The time has come. Welcome to the second Dark Nights Cinders prequel, The Spark. Last time we were in this world, Spyro, Cynder, Mister Terrific, and Duke Thomas were exploring a cavern underneath the Batcave, only to find a collection of things from Spyro and Cynder's world, oh, and the Joker is here as well, with The Batman Who Laughs chained up in a coffin nearby. And also, Batman for some reason as the Convexity Altar in a secret room within the Fortress of Solitude. He has secrets, that much is clear, but what's going on here? It's time for the story to resume.

Prelude: The Spark

(We pick up not underneath the Batcave, but somewhere in Greece for some reason, probably because he's meeting with someone very particular…)

Batman: (Checks his watch) Where is he?

(That's when the door is forced open and, of all people, Wonder Woman steps in)

Wonder Woman: If you're looking for Apollo, he left ages ago. Not like he'd like to see you after you traded away his sword to Talia al Ghul for a dagger.

Batman: He's still angry about that?

Wonder Woman: Hephaestus is angrier, trust me.

Batman: He's going to have to deal with it.

Wonder Woman: Thankfully you weren't looking for something of his craftsmanship this time. (Pulls aside a door revealing a very familiar staff for those who played Dawn of the Dragon. The staff is of wood, presumably a dark oak, with a strange blue orb on top.) I still don't know why you needed this particular staff.

Batman: It's owner knows something, and he'd only tell me if I got it back, claiming it was stolen ages ago.

Wonder Woman: You really trust him?

Batman: Not entirely. (Picks up the staff) But I don't have much of a choice.

(Now we transition from Greece to back beneath the Batcave, where Spyro, Cynder, Mister Terrific, and Duke Thomas are deciding whether or not to work with of all people, the Joker to find out what's going on)

Duke Thomas: You're not seriously considering working with him, are you?

Mister Terrific: I admit, it's an insane bargain, but he may be the only one who knows what's going on.

Spyro: I don't like it either, but he was the last person to see The Batman Who Laughs alive. He knows more than he's letting on.

Cynder: I agree, it's a risk we have to take. (To Joker) We'll work with you, if you explain a few things.

Joker: Namely?

Cynder: How are you still alive?

Spyro: (Pointing to The Batman Who Laughs' prison) And what's he doing here?

Joker: Oh, alright. I've had enough time to work up to this, time to deliver the punchline. It all started when old clown-breath and I took a tumble off the tower of doom or whatever it was called. To be honest I blacked out during the fall, so I don't entirely know what happened, but the next thing I do remember is waking up, somewhat healed. But not in a puddle of Dionesium either, rather in a room full of gems. Red ones, green ones, blue ones, and a few pink ones scattered in there.

Spyro: Spirit Gems!?

Joker: That's pretty accurate, seeing as the red one I stabilized myself on numbed my pain a bit. Then next thing I know I'm hit over the back of the head, and black out again. When I woke up, I saw old clown-breath survived, and of course was chained up over there, saying something about a "greater threat than even Lord Barbatos" was coming for them now. The Gems foretold it to him, he claimed.

Mister Terrific: That explains the obsession with Spirit Gems.

Joker: But what was really weird was that I had an IV in my arm, and a few collected blood samples and my old suit nearby. Bats had evidently taken some of either my blood or his, probably mine since I'm evidently the only source of Dionesium left around here.

Duke Thomas: That part at least makes sense. Killing two birds with one stone, keeping Dionesium off the streets and getting rid of you.

Joker: But this time it's almost as if I was an afterthought. (Pointing out the coffin) Containing him seemed like the priority, not like last time.

Spyro: That is a good point, you were kept in similar restraints during the Metal incident.

Joker: Exactly! I knew at that moment something was up again. Something Batman knew that I didn't. Then I saw he was gathering the metals again.

Mister Terrific: Let me guess, he tried to go back to the Dark Multiverse.

Joker: I thought the same thing, but I'm not actually sure. Because shortly after getting the metals he started gathering stuff from your world, each item stranger than the last, then just rocks, weird floating rocks. But then I could feel the energy, darker than anything from the Metal incident, a darker pit than the Dark Multiverse could ever have been!

Duke Thomas: That can't be possible.

Joker: IT IS! I SWEAR I'M NOT LYING TO YOU!

Cynder: Joker, calm down! There's something going on here, you're right. But… (Thinks back on what Joker said about floating rocks) Did these rocks have a dark pinkish tint to them?

Joker: I think so, why?

Cynder: Just a hunch…

(It's at this point where the lights in the room just go out for no apparent reason. While everyone else is mildly distressed, The Batman Who Laughs, from within his coffin prison, begins laughing maniacally. But Joker, he's stopped smiling, in fact his visible eyes show fear, something you'd never expect from him, but then he suddenly cries out.)

Joker: NOT AGAIN!

(Joker then runs off through the cavers, continuously shrieking "Not Again".)

Mister Terrific: What got into him?!

Duke Thomas: And why's the other sicko laughing?!

Spyro: Whatever it is, if it can scare the Joker, it's not good.

Cynder: We've got to find out what's going on. And Joker's leading the way…

And I think that's a good spot to leave off for now. So what happened? Joker and The Batman Who Laughs seem to know something, but the latter revels in it while the former is terrified of it. So what could it be? And also, what is up with that staff from the beginning? Batman clearly needs it for something, but who wants it? And what information could bring Wonder Woman back into this? There are so many questions and not enough answers. But they will continue to be revealed as The Spark continues. Tune in during the first week of May to begin to see what Joker is so afraid of. Same time… same channel… same mystery. See you in May!