.

Taking a deep breath, (M/N) closed his eyes and attempted to calm his racing thoughts. He began to visualize himself putting each thought into its own specific box, one by one, his mind quieted down, until nothing was left but him. Slowly but surely, the dark void slowly faded into a dark room, concrete flooring replacing the nothingness beneath him. Taking a few cautious steps forward, (M/N) fought away the blurriness until the scene become clearer. 

 The room was bare, cement walls to match the floor, no windows. No defining features that would tell (M/N) where he was. 

"Hello?" His voice echoed back at him, almost concealing the soft footsteps coming towards him. (M/N) lifted his fists, eyes searching the darkness.

Then, (e/c) eyes stared back at him. It was.... him? Just, as a child.

"Oh... Umm... hi?"

The little boy looked forward, eyes distant. He looked like a mess. (M/N) shivered, stepping forward to try and shake him. To his surprise, his hand went right through. It was like a lucid dream, after all.

"(M/N)."

The older (M/N) turned, while the younger lifted his head with a small grunt of recognition. In front of the two stood a man dressed in a similar armor to what (M/N) used now. The only difference was it came in a dark purple.

"Are you ready to begin?"

Little (M/N) nodded, and the sound of a door opening filled the room. Then quiet sobs and pleading. Older (M/N) stared at the woman who was tossed beside the man. She was blindfolded and tied up, the scene causing his hands to tremble by his sides. 

(E/C) eyes watched as the strange man pulled out a gun, but tossed a disk over to the young boy. He then stepped to the side, leaning against the wall. Another person came from the darkness, reaching for the women, taking a hold of the rope around her hands. They then turned to the man, waiting.

"Are you ready?"

(M/N) stepped away from the younger boy and the woman, breath catching in his throat. Memories he hadn't realized had been stuck in the deepest recesses of his mind beginning to surface as the scene took place.

"Yes." 

"No!"

The man raised the gun, and the other person quickly untied and took off the blindfold from the woman. The woman quickly got up, turning and running, letting out a shrill scream. The man shot into the air.

(M/N) watched in horror as the little boy's eyes began to glaze over, and he began to move at inhuman speeds. He grabbed the woman by the hair and-

(M/N) turned away, hand slapping over his mouth to stop him from vomiting as a sickening crunch and a thud echoed through the chamber. 

"Well done. You've come so far. I'm proud of you, boy."

Both (M/N)'s turned to the man, both wearing matching faces of fear.

(M/N) was suddenly thrust out of his mind, jolting forward with a scream as his eyes snapped open, the light in the dojo practically blinding him. 

Master Splinter kneeled in front of him, holding him steady as the boy gasped for air between each quick breath, mumbling incoherently as he sobbed. 

"What did you see, (M/N)?" Splinter asked, rubbing circled on the boy's back, slowly but surely grounding him in reality once more. 

(M/N) looked up, (e/c) eyes red and puffy, trembling as he let himself be embraced by the older man. 

"I... I don't know I... shit.."

"You are ok now," Master Splinter whispered, rocking the boy slowly, helping the boy through his panicked state. "Whatever is in your past does not define you. What matters is how you choose to live your life in this moment."

(M/N) nodded, finally regaining some control over his lungs, wiping at the tears staining his cheeks. 

"I know how they're controlling the agents now... how they're controlling me" (M/N) rasped out, Master Splinter letting him pull away to right himself. 

"Then you know what you must do?" 

(M/N) sighed, "This is gonna suck." 

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