Gabriel never considered that an option- leaving. The Core would have to drag him kicking and screaming from this place, but he knows that no one ever leaves willingly. It swept you up just when you started to get comfortable and sometimes you never came back. He'd held onto hope that because there was nothing for him back home that he'd always remain here.

But that wasn't a sure thing and he could no sooner promise that he could never leave any more than he could promise the world will open up to them and they could get out of this hellish town and lead real lives elsewhere in this world.

So all he said, in a tone sardonic enough to make someone who didn't know him doubt how seriously he was taking this, was, "Why would I be that stupid? Jinx would kill me."