Chapter Content Warnings: Fluffiness, cat-boy hybrid cuteness, adorability, Animo pedophile-ness, and other general fluffy shit. Oh yeah, and some suggestiveness, I guess.

Ben 10 and all other referenced characters do not belong to me, I claim no ownership or copyright to them.

If you are awesome enough to be reading this, enjoy the newest chapter and all of its long-ness! Thank you for your support and enjoy the new chapter of Catastrophe!

Also, while I'm at it, in response to some of the awesome comments I've gotten:

To fullmoonwolf950: Thanks so much! Your support is really appreciated! And I'm sorry there was no AnimoxBen goodness yet, but don't worry, I'm saving up for it!

To Vanessa Masters: Thank you for checking! I was wondering if anybody would! Remember, if you see any mistakes, feel free to tell me!

To Snowdevil the Awesome: on a random note here, let me first just say that I love your profile picture. I'm a huge cat fan, LOL. Anyways, thanks for your encouragement! (And I agree, poor Ben!)

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Catastrophe

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Chapter 4: Why Cats Hate Water

"NO!" A shriek echoed through the small hallway, the sound emanating from the hybrid hero. Animo had a firm grip on his thin waist, practically dragging the boy towards the bathroom door, which undoubtedly lay beyond the bedroom door, their current destination. Meanwhile Ben struggled with all his might to escape his grip. "I DON'T WANNA BATH!" Animo would have covered his ears at how close in proximity the scream was, nearly deafening to his poor eardrums, if not for him having to keep a tight grip on his captive. The whole situation was pretty comical, really. Ben had his fingers desperately trying to grip at the wall, scraping uselessly against the flat surface. He was wailing almost pathetically, looking the picture of a miserable cat being dragged off for a bath. "Oh quit your caterwauling, Ben, it's just a bath. You're acting like a 5-year-old." Animo said sternly, fighting to keep his hold on the squirming cat-boy. "LET ME GO!" The villain would most definitely need a hearing test after this, and look into getting some ear plugs. He didn't even know 10 year olds could be this difficult, and that their voices could reach the octave of almost glass shattering power. Animo was surprised his ear drums could stand being this close to the screeching little monster.

When the bedroom door was finally within grabbing distance, Animo switched his grip on Ben to underneath one arm so he could turn the knob and push the door open with one shoulder. Ben's fingers clawed desperately at the blue walls and door with frantic feverishness. They raked uselessly against the smooth surface, unable to grip the flat sheet-rock wall. As they passed through the doorway, Ben lashed out with his hands and latched onto the trim like a lifeline. Animo's brisk walk was immediately jolted to a halt as his bundle refused to be carried any farther. The villain tugged and pulled, but Ben remained firmly grasping the doorway, resulting in a very strange tug-of-war between the two. "Ben! Let go right now!" "Nuh-uh! I'm not getting wet!" Suddenly the doctor had a devious idea to get the younger to let go. Wrapping one arm around both kicking legs, Animo smirked and forced one foot to be still. His other hand moved forward quickly and started lightly brushing the appendage skillfully. Ben's squirming instantly tripled, but his grip on the doorway lessened. "No-eek! Sto-ah-op that!" Animo's tickling was merciless though. Uncontrollable giggling and poorly muffled laughter poured from the hybrid's mouth. "I'm not stopping until you let go—or are forced to let go." The villain said with a small smile and continued tickling. Ben's grip again loosened, his fingers straining to keep a firm hold while his mind was so distracted by the uncontrollable giddy feeling. The poor hybrid couldn't fight the smile off his face, the sensation so treacherously good yet horrid. The battle was instantly lost for the brunette as Animo added the other foot to his warzone. With an "Eep!" of surprise, the already weakened grip was released and Ben fell to the floor, feet still caught in Animo's grip. Ben was left in his awkward position for only a moment, the triumphant doctor hurriedly stooped over and picked him up. Throwing him almost casually over his shoulder, he made it to the bathroom door before the younger's stupor wore off. Beating his tiny fists as hard as he could against Animo's back—which wasn't very effective overall—Ben yelped indignantly. "Put me down! Put me down!" Realizing his meager assault had no effect whatsoever on the villain, he grumbled and went limp on his shoulder. Shifting his bundle gently, Animo strode into the medium sized bathroom. It wasn't altogether amazing; just simply a functional, usable, washroom. Setting the younger on the edge of the bathtub, Animo took in the heated glare and crossed arms. Ben's emerald eyes were narrowed, pupils dilated to almost cat-like slits, anger radiating in waves off of him. Gray ears were pulled back to his skull, tail flicking in annoyance and barely restrained anger. Animo bent forward and removed the rope from around his small wrists, doing so gently, although the other didn't even seem to notice or care. "Now you stay here for a minute and don't…er…touch anything; I need to go change." Animo said firmly as he started for the door again. Reaching it, he turned back, looking thoughtful and a bit unsure. Then whatever he had forgotten about seemed to suddenly come back to him, and he added: "And behave."

