Meanwhile in the outskirts of the Terra, a father and son were preparing for a fishing trip. Suddenly, they saw a squadron of Raptor Skimmers leaving Terra Mesa. As confusion began to set in, the son sees a barely conscious Starling washed up on the shore.

Son: Dad! Look!

Upon seeing Starling, they rushed to her. As they checked on her, Starling slowly began to gain consciousness.

Father: Are you all right, miss?

Starling: Where....where am I?

Father: Outside Sobrik. We saw Raptor Skimmers flying out from that Terra. 

Upon hearing this, Starling remembered what had happened. She remembered the Raptor ambush. Her thoughts soon fell on to the rest of the Interceptors.

Starling: Contact the Sky Knights. Tell them that Terra Mesa has been attacked. 

Son: What about you?

Starling remained silent as she began running to where the battle had occurred. The father and son would do exactly as Starling instructed and contact the Sky Knights on Terra Mesa. As Starling got closer, she held out hope that there were survivors. But when she arrived, she found nothing but silence. She saw the wreckage of the Interceptor's capital ship.

Starling: Lieutenant? Lieutenant! Can you hear me?! 

As Starling searched for the Lieutenant, she came across the bodies of the other Interceptors. It wasn't long before Starling found the lifeless body of the Lieutenant. In that moment, Starling found herself to be the lone survivor. But as Starling mourned the loss of her squadron, her grief turned to fury as she thought of Repton and the Raptors. On that day, Starling swore to avenge the destruction of the Interceptors. News of the demise of the Interceptors spread through not only Terra Mesa, but all across Atmos. The loss of the Interceptors was a devastating one. For Starling, she was greatly altered by the event. The event psychologically damaged her to the point where she felt like giving up. In the days the followed the massacre of the Interceptors, the bodies of the Interceptors were buried near Starling's home. A memorial was erected over their graves to honor them. Starling isolated herself as a means to cope with the trauma of losing her squad. She considered leaving the Sky Knights entirely and going into exile in shame. But those thoughts were quickly banished from her mind as thoughts of vengeance took hold of her. But Starling knew that the Raptors were only part of a greater threat. The wounds on her body and mind were still fresh. She looked upon the photo of herself with the Interceptors. 

Starling: I....I need guidance.

In her mind, Starling contemplated on how to enact her next move. Simply going after the Raptors wasn't going to be enough. As a Sky Knight, Starling was flesh and blood. She could be hurt. She could be killed. The death of the Storm Hawks showed that. The death of the Interceptors showed that. 

Starling: I...I know what I need to become. I need...to become a symbol. Not to inspire...but to instill fear on all those who would prey on the innocent. The Raptors....the Cyclonians....fear is their greatest weapon. That is the weapon that I must use to fight them. But...but how? How do I become that symbol of fear? How do I turn the weapon of my enemies against them?

As Starling said this, she thought back to that fateful day. She remembered the fear that she felt. In her mind, Starling felt that the only way to truly fight against her enemies was to use fear as her weapon. But she didn't know how to approach that. 

Starling: Please....give me a sign. Give me a sign on how to use the weapon of my enemy against them.....

As Starling asked for guidance, a bat suddenly crashes through a window and settles on a nearby bust. Starling watched in awe as the bat stared at Starling. Time began to slow down as the jet black creature stared into Starling's eyes. In that moment, time froze for Starling as the bat screeched at her. The first thing she felt as the bat stared at her was fear. Primal fear. But within this bat, Starling found her sign. 

Starling: Yes...yes! That is what I must become! I must become....a bat!

In that moment, Starling knew what she needed to become. As if sent from beyond the grave by the spirits of the Interceptors, the bat offered Starling the answer she needed. She needed to embrace the bat as a symbol and use it as a tool of fear against her enemies. In the weeks that followed, Starling worked tirelessly to create the tools needed for her endeavors. She forged a shell-plated armor with a bat symbol at the center. She would also create several gadgets that all carried the theme of the bat. Among the weapons were bat shaped throwing projectiles and various Crystal powered weapons. She even redesigned her Skimmer to take on the appearance of a bat. When it was done, Starling had the tools she needed to become the Bat. Starling donned her new armor. She paused as she looked upon the mask. Starling knew that once she put that mask on, there was no going back. But as far as Starling was concerned, she had made that choice long ago. Without hesitation, Starling puts on the mask. In that moment, Starling had adopted the mantle of the Bat. She then gets on her Bat-Skimmer and rides off into the night. The Bat was born.