That was exactly what it was, hiding from predators. It was a dog eat dog world out there, and while Tony had figured out how to keep himself out of most of the line of fire, he knew letting your guard down at the wrong time got you mugged. Usually by people a lot less nice than he was.

The shield didn't bother him, he was using his own in much the same way, trying to hide from the occasional funny looks the waitress shot their way. Mostly his. She was understandably wary, his type didn't show up with fat wads of cash after all, and they weren't running a charity. Tony had no doubt that the only reason they hadn't kicked him out on sight was that he was obviously with Dirk.

"You caught me fair and square. Besides, I didn't want a scene," He was honest about it, at least. He knew what he was doing wasn't necessarily 'right', but right and necessary weren't always best friends. Ever been tackled by a two-hundred pound security guard? It wasn't much fun.