The door slid shut with hardly a sound, except for a small barely audible metallic click. A second after he was sure his enemy was gone from the room [and immediate hearing range] Ben's leaped to his feet and rushed to the closed door. He desperately twisted the knob, tugged and shoved on the door, but it was locked tight. "Damnit." He hissed. He should have known it wouldn't be that easy. It never was. The universe just seemed to love making things difficult for him. Looking around frantically for anything he could use as a weapon, or an escape route he hadn't seen yet, or anything to help his situation. But no such luck.

He searched through the cabinets, shoving past cleaning supplies and shampoos looking for something useful. All he found was what appeared to be—with a look of disgust Ben shoved the accused bottle into the very back of the vanity. Frustrated with his fruitless search, he quickly closed the cabinet doors. The unexpected find came back to his mind; Ben glanced at the closed doors and shuddered. That was one product he didn't need to know Animo had. Brushing the thought aside, he went back to checking around the bathroom. As his bare feet smacked against the unoriginal black and white checkerboard tile, the hero finally noticed he didn't even have his shoes on. "Must of fallen off when I changed..." He said softly, mostly to himself. Even in a time like this, with so many other things going to hell, he still missed his sweet kicks. When he had woken up, Animo had already completely changed his very fashionable—and functional—wardrobe. The shirt was at least clean, though a few sizes too big, but it definitely made Ben wonder where the villain got a shirt obviously too small for himself. And when he found the time to go shopping. For some reason, he just couldn't picture his enemy in a department store, looking through various racks of clothes. Thinking of one last place to check, Ben tugged gently on one side of the mirror above the vanity sink. To his delight, the mirror swung outwards, opening to reveal the hidden shelf. Assorted pill bottles and smaller containers took up most of the compartment. Other than a few common medicine brands; mostly for everyday aches, like headaches, fevers, or coughs, there wasn't much to see. One pill bottle caught his eye. It looked like a specialty item. Something that required going to a pharmacy counter. Ben reached for the bottle on his tippy toes, stretching as far as he could to grab it. The little container stayed just out of reach, his new slight stature making what should have been an easy task made impossibly hard by genetic tampering and an evil genius. Fingertips barely brushing the side of his prize, the hybrid made one final effort, leaping up and grabbing the pill bottle quickly.

Ben landed solidly on the ground, yet lightly with only a small thump. He stared at the curiosity in his palm, ears perked forward with interest, and tail whipping against the ground in an excitedly impatient manner. Rolling it in his hand, he scanned over the label.

RX Pharmaceuticals

For the Order of Aloysius J. Animo

Prescribed: Bremelanotide

Dosage: 1 Tablet When Needed

Warning: Drug may increase blood pressure, risk of stroke,

and may lower the body's immunity against diseases.

Please notify your doctor right away if any of these

symptoms occur.

The brunette had no idea what Bremelanotide was, but he supposed it wouldn't be useful. Feeling defeated and slightly ticked that his efforts had gotten him nowhere, he tossed the bottle into the sink of the vanity. Looking down, Ben realized he had walked back to his original starting point. Figuring he might as well sit and wait for Animo to come back in, the thought crossed his mind that maybe he should stand by the door and wait for the unsuspecting other to walk through, and jump him. That idea was quickly dismissed though, seeing as at the moment, the villain had about forty pounds on him. If only I had my omnitrix. Unfortunately, as soon as his DNA had been changed, the device simply shut down, turning into dead weight on his small wrist. Although it wasn't altogether awful. At least it hadn't dropped off right into the hands of his enemy. But he also couldn't use it as long as the omnitrix didn't recognize his genetic code—which was a problem currently, seeing as Animo had seriously tampered with his DNA.

So...no superpowers for the time being.

…Great.

