In a bar, fifty miles from anywhere, even reliable cellphone service, where everything was rolling golden hills that California's central valley was known for, was not where Dinah had pictured herself. As a general rule, she avoided bars, too much temptation surrounded her. But she had a purpose for being out here. Besides the best hamburger she'd ever tasted, (and she had more than her fair share of dive bar and diner food), she was talent scouting. She didn't normally do that herself. She had people to do that for her. But her tour was over and she really wanted to see these kids live herself. She found them, like most people were found these days, on Youtube. They were barely starting out, only playing in local bars and festival stages and she wanted more than just video clips to gauge their talent and work ethic. She wanted to see how they worked together with her own eyes.

She sat at a table near the wall, in torn up jeans, tank top and a flannel button up thrown over the top, complete with high tops and a trucker hat. They were in between sets, just off the small stage next to the end of the bar, whispering to each other and looking over at her. She plucked another fry off her mostly empty plate and grinned. She could get through most crowds with just a hat on hiding her face and keeping her head down. And though she didn't stick out like a horrible sore thumb here, she did not exactly blend in with the old men with handlebar mustaches playing pool and discussing their bikes all parked outside. She could see more than a few wearing leather vests, denoting what "club" they belonged to, though she was under no illusion that they were just that. But she wasn't here to bust heads about gun running or drugs, no she was just here for her day job.

She looked over her shoulder at the door as it opened, letting in the afternoon sun and a newcomer that didn't exactly look like he fit in either. Like he drove a motorcycle, just the wrong type. She took one last sweep around, shifting her chair more toward the wall, noting only a few even gave the newcomer even a passing glance. She pretended to go back to her fries and coke, keeping an eye on him out of her peripheral vision, her instincts saying he was more dangerous than anyone else in the bar.

One of the kids, looked to be about 15, just her age when she started out, broke off from the group and came over to her hesitantly. He looked nervous and she made herself seem as non threatening as possible, leaning back in her chair, opening up her posture. She smiled at him and motioned for him to come closer.

"You...you're...You're Dinah Gray, right?" He ducked his head, trying to remain calm. She simply nodded to him and pushed the other chair at her table out with her foot, motioning for him to sit down. He stayed standing out of nervousness. "What...um...why are you here?"

"I came for the burgers. Decided to stay for the entertainment."

"You...you're...you're...here for...ohmigod..." He started to hyperventilate and Dinah snapped her fingers and leaned forward, getting him to focus on her.

"Just breathe. With me. In," she took a deep breath. "Out." He followed her example and she did it with him a few more times, trying to be reassuring. "Now go do your next set and pretend I'm not here, eh? We'll all talk after, ok?" The boy nodded to her, trying and failing not to run back over to his band. The gasps were barely audible over the conversations taking place around her, but five pairs of eyes all turning to look at her in unison was rather hard to miss. She just grinned and shook her head, taking off the hat and tossing it onto the table. The damn thing was itchy anyway and she'd been wearing it so they didn't notice her. Didn't seem to matter now so there was no point in keeping it on. She ran a hand through her hair, freeing it from it's confines so close to her scalp from the hat before sweeping it over her shoulder. The kids stumbled onstage, ready to start their second set, mostly looking at her as they started to set up.

California. One of the farthest points, Owen could get from Gotham. Sunshine, fresh air, and a mission. Couldn't ask for much more. He pulled his bike into the parking lot of the little bar. They were 50 miles from nowhere, and Owen rather liked it. He was here on a job offered by an old contact. Someone who Red Hood occasionally got info from in the FBI, was nice enough to donate 25 grand to Owen's favorite charity. Himself. All Owen had to do was put a bullet in a gun runner who frequented Gotham. He figured he'd just take out the whole ring and ask for a nice bonus. Government agents on the take were usually good for a bonus, if the deal was right.

As Owen stepped off his bike and kicked up a little dust, he smirked. His mental image likened himself to a rough and tumble sheriff or even Eastwood's Man with No Name as he approached the little watering hole. The irony of that thought alone was enough to get a chuckle. He opened the door and stepped inside, after kicking the dust off on the outside boards. Red Hood made a quick appraisal of the place as his eyes adjusted.

