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Shouto had heard from Natsuo that their father Enji Todoroki had locked up their older brother Touya inside a psychiatric ward all because Touya had claimed he hadn't done the awful things he'd done but rather his alternate personality Dabi had. Enji had declared their brother to mentally unstable and unfit to live among society and despite the public knowing Enji's abusive past they believed him because he was a Pro-Hero.
The walls were the first thing that Shouto noticed. They were plain white and completely vacant of anything, no pictures hung on them or bright painted designs sprawling on them, just white like death. Shouto wasn't even unstable himself and he was pretty sure he was going to be drive to insanity over how white everything was.
Walking down the halls to the visitor's room where Touya would be awaiting him was nerve wracking he hadn't seen the other since their fight during the war with All For One. The sight that met him wasn't what he was expecting Touya was chained. Wrists and ankles cuffed together and they were attached to each other by a long chain. They really took Enji seriously when he called Touya a danger to everyone and everything. It hurt to see his older brother treated like this.
"Shouto? You shouldn't be here. I mean I'm glad you came to see me but dad's going to be so furious if he finds out you came here."
Touya's voice is just as raspy as he remembers from their fight however there's an underlying fear to it's tone like he was talking to a younger more concerned version than the quick to throw flames villain he had faced.
"I don't care what he thinks of me being here I wanted you to know I believe you."
It seems the moment he says that there's a switch in Touya, a dark laugh sounds out and the tone that comes out is one Shouto is all to familiar with Dabi.
"You believe us? The perfect little masterpiece believes the defect? How cute. You think you can come here flash your smile and expect me to let you fool the brat into thinking things can be fine again?"
Shouto hold his hand up behind him when one of the psychiatric nurses goes to restrain Touya. He doesn't want them feeding Dabi the fuel he needs to keep feeding Touya the fear that keeps him shackled under Dabi's control. He knows that Dabi is only trying to protect Touya in the only way he knows how fear after all was a powerful tool to keep people in line.
Their father had taught them all that at a young age. Dabi probably didn't see it but he's been protecting Touya with the very same methods that caused Dabi to form as a split personality of Touya in the first place. Misguided protection through repeating the abusive cycle. It was sad to see that Dabi's version of protection was just being Endeavor but it also made a twisted form of sense. Shouto could see that Dabi knew his form of protection was harmful but couldn't figure out away to stop it so he blames Enji for his rage and destructive tendencies.
His brother was still Touya just buried under ash, flames, and twisted protective fury.