After what had seemed like decades for the hero, Animo finally returned. He strode through the doorway with both hands behind his back and a casual grin on his normally scowling face. His outfit had changed. Instead of his usual black shirt-brown pants combo (which violated like every fashion rule in the known universe), he wore a loose fitting t-shirt for some random company and gym shorts. Surprisingly enough, it actually matched. The shirt was a light blue with dark navy letters lined in gray saying "Bellwood Canyon" and the gym shorts were gray with a black stripe down each side facing outwards. The t-shirt was what really caught Ben's eyes though. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Did you get that after our fight in the canyon?" Animo stopped, blinking at him in disbelief. He looked down and seemed to realize what the other was referring to. "Uh…yeah. You remember that?" The villain seemed surprised that Ben recalled that particular fight from all those years ago. He'd been ten at the time after all. "Of course I remember! I never did like ants afterwards…" The last comment was made in a mumbled tone; probably escaping from the younger's mouth without him meaning it to. Animo snorted quietly, tempted to laugh but resisting. Admittedly, that particular world-domination-plot hadn't been Animo's best plan. The insects had been too easy to fool with their own scent, allowing Ben and his allies free reign of his fortress and enough time to send his entire plan up in flames—literally. Just like any other of his failed evil endeavors though, as soon as he got out of prison, the failure was forgotten and he moved on to other ideas and schemes. It was sort of like his coping mechanism with losing; forget and forge on.

Animo had almost forgotten that afterwards [with his evil fortress of doom destroyed and everything] he'd stumbled into a random gift shop and purchased this shirt for some reason. Then again he was pretty sure his shirt had been destroyed in the explosion; that was probably why the clerk hadn't said anything while he shoved over five bucks for the shirt. Whether or not the clerk was shocked by his strange skin color or his lack of a shirt or even the smell of burnt hair was a mystery to him. Animo snapped out his flashback, reaching the younger in three quick strides. Pulling two towels from behind his back where he'd been hiding them, he hung them on a towel rack Ben had not noticed to the right of the tub. Walking to the side of the tub, he barely glanced at his captive as he bent over to close the drain of the tub and turn the knob of the faucet. Water began to stream steadily out of the metal pipe into the bathtub. Animo reached a hand into the waterfall, testing the temperature. Adjusting the knob a bit, he was finally satisfied he had the water the perfect temperature. Ben watched him uncertainly, not really sure why the villain wasn't even speaking to him anymore—he wasn't gloating or mocking him, or even reminding him of his miserable defeat. This Animo just didn't seem to compare to the image of the other he'd developed over the years. But perhaps you couldn't really know a person just from fighting them. The only background Ben had ever found out about the doctor was that he had gone crazy after being beaten by a fellow scientist for an award. Some people would have seen his reaction as overreaction, but Ben figured now that since that award had meant everything to Animo's pride, his ego, the loss had literally driven him mad. Noticing the younger staring at him in a puzzled way, Animo slowly shifted his own gaze from the water to his guest. Tawny eyes met emerald for only a moment before Ben averted his eyes quickly. Shaking his hand free of any water, Animo turned and sat on the edge of the bathtub next to the brunette. Those entrancing green eyes refused to meet his gain, much less acknowledge his presence.

Ben stared fixedly at the tiled floor, seeing in the corner of his eye Animo sit next to him on the tub's rim. He was unsure what to say, what to do; this whole predicament that he was in was so foreign, unknown territory. Suddenly he felt arms encircle his waist, pulling him sideways and upwards. "Wha—!" The startled yelp escaped him as his posterior met a lap. Blinking in shock, Ben found himself in a place he had never thought he'd be—Animo's lap. The villain hugged him to his chest, arms wrapped around his small frame gently but tightly. "Hey! What are you—" Ben didn't get to finish as Animo shushed him firmly and began to stroke his head almost lovingly. Long pale fingers lightly ran through his hair, moving up to his cat ears and pinching them between fingertips and rubbing methodically. Ben's protests faded away as a fog settled over his rational mind, a purr rising from his throat without his consent. The doctor then began to pull the clothing from Ben without protests from the younger. His shirt came off first, revealing a pale chest and flat stomach. The pants were harder; Animo had to balance the hybrid precariously on his lap and tug the shorts off and continue petting at the same time. Finally his pet was completely nude in his lap. He then tossed the clothes aside for later use. The older studied the youth in his lap, unresisting at the moment to his gaze. Of course he'd never seen the other without clothes before. He didn't stalk the boy for crying out loud! God—Animo wanted so badly then to just ravish the younger. But for now he would refrain from doing so. Best to let the other keep his spirit while he could.

