Red Gaurdian

Siberia. 

The eastern and western regions of Siberia still have a fair number of inhabitants, especially the west, which is known as the breadbasket of Russia. 

The truly desolate and frigid wastelands refer to the northern part of Siberia.

Close to the Arctic Circle, the average winter temperature here is minus seventy degrees Celsius.

A true wasteland.

The prison where Natasha and Yelena's "father," Alexei, is held is located in this desolate place.

The prison is situated in a natural basin, surrounded by towering mountains covered in perpetual snow, which serve as natural walls and barriers.

The prison itself was converted from several large, abandoned military barracks, with all sides sealed except for one exit.

Outside the exit, a makeshift steel walkway and the surrounding walls divide the prison's entrance into several different paths for various purposes—some for entry, some for exit, some for transporting prisoners, and others for moving supplies. Everything is orderly.

Soldiers patrolling the steel walkway lazily walk back and forth with their guns.

The harsh natural environment and the severe weather conditions are the prison's best defenses.

Compared to the icy cold outside, the inside of the prison is surprisingly warm and even cheerful, with many prisoners sitting around tables, bare-chested, chatting loudly.

The comfortable temperature inside is not only for humanitarian reasons but also to prevent escapes.

The warmth means the clothing provided to prisoners is nothing more than a vest and a thin coat. Anyone who dares to step outside would freeze to death long before climbing the surrounding mountains, even if the guards didn't shoot them.

Thus, although most of the prisoners here are extremely dangerous, the guards remain relaxed and carefree.

In his youth, Alexei, as a super soldier, participated in several battles before Dreykov, who was a general at the time, sent him to the U.S. as an undercover spy.

After completing his mission in the U.S., for reasons unknown, Alexei was thrown into this prison by Dreykov.

And so, more than ten years passed.

Because of this, Alexei, the Red Guardian, is not well-known outside, but within this prison, everyone knows the super soldier Alexei.

However, he is more often the subject of mockery and derision by the guards and prisoners.

After all, he possesses the superhuman physical strength of someone like Captain America, the Soviet Union's only super soldier, once destined to be a war hero, yet here he is, locked up in this godforsaken place with a bunch of scum.

His status serves as the perfect psychological comfort for the frustrated guards and the prisoners who know they will never leave this place.

"Bang!"

"Haha! Next!"

After more than ten years in prison, Alexei, now overweight and unkempt with a bushy beard, easily slammed the wrist of another bear-like prisoner onto the table.

This has become a daily post-lunch entertainment in the prison: selecting the strongest men to arm-wrestle with Alexei.

While it satisfies Alexei's need to display his strength, it's mainly an excuse for the others to listen to his exaggerated tales of heroism.

The stories always revolve around Alexei's personal heroism and are wildly exaggerated.

Most people listen to them as a joke, as in the dull prison life, hearing Alexei boast has become a popular form of amusement.

"Bang!"

Once again, Alexei defeated a particularly tall opponent.

"Yeah! I am the invincible Red Guardian!"

"There is only one man in this world as strong as me, and that's Captain America."

In Alexei's mind, he wished to be seen as a national hero like Captain America, not as a criminal in prison. That's why most of his stories revolve around his encounters with Captain America.

"That was in 1980-something, I can't remember the exact year. I was on a mission when I ran into Captain America. His shield came flying at me…"

"Hahaha! Captain America was declared dead in 1945! Did you fight a ghost?"

A new prisoner pointed at Alexei and laughed loudly.

As soon as he spoke, all the surrounding prisoners immediately fell silent.

The prisoners who had been here for a long time knew that while you could treat Alexei like a fool for amusement, you must never laugh when he boasted about his heroic deeds.

Otherwise...

*Crack!*

The crisp sound of bones breaking echoed through the room as Alexei swiftly grabbed the new prisoner's right arm and twisted it into an unnatural angle.

"Are you doubting my words? Do you think I'm lying? I am the Red Guardian, kid! If it weren't for political reasons, I would be more respected than Captain America."

"Do you feel my strength now, rookie?"

Ignoring the new prisoner's screams, Alexei punched the metal table, leaving a deep dent in it.

"Never question my words. Remember, I am the strongest man in the world, Alexei! No one is stronger than me, no one!"

Alexei pounded the table repeatedly, shouting that he was the strongest man in the world.

Just as he finished speaking—

*Boom!*

A loud explosion echoed through the room. The wall next to the dining area, a wall at least fifty centimeters thick with a steel plate reinforcement, which Alexei had often vented his frustration on without causing any damage, suddenly burst open, leaving a massive two-to-three-meter-wide hole.

On the other side of the hole stood a young man of Eastern descent.

Or rather, a man with his fist still extended through the wall, with bits of debris clinging to it.

The man shook his head and withdrew his fist. As he was about to step through, he noticed a piece of protruding steel plate blocking his path.

Slightly annoyed, the young man didn't simply step over it. Instead, he gave the steel plate a seemingly light kick, causing it to crack apart. The fragment whistled through the air past Alexei and embedded itself deeply in the opposite wall.

"Who is Alexei Shostakov? Your time in prison is over. Come with me."

The prisoners around Alexei immediately parted to either side, leaving Alexei standing alone in the middle as Blake's eyes focused on him.

Alexei gulped nervously.

"I... I'm Alexei. Uh... Can I stay here? I actually like prison. I'm not really keen on leaving!"

---

In the movie, Alexei claims to have fought Captain America in the '80s, and I suspect Marvel might have left a hint for a future storyline involving the version of Captain America who went back in time. Of course, they might use it, or they might not. Marvel often plants such seeds just in case. But for this story, to keep it consistent, Captain America can't have appeared in the '80s, so let's just chalk it up to Alexei's usual exaggeration! After all, his character in the film is portrayed as someone who loves to boast and lives in the past.

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