The appraisal wasn't promising. His intended targets were there. Along with a bunch of kids and a pop star in a trucker cap. Probably, scouting them out or something. But either way, too many soft targets for Owen's liking. Owen met the pop star's eyes and offered her a wink as he went over and sat at the bar. He was going to have to reevaluate his plan, while he waited. When the bartender came over, Owen ordered.

"Coke and a cheeseburger, please. And a refill for whatever the lady's drinking over there on my tab." The bartender nodded and went to put his order in.

As the newcomer winked at her, Dinah shook her head, a wry grin on her face as she finished off her coke. Something never seemed to change, no matter where she went. She'd gotten a few looks when she came in earlier, but most of the guys kept to themselves. She'd had a few try and talk to her but he didn't seem that type. Dinah went back to the reason why she was there, watching the kids as they began to warm up again for their second act. They were good; could use some work but they were solid enough that she could get them now instead of regret it when they learned better timing and breathing control. She looked over a few notes in her phone before being interrupted by a waitress, carrying a refill over to her.

"Guy at the bar says to put your free refill on his tab." She gave Dinah a conspiratorial grin as she set the full glass down and took away the old one. Dinah just chuckled and and raised the glass to the guy at the bar before taking a sip. That's when she heard it. That's when the whole bar heard it and everything became rather quiet. The rumble of motorcycles driving down the road in a pack. On instinct, she grabbed the waitress by the wrist, wanting to keep her close just in case something went south. She looked questioningly back at Dinah but didn't go to leave. This was a biker bar, people should be used to the sound of motorcycles coming into the parking lot. Yet the air was tense as a taught guitar string. All eyes were on the people pulling up outside.

Dinah looked around at all the guys holding pool cues around the pool tables and the guys slowly shifting in their seats at the bar, some coming off their stools altogether. Yeah, she had a bad feeling about what was going to happen.

The doors swung inward and an older gentleman walked in ahead of two rather intimidating looking gentlemen. Well, they would look intimidating to a normal person; Dinah could see weak points even at a quick glance. They both seemed to be able to finish fights quick if they could get the first strikes in. Probably why they were chosen to come in with the big guy. When he grinned, she saw a glint of a gold tooth. She clenched her own.

"Gentlemen." The air got sucked out of the room at that one word as everyone focused in on their new friends. "Word on the street is you're trying to move through my territory. Now that's just not how we do business, folks." It was the minute twitch of the guy on the left that caught Dinah's attention that something was about to happen. She pulled the waitress to her just as the bullets started to fly through the windows. She up ended the table and dove behind it, letting out a shrill whistle just as the waitress screamed, making the kids on stage hit the deck and start rolling off behind it. This was bad. This was seriously bad. And there was shit all she could do about it without her gear.

There was a nod to Dinah as she raised her glass. Owen noticed the gentleman come in, flanked by goons one and two. He reached into his inside pocket and withdrew his domino mask. Things were about to get real. Owen could sense the tension in the air. A fire fight was about to break out with those kids on stage. He fixed his mask to his face in the second of chaos. One of the bikers drew a sawed off shotgun and went to aim it.

Red Hood came around and grabbed the barrel, smashing upward against the man's wrist with his free hand. The hand loosened and the gun came free. He smashed the thug in the face and fired it at one of the goons by the door. The thug crumpled and fell under the discharge of both barrels. Then he used it as a make shift club on one of the goons near Dinah's table. His hand lashed out, releasing three regular batarangs that lodged themselves into the arm of a man near the kids. Red Hood had severed the nerve cluster that would have allowed him to pull the trigger, with one of them.

This new plan seemed to involve him drawing a lot of fire from both sides. It wasn't going to go well. The second, larger thug that had just come in the door moved towards Owen. Red Hood punched him and the man, just shook it off. Owen's eyes widened beneath the mask. The man hit Hood with a right, then a left. Owen staggered back. He grabbed Red Hood in a choke hold and then slammed him onto the bar counter. Red Hood's staff fell free and clattered on to the floor, next to Dinah's over turned table. At least this time, he could see the exact point where it all went wrong.

