Loki watches him leave, his heart heavy for the uneasy conversation he knows is about to transpire. He knows they will be hurt, but he can hope that the Lady Pepper will not see fit to cast Tony out of her life completely.

He sighs and finishes the rune. The cut doesn't heal, but it does stop bleeding at least.

Fury whistles. "That's a neat trick. Why didn't you do that earlier when you were trying to kill us all?"

Loki completely ignores him, turning instead to Captain Rogers and Thor. "Shall we go inside and begin discussing strategies? I assume, Thor, you secured Odin's word to assist when the time comes?"

Thor nods, still staring angrily at Fury. "Aye, Father has promised as many Einherjar as can be spared without leaving Asgard defenseless."

Loki dutifully ignores Fury for the rest of the conversation. Sensing how on edge he is, Rogers suggests Fury go back to the hellicarrier while they get to work in the tower. After Fury leaves, Thor claps Loki on the back.

"Well done, brother. I thought you were going to turn him into a frog for sure," The thunderer says.

"That was the one time, Thor. And only because you destroyed my arcane theory notes."

Loki isn't sure where Tony is, but he knows he's close by. It's weird being apart, but then it's a different kind of weird feeling weird that they're apart. They go down the hall and to a large open common area ajoined to a kitchen.

"Seriously, Loki," Rogers says as Thor heads to the kitchen. "Thanks for not hurting Director Fury. He attacked you unprovoked, it would have been the perfect excuse."

"And exactly what he wanted," Loki says absentmindedly, trying not to stare down the hallway he just knows Tony is going to emerge from.