It was just before dawn as Courtney slipped into her house though the secret entrance Pat had built, her face was covered with soot and dirt as she pulled the mask from her face and wearily climbed up the stairs from the basement.<br/>"Courtney!" her Mom's voice called out "not in the house." Courtney sighed, looked down and then she remembered the rules, Courtney's mom had adapted to so many things over the past few months but she had insisted on one thing; Courtney couldn't wear her uniform in the house. Before the invasion it was sensible precaution against someone accidentally discover who she was but now it was a matter of life and death for Courtney and the rest of her family. Courtney let out an exhausted little sigh and started to turn to go back to the basement, "Courtney" her mom's voice was softer "look just this once. Get in the shower I'll fix you something to eat."<br/><br/>Six months ago the costume, the staff and belt had all been a bit of a game, just a way to annoy her stepfather Pat Duggan but then skies had opened and the hordes had poured down to Earth. Courtney's instincts had told her to get out there on the streets and help out as many people as she could but Pat had stopped her, he told her that there were that many heroes on the West Coast and despite what she thought, there was no way Courtney could stop what was happening. She hated him for it but he was right, if she'd gone out she wouldn't have come back. But just because she was down didn't mean she was out. Over the next couple of days Courtney didn't stop including rescuing Marines from Camp Pendleton, Marines that were now the basis of the LA resistance, Marines that had adopted Stargirl as their unofficial mascot.<br/><br/>Courtney emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel and went to her bedroom and found her mom there putting a tray down the bed, both of them glanced down to the dirty uniform that lay crumpled on the floor. "I guess that'll need washing." Courtney gave her mom a weak smile, it was her mom's way of asking what had happened last night but Courtney really didn't have the energy to deal with how anxious her mom would get when she got the answer. Courtney sat down on the bed and turned to her mom, "Where are Pat and Mikey?" she asked "Out getting supplies and information, they'll be back later. Just get some rest." Courtney sank back onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.<br/>