There was a moment, just after the bullets started flying that Dinah looked around as much as she could from behind the table. The waitress screaming next to her was like white noise in the background. She had to do a double take as she saw someone step forward to take on the idiots who thought it was a good idea to fire indiscriminately into the bar. No wonder her instincts were going haywire, he was more dangerous than the rest of the bars inhabitants. It was the Red freaking Hood. Dinah's mind went into overdrive. What the hell was he doing here? Was he stalking her? There was no way. But this was also way too much of a coincidence. But she was glad he was here. At least she knew he could handle himself in this kind of fight. She just...wouldn't pay attention if one of his bullets killed someone. There were so many flying around at the moment, it would be hard to tell anyway.

She snatched up the staff as soon as it stopped rolling, twisting it in the middle and letting it extend to it's full length. She turned to the waitress and simply motioned for her to stay put. She looked at Dinah wide eyed and terrified, shaking her head vehemently. She grabbed Dinah's arm and tried to make her stay but she needed to do something. Hiding behind the stage would only protect them for so long. It wasn't even that high off the ground. She patted the waitress reassuringly on the shoulder before peering over the table quickly, then bursting forward.

The guy who'd been struck with the batarangs was her first target. He wasn't going to immediately shoot at her. She struck him in the side of the knee, hearing a loud pop as she did so and continuing her flourish, striking him on the back of the head and then going back down to sweep his legs out. She had to be much more aware than she usually was in these kinds of situations, couldn't take as many risks. No bullet proof body armor this time, Di. Make it count. She swept the room with a glance as she kicked the guy she downed in the head, knocking him out. The most immediate problem was that Hood seemed to be having some trouble at the moment. Some big guy had his rather meaty mits around his neck and he was turning a horrid shade of blue.

She acted quickly, jabbing the guy in the side of the head, more to get his attention than anything. "Hey ugly, I think you got your hands full there." A quick spin of the staff had it flying upward at his elbow joint with enough force to snap the joint. Then she slapped at one of his feet as he howled in pain, making his stance wider before bringing it up in a quick strike right between his legs. There was always one good way to bring down any guy. And anyone stupid enough not to wear a cup while in a barfight of any kind deserved to go down like a sack of potatoes.

"The bigger they are..." Dinah felt the bullet graze her cheek before it shattered the bottles behind her on the bar back. She planted her hand on the bar and was over it as the next few shots flew by, these ones not seemingly random as the ones before. They had dispensed with the spray and pray and were now taking their time to aim. Fantastic.

"I'm going to hold onto your staff for the time being, if you don't mind." She said from behind the bar. She looked over, trying to see what kind of supplies or weapons she had access to back here and winced. The bartender had taken a few direct hits and was gone. Oh these assholes were going to pay.

The world was starting to go black. Owen couldn't see much, but then he felt the man's grip loosen and watched him drop like a ton of bricks. The rockstar had his staff and was doing damage. He figured she must have taken some defense classes or was high on everything. It didn't really matter to him. Red Hood slipped back over the bar with her. Dinah Gray wanted to keep his staff. That implied she wanted to back him up. Stranger things had happened.

After a quick inventory, he transferred some useful items into his belt and slipped his jacket off before offering it to her. "It's treated. It should be good against the small caliber stuff. Avoid the shotguns and assault rifles. My body armor will make up for lack of it. Go get the kids and clear the innocents out. There is a back door, but I'm not sure what kind of resistance you will meet up with. There are flashbangs in the left pocket and smoke bombs in the right. I will draw fire for you and then finish what I came to do."

Red Hood popped up from behind the bar and tossed a couple flashbang batarangs into the tables. They exploded and then he leaped over the bar, drawing his guns and wading into the fray. The plus of dealing with this kind of thug was that they weren't wearing any body armor, so Owen didn't have to aim for their heads, he could go with simple center mass shots and move on. He fired three times and dropped a couple of the bikers. Out of the corner of his eye, Red Hood saw the waitress Dinah was with earlier and the man who came in the door last moving towards her. That wouldn't do.

With a quick aim and a squeeze of the trigger, the man who started this whole shooting match screamed and fell to the ground as his kneecap exploded in a mass of meat and gore. The waitress screamed, but Owen was satisfied she would be okay. Unfortunately for him, the distraction gave one of the thugs, a tall wiry man with a revolver, an opening. The revolver barked 3 times and the bullets shredded Owen's tunic. He fell back and hit the ground. Red Hood had the wind knocked out of him, but after taking stock of his surroundings, realized the armor held. When the thug came to check on him, Owen fired into the man's chest repeatedly with one of the pistols, before sitting up and discharging it again at one of the other bikers.