The villain held the hero fixated on his lap, stroking his ears rhythmically, pulling the purr from the younger with each stroke. Unwillingly, Ben's eyes slid shut, the soothing effect of the rubbing forcing him to calm and submit to the will of the other. Animo again felt that rush of adrenaline at the power he held over the former hero. He was jolted out of his reverie by the slopping sound of water very near the top of the tub. The same tub he was sitting on. Jerking about, but not so much as to knock the lulled cat-boy off his lap, Animo saw that the water had reached a good depth. Still petting with one hand to keep the younger under his control, he stretched the other to reach the faucet. Animo turned the handle and cut the water off, ending the flow of water almost instantly. Steam drifted off from the still pool, letting him know it was plenty warm enough. Shifting the limp hero to pick him up, and praying the calming effect wouldn't wear off immediately, Animo stepped into the bathtub. Ben jerked back to life as the tip of his gray tail touched the hot water. His eyes shot open, aware of his surrounding once more. But instead of flipping out and attacking his holder, he froze with fear, something uncharacterized with the hero role. Sharp nails dug into the doctor's arms holding him up above the water. Animo winced in pain, but didn't drop the hero, trying not to startle him into a panic. His wide eyes were that of a frightened animal—not that of a sentient being. Using that brief relapse into feral instinct to his advantage, Animo lowered himself and Ben further into the warm water. Ben's aft once again met Animo's lap as he sank to the bottom of the bathtub. Animo felt the wet tail slide against his thigh like a wet snake, but he fought the urge to jerk back from the touch. Ben's gray cat ears were pressed flat to his skull with fear. Settling his captive in between his legs, Animo continued the soothing stroking. "Easy now…calm down…it's alright…" The villain spoke in calming tones, as if speaking to a wild animal. With each stroke, the dainty little ears soon perked up again, and the rigid stance relaxed and loosened. Once more Ben's green eyes were shut in bliss. Pleased that his tenant was calm enough to continue, Animo reached for a bottle of shampoo sitting on a small shelf. Squirting a small amount of his hand, he capped the top back onto the container and set it back in its place. The villain rubbed his hands together to spread the shampoo and then began lathering it on Ben's hair and ears. He massaged the younger's scalp, running his fingers through his hair gently so as not to tangle it, and worked out any knots he found. Next came the ears. Very meticulously scrubbing the delicate appendage, and being sure not to get any soap in the ear itself, Animo cleaned both cat ears thoroughly. After washing out all of the shampoo with the small handheld rinser next to the main water faucet, Animo did the same with the conditioner. By the time he was done, Ben's hair drooped in sopping wet bangs over his face like a waterfall of hair. Each tendril dripped into the water below; the plopping was about the only sound in the room except for Animo's movements and Ben's purring. It was still unbelievably strange to the doctor that Ben was still not speaking or uttering a sound; the only sound that emanated from him was the rumbling purr that sounded akin to an old boat motor. He had never heard the hero be this silent before, he was usually full of witty banter and smart remarks to say. It seemed that just by stroking or petting him in a smooth rhythm was a very effective tool for keeping him quiet and submissive.

Meanwhile Ben was caught in a stupor, unable to break free from the haze in his mind. He felt like he was floating in blissful unawareness. Unable to reach the world outside, mute, enjoying and hating every second of it at the same time. He couldn't fight the fog that blanketed his consciousness, muffling his own thoughts and making it hard to think. That stupid petting Animo was doing put him in some kind of trance due to his cat-side. Ben felt his enemy cleaning his hair and ears carefully, but could do nothing to stop him or protest otherwise. It was infuriating. Ben was strong willed by nature, and being forced to bend to this creep's will, even if he wasn't physically in control of himself, was revolting.

