[ Erik nods, doing a decent job of covering his disappointment. There are so few other mutants around, after all. Usually somebody of such unusual appearance is a given. ]

Well.

[ He flops on his bed. ]

If they want to use us for some sort of experiment, then they need a control group. You and I would be variables, of course. So one of us is getting the placebo. How do you fancy your odds?

[ Pitch black gallows humor. What else? ]