The rest of the arms dealers outside were firing in. Owen knew he'd have to get outside and put them down. He would wait and continue to draw fire. until the rockstar and her charges were all out the back safely. He would keep the kids from dying on this mission if he could. Maybe if he killed all the bad guys in here, the ones outside would realize no one was shooting back and investigate. Then he could fix the problem once and for all.

A laugh bubbled up before Dinah could stop it when he offered her his jacket for protection. The very thing that had sent her crashing through a door last time she'd gotten her hands on it. The irony was was killing her. She was letting herself laugh rather than speak at the moment because she just knew she'd ask him how long it had taken him to replace it and then things would have gotten very, very awkward. So she took the jacket and calmed down as she slipped it on, knowing he was looking at her like she was a crazy person. She knew she was but that was besides the point.

"Sorry....sorry. I laugh when I'm nervous..." It wasn't a complete lie. Just mostly. This whole situation she'd found herself in was just turning out to be a bit crazy. Laughter wasn't out of the realm of possible reactions. "Ok. I'll get the kids out. Try staying in one piece, eh?" She wasn't sure exactly what he came here to do, but she knew it was nothing good. She also knew she couldn't stop him and save the kids she'd come here for. She tried to make piece with that fact. He was a hired gun and she knew that, and that was more than likely why he was here. The other reason was so preposterous she didn't even let it finish forming in her brain before she squashed it. He wasn't following her. He wasn't. He wouldn't have given her his jacket without a snide remark if he was. Right? Right.

She let him go back over the bar first as she moved into a crouch, staying low behind the bar as he fired off a few rounds Plausible deniability, Dinah. You saw nothing. Even though you could guess, pretty damn accurately, you didn't see anything. Just focus on the scared teenagers and get them the hell out. She took a deep breath with that though and popped up herself just in time to see him take three to the chest. She had a moment of panic, remembering that he said his body armor would hold up. She took a quick look at the location of some of the thugs who started to filter in, in her general direction and the direction she wanted to go. She committed that to memory before sticking her hand in the right pocket and throwing a few smoke bombs down. She allowed herself a few seconds for them to cover the area before diving in. She remembered the pattern, the placement of each man as she silently made her way through them. Her first strike hit true as she moved through the smoke. She wouldn't have tried this without his jacket on, but she needed the advantage. "Ninja vanish" was the phrase her father liked to toss around. She struck out again at the same target as he cried out, his gun firing off to her left and out the window. She dropped low as he hit the ground, searching for his head before striking it with her fist. Shots flew over her head, though they were hesitant in all the smoke, though the flash from the guns told her everything she needed to know. She struck out low with the staff, taking the guy out at the knees and swinging the staff down hard at where she approximated his head to be. It landed with sickening thud and she stayed low again as she made her way over to the table where she'd left the waitress.

Humming "Peter and the Wolf" very quietly and mostly to herself, Dinah made the waitress calm as she touched her shoulder and took her hand, urging her to stay low and close as she made her way to the stage. The smoke had started to dissipate around there and she found one guy coming out of it just before her. She wasn't taking any chances, she stood and twirled the staff, striking him on the neck and catching him as he fell so he wouldn't make a sound. She lay him down just as she looked up to see five sets of eyes watching her in awe. She put her finger to her lips and continued to hum softly, the air around her thrumming with her calming influence as she held out her hand to them. She had to get them the hell out of here.

The smoke pellets activated. Owen was prepared for it. He reached up and touched his mask, keying the infrared mode on it. The rockstar was good. Far better than Owen expected. He knew he'd made the right choice. As he downed the last two men inside, more gunfire started to come through the front wall. He looked down and his tunic had holes in it. It was already in tatters from the gunshots that hit. At least the armor underneath held. That was a good thing.

A quick look around told him all he needed to know Dinah Gray was still in the building and needed more of a distraction. Owen had just the idea. He took a couple of flash bang batarangs in his hands and jumped through the broken window. As he emerged into the parking lot, he tossed the batarangs down before coming to a landing. As the thugs trained their guns on him, the flash bangs went off and Owen went to work.

