Author's Note: the disclaimer is in my profile.

Lost & Found

Pier #56 was dark and gloomy. The wood it was built out of was aged and beginning to rot. Outside the rain poured hard and dripped through the roof, landing on Doc Ock, but his metal tentacles were protected by his trench coat. He lay on the cold floor with eyes closed, trying to sleep. His mind started to drift away when he heard it. Meow He grunted and ignored it, but then it started again. Meow Meow Meow

"Who's there," he yelled. Meow

Suddenly he stood up and the coat fell off his extra limbs. He searched the place; surveying every corner, using his tentacles to move pieces of wood. After minutes of exploring he found the source of the noise. A small orange cat with a red collar had come in from the rain. It looked at Doc Ock, taking little steps towards him.

"Go away," Ock said to it. Meow "Go away!" Then the cat abruptly ran to him and started rubbing against his leg, but Ock shook him off. "I'm warning you kitty. You better go home!" A drop of water hit his head which made him realized that his tentacles were exposed. He quickly covered himself again, and when he turned around the cat was still there. "I guess you can't go out there in the rain." Meow "What am I doing talking to a cat?"

Doc Ock lay down again, and when he did the cat followed and settled next to him. Ock didn't shoo it away, instead he used a normal hand to pet the cat. Soon it began to purr, but it died away when they both fell asleep.

In the morning when Ock awoke the cat wasn't there, but later in the day he heard it again. Meow Meow Meow Ock was busy working on his machine when he felt something against his leg. He looked down and there was that orange feline again. He used a tentacle to gently pick it up, and the cat didn't flinch. Ock brought it to his eyes level and scratched behind its ear.

"What's wrong fellow; don't you have a home," he asked it, "or a name?" He looked at the collar, but it didn't have a tag. "I'm sure you can find your way back home." He walked to the door of the pier, opened it, placed the cat outside and then slammed the door shut.

That night Doc Ock sat in his chair with his head in his human hands, deep in thought. 'Oh Rosy, if only you were here. If only…' Meow 'If only I could see you again…' Meow 'Not that again!' Meow He looked up and cat was there.

"What do you want," Ock pleaded. "I have nothing to give you." The cat just continued to look at him. "Why do you have to look so miserable?" Meow

Doc Ock left the pier and stomped to a near-by grocery store. He tore the place apart and took a few things. Many people screamed and fled, and a clerk called the police, but before they arrived Ock had left. Soon Peter Parker passed by the scene and questioned a cop.

"What happened here?"

"Doc Ock happened."

"Really, Doc Ock robbed the store? How much money did he take," Peter asked.

"He didn't take any," the cop replied. "He only stole some sustenance, but it's really odd."

"Why?"

"Because most of what's missing is cat food."

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Days passed and the cat became Doc Ock's pet. At nights they would sleep together to keep each other warm. During the day while Ock was working the cat would either watch him or roam outside, but it never went too far from the pier. Ock barely thought about Rosy anymore; his mind was on the machine and his new friend. Since his unfortunate accident Ock had never felt happy, but having the cat around brought him some joy.

One night Ock was sitting in his chair and the cat was lying on his lap. He was running his fingers though its fur while it purred. "You know what," he suddenly said, "I just now realized that I haven't named you yet." The cat looked at him and Ock smiled. "How about… Felix. No, that's a stupid name. Well… how about Baxter!" The cat looked away. "You don't like that name either? Hum, let me think… Fred?" Meow "You like it?" In response the cat licked his hand. Meow "Good, that's your new name, Fred." Meow Meow "Oh, I guess you're hungry. Ok Fred, I'll feed you."

Fred jumped off him and Doc Ock walked to where he kept the cat food. Fred followed, but then abruptly a board he stepped on broke and he tumbled into the river. Meow! ... Meow!

"What is it…oh my God, Fred!" Ock saw the hole in the floor and ran to it. When he looked down he saw his pet struggling to swim. "Hold on Fred!"

Quickly he used his tentacles to make the opening big enough for him to fit trough. Then his extra limbs held onto the edges and they lowered him into the water. Fred had already begun to go under, but Ock grabbed him before he sunk too far. Swiftly he carried Fred back to the pier and laid him down. Fred's body was limp and he could barely breathe.

"Please be ok," Ock said softly. "Please, please be ok."

Soon he gathered some old rags; using one to dry the cat and another to wrap him with. Ock held Fred to him, cradling the feline like a baby, and tears ran down his cheek as he did so. He cried himself to sleep with Fred in his arms.

The next thing he knew there was a feeling of sandpaper wiping against his face. Ock opened his eyes and were met with a pair of green ones. "Fred, you're alive!" He picked the cat up and hugged him tight. Meow "You scared me! I thought you were going to die!" Meow "I'll never let anything like that happen to you ever again!"……