Siberia is actually quite populated, especially the western part, known as the breadbasket of Russia.
The truly harsh, barren lands are in northern Siberia.
This region lies near the Arctic Circle, with average winter temperatures of minus seventy degrees Celsius.
A true wasteland.
The prison where Natasha and Yelena's 'father,' Aleksey, is held is located in this very place.
The prison sits in a natural basin surrounded by towering mountains.
These perpetually snow-covered peaks, impassable and roadless, serve as natural walls and barriers.
The prison itself is housed in several large, abandoned military barracks, all sealed off except for a single exit.
Outside the exit, a raised steel corridor runs along the top of the wall, dividing the prison's entrance and exit into several distinct pathways, each with a specific function.
Some are for entry, others for exit, some for escorting prisoners, and others for transporting supplies, all moving in an orderly fashion.
Soldiers saunter along the steel walkway, lazily leaning on their rifles as they patrol.
The harsh natural environment and weather surrounding the prison served as its best barrier.
Compared to the icy cold outside, the prison was surprisingly warm and spring-like. Many inmates even sat around tables, bare-chested, chatting loudly.
The comfortable temperature inside wasn't just for humanitarian reasons; it was also to prevent escapes!
The warmth meant that the prison provided inmates with nothing more than a tank top and a thin jacket. If you dared to step outside, even if the guards didn't shoot you, you'd freeze to death long before you climbed the surrounding snow-capped mountains.
So, despite housing some of the most vicious criminals, the guards remained relaxed and unhurried.
In his youth, Aleksey had participated in several battles as a super-soldier before being sent to the United States as an undercover spy by Dreykov, who was then a general.
After completing his mission in America, for reasons unknown, Dreykov threw Aleksey into this prison.
And he'd been there for over a decade.
Though Aleksey, the Red Guardian, might not be widely known outside, everyone in the prison knew him as a super-soldier.
More often, however, he was the butt of jokes and mockery among guards and inmates alike after meals.
After all, here was the Soviet Union's only super-soldier, with physical prowess on par with Captain America's, a war hero the nation had once intended to forge, now locked up in this godforsaken place with a bunch of scum.
His existence served as the perfect psychological comfort for the disgruntled guards and the inmates doomed to spend their lives here.
*Bang!*
"Haha! Come on, next!"
After more than a decade in prison, Aleksey, now a fat, unshaven man, effortlessly twisted the wrist of another burly inmate against the table.
This had become the prison's daily post-lunch entertainment: selecting a few strong men to arm-wrestle Aleksey.
While this satisfied Aleksey's need to display his strength, it was more about hearing him boast about his heroic past.
Aleksey's stories always revolved around his personal heroism, and they were wildly exaggerated.
Many listened to them as a joke; after all, listening to Aleksey brag was a good way to pass the time in the boring prison life.
*Bang!*
Aleksey had once again defeated a remarkably tall opponent.
"Yeah! I'm the invincible Red Guardian!"
"The only man in this world as strong as me is Captain America."
In Aleksey's heart, he longed to be a national hero like Captain America, not a criminal in prison. That's why most of his boasts revolved around Captain America.
"It was in the 1980s, I don't remember the exact year, but I met Captain America on a mission. His shield was coming straight at me..."
"Hahaha! Captain America was declared dead in 1945! Did you fight a ghost?"
A new inmate pointed at Aleksey and burst into laughter.
The moment he spoke, all the other inmates fell silent.
The long-term prisoners in the facility knew you could mock Aleksey like a fool, but you absolutely couldn't laugh when he bragged about his heroic deeds.
Otherwise...
*Crack!*
A crisp bone-snapping sound rang out as Aleksey swiftly twisted the new inmate's right arm into a grotesque angle.
"You doubt my words? Think I'm full of shit? I'm the Red Guardian, kid! If it weren't for politics, I'd be more respected than Captain America!"
"Feel my strength, rookie?"
Ignoring the new inmate's wails, Aleksey punched a deep dent into the metal table.
"Don't question me! Remember, I'm the strongest man in the world, Aleksey! No one is stronger than me, no one!"
Aleksey pounded the table frantically, roaring about his global dominance.
The moment he finished...
*Boom!*
With a deafening roar, the fifty-centimeter-thick wall beside the dining hall—a wall reinforced with a steel plate—shattered.
This was the same wall Aleksey had once punched in a fit of rage, his knuckles bleeding profusely without leaving a single scratch.
Now, it exploded in a deafening blast, creating a gaping hole two to three meters in diameter.
Standing on the opposite side of the hole was a young Eastern man.
Or rather, a man with his fist extended.
The fist was still dusted with wall debris from the impact.
The man shook his head, retracting his fist. Just as he was about to step through, he noticed a protruding steel plate blocking his path.
Pouting slightly in annoyance, the young Eastern man didn't simply step over it. Instead, he casually kicked the steel plate. The small, raised section cracked and flew through the air with a whistling sound, whizzing past Aleksey's ear before embedding itself deep into the opposite wall.
"Who is Aleksey Shostakov? Your time in prison is up. Come with me!"
The other inmates around Aleksey shuffled aside in unison.
Aleksey was left standing alone, exposed, as Qin Xiao's gaze fixed on him.
Aleksey swallowed hard.
"I... I am him. But... can I stay here? Actually, prison isn't so bad. I really don't want to leave!"
***
In the movie, Aleksey claims to have fought Captain America in the 80s. I suspect this is a subtle hint from Marvel for that Captain America who traveled back in time to complete his date. Of course, they might use it or not—Marvel has a habit of planting seeds without necessarily following through. But for the sake of narrative coherence, it's impossible for Captain America to have actually been in the 80s. So let's just dismiss it as nonsense! After all, Aleksey's character in the film is defined by his love of bragging and living in the past!
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