The quick glance he got at the small crowd and their armaments made him realize that they were a little more heavily armed than he expected. He saw a couple military grade assault rifles and a couple that even had grenade launcher attachments. This crowd came ready for a war. He suddenly wondered if his gear would be able to survive the attack. Though he was more concerned about his own survival after this was over.

Owen spun and took the rifle from his nearest opponent. There might have been objections, but breaking the thug's nose with the butt of the rifle, seemed to silence any that might have come up. He flicked the switch to three round burst and opened up on his stunned attackers, dropping more than half in the first volley. He felt a couple bullets impact into his costume and felt the shock plates crack and shatter. They held for that moment, but that would be it for those two. Any other shots there were going to hit the warm nougaty center that was Owen. He'd deal with the severe bruises later, at least he wasn't bleeding out.

A few exchanges of gun fire later, everyone in front of the bar was dead as well. By his quick count, it seemed like everyone who was hostile should have been accounted for. He wondered how the rockstar was fairing. She should have been out the back door by now. Then he heard a shotgun blast fill the air and he grappled to the roof and went tearing over it.

Motioning for them to follow her, Dinah got them to stay low and follow her toward the bathrooms. She had seen a back exit that way. Making them stay low, she hurried them all behind the bar like a crossing guard, waiting for them to get behind it's cover before following suit. She spotted Hood taking a running leap out the window and setting off a few flashbangs as he landed. She hurried behind the bar then peered out to see if there was anyone in her immediate vicinity that was a threat. No, they were all bleeding profusely or unconscious. She heard one groan by the door just as the gun fire started up again but it seemed to be concentrated outside. Where he was.

"Ok...one at a time. Under the little bar door...thing..." she waved her hand at the piece of would that swung up to admit bartenders to their work space. "You go when I tell you."

"Dinah..." one of the kids spoke up, and she looked over to see them all scared and huddled together.

"We're gonna get out of this...and then you're gonna have an awesome story to tell. And a record deal to sign. Ok?" They all nodded at her in unison except for the waitress, who was still pretty shocked and terrified. She put her hand on the woman's shoulder and squeezed it to make her look at her. "Hey, we're the adults here. It's ok to be scared, but I need you. Go first, and go straight into the bathroom, ok? And then you stay there until I tell you." She nodded vehemently to Dinah before crouch walking under the flap and practically sprinting around the corner to the bathroom. She stopped, waited, and listened, and all she heard was groaning. She sent the next kid. And the next. And the next, until all that was left was her.

Her destination was not the bathroom however. She had them go there to keep out of the line of fire should anything come through the door. Today was her turn to be the door person. And she really didn't like being without her costume. Silently she made her way to the back door, wishing she had her mask so she could see if there was anyone on the other side. She'd just have to do it the old fashioned way. She squeezed herself into the small strip of wall between the bathroom door and the back door and used the staff to push the pushbar and open the door a crack. When she felt it start to leave her staff she bolted. The door flew open, letting in an enormous amount of light, but she wasn't looking that way, she was running. She heard the shotgun a split second before she felt the impact that sent her crashing to the floor. That was going to be a very pretty bruise on her back later. Luckily the leather had held, thanks to the distance she had put between her and the door. She was pretty sure one of her calves was not so lucky.

Groaning as she heard boots coming in through the door toward her, she flipped over and let a batarang fly. It seemed he had forgotten one in the inner pocket when he had handed it over. It landed in his arm and she saw his trigger hand go limp just before he pulled it again. Then she threw a flashbang right in his face before sitting up and swinging the staff like a baseball bat at his knees. He went down with a shout.

The thing about being the first guy through the door, was it was more than likely the more dangerous job. The problem was, there was always another one. "Oh come on!! Gimme a f*cking break already!" Dinah rolled away just as the second guy cast a shadow in the doorway, wincing at her leg. She just could not catch a f*cking break today.

There was a rushing sound as Owen, pulled the trigger on his grapnel and swung down and landed behind the two guys. He watched Dinah drop the first one from afar and moved in to intercept the second thug. He leveled his gun at Dinah when Owen tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir. Have you paid your henchman's union dues?" The thug turned around, looking confused.

