The warehouse district became a silent arena, the tension palpable. Batman moved with an almost preternatural speed, his attacks a blur of black, testing their reflexes and combat skills. "Answer my questions," he growled, his voice echoing in the narrow alleyway, as he disarmed Oliver with a swift strike.
Oliver, recovering quickly, retorted, "We're trying to stop something dangerous! Something you might not even be aware of!"
Batman shifted his focus to Slade, his gaze intense. "Wilson. You were a mercenary. What's your angle now?"
Slade, surprisingly subdued, simply stated, "Redemption."
Michael stepped forward, his hands held open in a gesture of peace. "We're not your enemies, Batman. We're trying to stop a group that deals in… dangerous artifacts. Things that could threaten both our cities."
Batman launched a series of batarangs, forcing them to evade. "Artifacts? Magic? Don't insult my intelligence."
"It's the truth," Michael insisted, deflecting a batarang with a flicker of emerald energy. "The Overseer… he wasn't just a madman. He tapped into something ancient, something the Serpent Coil is trying to exploit."
Batman deployed a sonic device, a high-pitched whine momentarily disorienting them. "Prove it." He then grappled to a nearby rooftop, observing them from the shadows. "Tell me what you know about the Serpent Coil. And make it convincing." The trial by shadow had begun, their answers measured not just in words, but in their actions and the truths they chose to reveal.