Who was the best alchemist/chemist/inventor in Gotham, might you ask? No, you wouldn't ask, because you - as well as any other in the city's under circles - knew, the best was you. Ash to Gold? Child's play with Midas' Touch. Acid strong enough to melt steel? Careful on your way out with that! 'Guns' that had a special touch of transforming into a short-range weapon? Give it a week, and it'll be mailed to your house! You could do anything in the bounds of the material world - and you could do it for anyone, depending on the benefits. It was both a great threat and aid to both vigilantes and villains, especially with your ever changing - otherwise non-existent - loyalties.

That...wasn't great, but the BatFam had to take the chance and go to you for help. Not for business, god forbid they dealt with a public menace with you, but instead for info on one of the villains that you dealt with. They assumed that you would be easy to get info out of for a pretty penny, but they weren't expecting it to be so hard to even talk to you.