Owen took the shotgun away from him and then jabbed him in the nerve cluster underneath his chin. "God, you are bad at this." He said to the thug as he collapsed in a heap. The move was a nerve strike that he learned from Jason. He said that the move had started as a killing technique, but Batman taught him a deathless variation. For some reason, Owen decided to use that version today. There had been enough killing. Even for him.

"He'll be fine. He'll wake up in a cell, but he'll wake up." He offered Dinah a hand and then looked around. "Where did you put all those innocent bystanders?" He looked around, making a quick survey. "Ah. The bathrooms. Makes sense." And then he gave her a once over and noticed some small holes in the jacket from the shotgun pellets. At this rate, he'd have to stop using leather jackets as part of his costume. There was a quiet sigh. He wasn't having fun yet.

Dinah's break finally came in the form of Red Hood. She relaxed only slightly as the shot gun from the second guy was no longer pointing at her. Dragging herself closer to the bar, she watched the altercation with pure surprise. She saw the strike just under the chin, a strike she'd seen Thomas use, her father use, hell even she used it when she didn't feel like punching people in the throat. She knew what it could do. And though she was literally surrounded by dead people, she didn't want another one added to the pile. She watched him go down like a ton of bricks, doing nothing to hide her worry. She let out a small sigh of relief when he told her the guy would be fine. She took his hand and stood up, nodding at the answer to his own question.

"Yeah, bathroom. Out of the way. Lockable door." She shrugged out of his jacket, wincing horribly. She was going to have such a lovely set of bruises on her back after all this. Holding it up for him, she bit back another laugh, her face contorting with the effort. This jacket, that had pretty much just saved her life, was now full of holes and pretty much useless. Another of his jackets ruined because of her. She was trying very hard, very very hard not to laugh at that fact. Of course, it was easier to not laugh when the asshole you thought you knocked out attacked you with a knife from his position on the floor.

He got in one good swing, slashing at the back of her calf and Dinah reacted instantly, screaming at him and kicking him in the head and then the chest before kicking the knife away. Then she kicked him again for good measure even though he was most assuredly out of commission this time. Then she looked down at the back of her leg.

"Oh you titless c*ck sucking f*ckwit! That f*cking hurts! And I really f*cking liked these jeans!!! C*ckbite!!!!" She kicked him again then grabbed a chair and sat down. Never failed with this guy! Always when he was involved, she seemed to walk way with some form of injury. At least this one wouldn't hinder her ability to play a guitar.

The jacket was full of holes. He decided to look into either replacing it with something more indestructible or phasing it out entirely. After slipping it back on his frame, Owen laughed a little as he looked at the locked bathroom door. It was a very logical scenario and probably the safest place for them in this kind of a firefight.

"They probably got a little more than they bargained for tonight."

There was an inward curse as the last thug got a swipe in on Dinah's thigh. Owen cursed himself twice for not being aware of it. He was too distracted by her. Though it was rather impressive how she beat the man down. As Dinah walked over to the chair, Owen pulled a first aid kit out of his belt. He gave it a quick unfold and gestured to her leg.

"You gave me a hand. Now, I'm repaying the favor. Let me look at your leg." He waited a few moments for her to comply and then ripped her pant leg open more. He took a look at it. "Not too deep. Give me a minute." He put a small superglue like compound on it and then used butterflies and a bandage for it. It wasn't much but it would hold. And that would mean she could avoid having to go to the hospital.

"This will keep you out of the ER. No awkward conversations with doctors about how you got the wounds. You're good to go. Take two aspirin and call me sometime." He gave her a little smirk and stood up.

Eyeing Red Hood as he came over with his first aid kit, Dinah reassessed him now that adrenaline wasn't pumping through her veins. He had been quick and efficient throughout the whole thing. She was less than excited about his approach, guns and things, but she didn't have her gear so she really couldn't have done anything else. When he asked for her leg, she held it out, resting it on his leg. She frowned when he tore her pant leg open even more, but she knew they were a lost cause.

