Shivering in December's frost, a very unremarkable girl meandered through a public zoo, scanning the enclosures for a familiar face. She found it in a cramped pen, where a group of large felines paced back and forth in agitation. One such feline prowled over as she beckoned him, purring softly.

"You're late . . ." he rumbled.

"It depends on what you mean by 'late'," she retorted, "In Overworld time, I could very well be early . . ."

The tiger chuckled.

"Would it be too cliché to call you 'Clever Girl'? . . ."

"Very much so," she replied breezily, unwrapping a chocolate bar. The tiger sneered at her with disgust.

"I don't know how you can stand those things! It's nothing but bubbles . . ."

"And I suppose Mars bars are much healthier, Mr. Pot?"

The tiger rolled his eyes.

"Touché."

"So, let's talk. We'd better hurry, lest we be discovered . . ."

"Are you implying that talking to a tiger makes you look suspicious?" he quipped coyly.

"I'm not the one who's giving us away . . ." she replied tersely.

"What? I'm orange, aren't I?" the tiger protested.

"Yes, but this enclosure is for bengal tigers. You, my good friend, are a sumatran tiger . . ."

"Big difference! Nobody cares . . ."

"They ought to."

Neither of them spoke for a while. The girl finished her chocolate bar and wiped her fingers on her sweatpants.

"So, why did you call me here?" she asked.

"I have a proposition . . ."

"Shouldn't we have dinner, first?"

"Don't be petulant. This concerns you."

"Why's that?"

"Because you owe me a favor."

The girl snuffed and turned around.

"Do I, now? . . ."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you do. I helped you pull off your stupid therapy ploy-"

"Hey, I never said that you had to do any of this . . ."

"I know. But your Majordomo is cured of his ridiculous obsession with perpetuality, is he not?"

"He is, but I'm not-"

"You'll enjoy this, I promise . . ."

The tiger stepped up onto a stone and wrapped his tail around his front paws.

"I've created a world."

"You wh-at?" the girl gasped, "Without me? For shame!"

"Sorry, sorry . . . It had to be done. Anyway, I've chosen a Magistrate. He's perfect for the job, I think you'll find . . ."

"Do I know him?" the girl asked as she pulled out another chocolate bar.

"Nah, but I think you'll like him just fine."

"What franchise?"

"A franchise you're familiar with. So, I was thinking, since you put me through all of that shit, maybe this time, I could be-"

"I know what you're going to say, and the answer is no. This is what we agreed to. You can't just wipe away a trillion-year-old tradition!"

"I know, I know . . . But say we brought Xyphon-"

The girl chucked her chocolate bar at the tiger's face.

"No. I'm Queen for a reason. You think the Asterparans will look fondly on our little games? No, this is too important to risk my reputation over. If we're gonna involve Xyphon, it had better be during the war to end all wars."

"And-"

"I'm not quite ready yet."

"Ah. In that case, I will play the villain again, but on one condition: you must bring Ellie Sattler to fight on your side."

The girl sighed heavily.

"I just finished with her! Can't we get someone else? . . ."

"No, it has to be her."

"Why?"

"Because of the nature of my world."

"Nature?"

"Because of the franchise it contains."

The girl turned around slowly.

"Zebil . . . Exactly what kind of world did you create?"

The tiger gave her an unsettling smile.

"Haven't you guessed?"

Slightly alarmed, the girl shuffled backwards.

"What kind of world, Zebil? . . ."

"A Jurassic World."