After one final rinse of water over his head to wash off any stray soap, Animo grabbed a small colorful bottle labeled as body wash. Animo squirted a hearty dose into his hand and proceeded to layering it onto the small hybrid between his legs. As his hands ceased their entrancing movements and left Ben's scalp, the brunette's purring slowly faded out and his haze cleared. Ben felt as if he had just woken up after an extremely rejuvenating and incredibly good nap. But finally being aware of his surroundings was a huge improvement. Ben shook his hair, scattering droplets of water off in every direction as he did. The fog in his head dissipated as if it had never been there at all. Glancing down, it hit him like a hammer where he was exactly, and that he was—he did not. "Animo…" Ben hissed out venomously, head twisting slowly to look behind him. His suspicion was confirmed. The same aforementioned doctor sat behind him, looking about as innocent as a super villain could. "Why…the hell…am I in a tub…with you?!" Ben spat out with a snarl on his face. Animo grinned uncertainly, trying to think of a good excuse to satisfy the seriously pissed cat-boy. "I told you, this was your punishment. Couldn't have my pet getting dirty now, could I?" But Animo's answer seemed to only infuriate Ben further. He bolted upwards, intending to escape the tub prison, only to realize at the last second that he really shouldn't be standing up at the moment. His face went stark red, and he dropped like a stone back to the safety of the water. Pulling his knees up to his chest cover himself, he turned back again to glare at his captor as best he could with his current problem. "I hate you." He hissed venomously at the older male. Animo sighed quietly, not really surprised at the outburst, but nonetheless happy that at least Ben hadn't run away. Not that he really had much of a choice. But still. "Yes, yes, I know Tennyson. But you'll get over it." Animo stroked Ben's hair absentmindedly, hoping for his words to be true. There was a very, very slim chance of that kind of outcome, but it never hurt anyone to dream right? Ben jerked his head away from Animo's hands, not about to get caught up in—whatever that thing was his hands did to him. Gray ears pressed to his head in a show of distaste as he curled his lip up to reveal his canines. "I doubt that." Ben muttered. The two sat in uncomfortable silence, the water slowly cooling around them as it lost its heat. Animo suddenly jerked out his hand and reached around Ben in one swift movement. As his hand brushed his thigh, Ben froze, nervous of what the other was doing. But Animo simply reached beneath the water and opened the drain of the tub to allow it to empty. Water quickly began to drain about them, making a sloshing noise as it flowed down the plumbing. Without saying a word, he stood up and stepped over the side of the bathtub. Ben was bewildered to whether the other was angry or just uninterested. He watched as Animo made his way to where he had hung their towels and grabbed one, throwing it around his neck, and folding the other towel over one arm. "Get out." Ben flinched at the command, though it wasn't malicious or angry. It was devoid of any emotion really. He rose on wobbly legs, like a newborn foal, and caught the towel tossed at him. "Dry yourself off." The younger sighed in relief at being able to finally cover himself up. Being so exposed was not a pleasant experience. He stepped out of the tub and stood on the mat beside it dripping. As he toweled himself off, Ben saw Animo do the same. "Um…where are my clothes?" He asked hesitantly. Animo glanced his direction, his tawny eyes seemed to size him up for a second, and he clenched the towel tighter around him. "Come here." Animo replied shortly to Ben, motioning for him to stand in front of him. Ben quirked his head unsure, but timidly walked over and stood where he was directed. The villain lightly gripped the towel, loosening Ben's grip on it just enough for it to drop to the floor. The brunette stood anxiously as he felt finger gently slide up his back, but relaxed slightly when he felt them replaced by fabric, and then stretched his arms upwards so Animo could put the shirt on him. The material brushed softly against his skin, and settled. Ben turned to the other and picked up the pants offered and put them on. "Thanks…" He mumbled, not sure what else to say. Animo's features finally softened from the stony, stoic expression and smiled slightly. "You're welcome, kitten." He glanced at a wall clock Ben hadn't noticed before after he spoke. His countenance quickly changed. "Oh my. Look at the time. I do believe it's your bedtime." Animo said lightly. Ben shot him a confused look at the strange remark. "Bedtime?"

Animo nodded and made his way to the door. Turning the lock slightly, there was a barely audible click, and he slid the door open. He gestured beyond the door and turned back to his captive. "Well don't just stand there! Come on, off to bed with you!" For the seemingly millionth time that day, Ben shot the villain a priceless expression—a mixture of what, why, and WTF? "Come on," Animo said sternly, walking over to the younger and grabbing him by the ear (his cat ear). He started tugging instantly, dragging Ben towards his goal, the bathroom door. "Wait!" Ben yelped as he was forced to follow the one pulling his ear. "Why are we going to bed?!" Ben shouted, desperate to get the other's attention, and get him to stop jerking his poor ear. However, Animo's actions didn't cease, in fact he stepped up his pace. His only answer was both strange and random.

"It's cuddle time!"

LONGEST CHAPTER EVA. I'm not even kidding you, peeples, that was loooooooooong, even for me! I worked about a week or so on this, and I'm pretty please with the finished product.

As always, you see any grammer errors, wrong verb usages, mispellings, or other mistakes, send me a message. Proofreading is always appreaciated and wanted. Also, criticism is perfectly fine as long as its constructive. Thanks for all the follows; please rate and review if you liked it!

Next chapter coming at you mebbe' next month.

-Thanks!