Innocent until Proven Xenohuman

I have a challenge for my readers: I want you to speak to your neighbors, coworkers, and friends about xenohumans in Capitol City. Just a question or two about what they think of xenohuman citizens and their secretive nature. I'll bet that most people would give an answer similar to the one I've received time and time again: Xenohumans are terrifying because there's no way to prevent them from hurting us. And, despite the best efforts of the Justice Patrol to show that not all xenohumans are criminals, there is still a vocal portion of the city that views xenohumans as a risk. They are capable of committing crimes with little repercussion, as police forces are near powerless to stop them and our only defense are individuals who are more than capable of doing as much harm as the people they fight, if they were inclined to do so.

But whether or not the Justice Patrol should have some sort of accountability system in place is an article for another day. Instead, today we're going to look at those few xenohuman criminals who have been defeated. And, more importantly, the fact that not a single one has gone to trial or even been imprisoned in any known government facility.


Soundwave, a xenohuman responsible for multiple deaths in the incident at Dolloway Tower, was defeated by the Justice Patrol months ago. However, some of you may remember that Soundwave was retrieved by an unknown organization just after the Justice Patrol vacated the scene. After doing some research, there is no record of her being processed in our criminal justice system. There are no formal charges being brought against her, no articles about her imprisonment, no record of her admittance to any penitentiary, and no scheduled court date or hearing.

Phantom, an ethereal xenohuman that was the scourge of downtown and responsible for a rash of burglaries, was finally brought down by the Justice Patrol a few weeks later. However, while police were the ones responsible for processing the intake of this criminal, the trail want cold immediately after Phantom was brought to the station, with no reports of his escape or subsequent events. There have been no further sightings or reports of Phantom's reappearance.

And then there is Eliza Blackwell, a young woman accused of arson and attempted manslaughter. She was arrested solely on the information that she had recently broke up with a tenant in that apartment building and she was one of the few xenohumans that was outspoken about her status, thus making it public knowledge that she was pyrokinetic. Blackwell was formally charged, imprisoned without bail, and was denied fundamental access to her defense lawyer. The trial was highly publicized and marked by protests downtown, with several anti-xenohuman groups making appearances. The jury deliberated for less than half an hour before finding her guilty and she was sentenced to life in prison. However, there has been no follow-up information provided to the public and, upon further investigation and several conversations with unwilling clerks, it was determined that Eliza, who should have started her sentence two months ago, was never admitted to any prison and, as far as the records show, is currently not in government custody.

This is an outrage. We live in a civilized country and yet prisoners and criminals go missing, some without even being charged for a crime and others being forced through unfair and biased legal proceedings before disappearing.  What's far worse is that if you ask your neighbors or coworkers about each of these cases, there will never be any sympathy. Not only because they are criminals, but because the public has deemed them inhuman. They don't care what happens to them or if they are being treated well. To a large faction within this city, xenohumans are a threat to daily life and, as long as they're going away, these citizens couldn't care less.

In the eyes of the public, innocent until proven guilty doesn't apply to those who are not human. And as long as this view is allowed to stand, as long as our lawmakers continue to ignore the people in this city who are being grossly mistreated and misrepresented, this city will continue to be a war zone.