"Well, it was give you a hand or be a statistic. I'm rather attached to living. Got a lot of it yet to do." She grimaced and turned away at the superglue, the substance stinging as it made contact with the open wound. She'd had worse injuries for sure, but something about open wounds and bondo or anti-bacterial whatever made her wince and act like a baby. She nodded as he stood up, pleased to not have to go to the hospital for stitches. The bigger problem of course was police. She stood up, testing her leg before getting very much in his personal space and matching his smirk.

"I can't call you if you don't give me your number." She quickly reached up and pulled off his mask before shoving it in his hand. "And you would probably look more like an innocent bystander if you weren't wearing that when the police arrived. We should get our story straight, say they took each other out." This close, nose to nose with him, without his mask on, she could see how blue his eyes were and it just wasn't fair. She looked perhaps a little too long at him before looking away toward the bathroom.

"You can come out now. Coast is clear." She hollered down the hallway before slowly looking back at Owen. "Hi, name's Dinah. I missed yours in all the gunfire."

"Well, most people would cower in fear and let me do all the work. So it was appreciated."

The sudden entry of Dinah into his personal space, made Owen very uncomfortable. He'd seen how she handled herself before and wasn't really in the mood to see if she wanted to challenge him. He heard the sirens now, in the distance. One of the kids must have called. There was little to no chance of him escaping now. Her hand reached up and she pulled his mask off. Owen was about to object, when Dinah shoved it in his hand. He thought that it was a good idea he hadn't armed the shock pulse in it.

Owen lost himself in Dinah's eyes for a moment. He noticed that they looked rather attractive. They looked at one another just a little too long. After a moment, when she looked away, he looked down at the rest of his clothes. "Right, because the body armor beneath the T-shirt, the utility belt and shotgun pellet holes in the jacket don't make me look any more suspicious." He pulled off his shirt and removed the armor from beneath, as well as the belt. "I'll make a note to give you a phone number later."

"That's exactly what happened. They came in, started shooting, we got people into the bathroom and then hid in the other bathroom until it was all over. You got cut and I helped you in there." Owen dabbed a little of Dinah's blood on his face and nodded. "It will be best if we shuffle everyone out the back door. Less bodies and trauma to deal with." He wrapped the stuff in his jacket and then took it outside, slipping it into a secret compartment on his motorcycle, before grabbing a wallet with a fake id and credit cards that would pass muster.

Owen hadn't planned on being here when the local LEOs arrived, but there was a back up plan just in case. When he came back in, the kids were coming out of the bathroom and he watched Dinah direct them. "You didn't catch it, because I didn't throw it. You can call me John. That'll work well enough."

Dinah did little to hide where she was looking while he pulled off his shirt and body armor. While there was of course the fact she wanted to check him out, (which she totally was), there was of course another reason to look him over. Scars. It said a lot about a person, what kind of scars they carried; what they could have been through, what kind of training they had. He had about as much as one would expect from living the kind of life he did, though there were several she was curious about. She grinned and shook her head at his explanation, it was simple enough to be believable. And it should be easy enough to get the others to cooperate.

She herded them outside, filling them in on their story. The kids readily agreed. The waitress took some convincing as she was still slightly shaken. She was soothing her when Owen came back in, immediately stopping her humming as she looked up, still alert just in case. She looked at the kids and jerked her head toward the back door, while she kept her arm around the waitress, leading her out.

She scoffed at the name he gave her, letting out a little laugh. "John, huh? Smith by chance? Have you got psychic paper too? Might as well be John Wayne. But sure, I'll call you John." She looked back toward the road as the sirens grew distinct now, knowing they would be pulling in any second.

After a few moments of confusion, shouting and general pointing of weapons that made even Dinah itchy, things were quickly sorted out. She gave her statement, the others gave theirs and she even got to meet with the kid's parents. Obviously they were all very thankful for her quick thinking, and she gave them all her card, saying she'd be in touch. She was very interested in signing the kids, she thought with a little work they could be great.

Of course after everything, she was rather exhausted. After she was done with the cops she had to deal with her manager having a freak out. Mainly about skipping out on her security detail to go to some little town and getting into a firefight. She had to hold the phone away from her ear to make sure she didn't go deaf. And, she was fairly sure, in all the commotion, that Mr. "John Smith" had quietly slipped away. She couldn't blame him really. She wanted to do that too. She just couldn't. Because being a rather public identity sometimes had its downsides.