Jessica's heart pounded as she pressed her back against the icy wall of the administration building. The cyborg fish monster's mechanical growl vibrated through the air, sending chills down her spine. She glanced at Nikki Nova, the mysterious girl from the future, who stood with a determined glint in her purple eyes.

"So what is the plan," Jessica whispered, her cheerleader uniform feeling woefully inadequate for monster-fighting. "Any ideas on how to stop that thing?"

Nikki's white hair gleamed in the moonlight streaming through the windows. "In my time, we'd just nuke it from orbit," she said with a wry smile. "But I'm guessing that's not an option here. Heeheehee. Just kidding.”

Salina rolled her eyes before coming to a pause."Wait, I remember seeing a junkyard near the camp earlier. Could we use that somehow?"

Nikki's eyes lit up. "Perfect! We can lure it there and trap it. Good thinking, goth girl."

“I’m a witch, actually,” Salina corrected.

Nikki smiled. “Cool!”

Jessica shrugged. "Okay, so Nikki and I can distract the monster while Salina sets up the trap. But what about the others?"

Tiffany, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, stepped forward. "We'll head to the power house. If we can get the electricity back on, we might call for help."

"Sounds like a plan," Amber agreed, with Camella and Mia nodding beside her.

Jessica took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "Alright, let's do this. And guys?" She looked at her fellow cheerleaders. "Be careful out there."

Tiffany managed a smile that was only slightly shaky. "You too, Jess. Don't let that fishy freak turn you into chum."

With a last nod, Jessica and Nikki slipped out of the building. The cool night air hit Jessica's face, carrying with it the metallic scent of the monster. She shuddered, remembering the horrific sight of it tearing into the camp director.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"You okay?" Nikki asked, her voice low.

Jessica nodded, trying to ignore the way her hands were shaking. "Yeah, just... not exactly how I pictured my summer camp experience going, you know?"

Nikki snorted. "Tell me about it. In my time, cheerleading involves a lot more lasers and anti-gravity stunts."

Before Jessica could ask about futuristic cheerleading (and oh, how she wanted to), a crash echoed from nearby. The monster was on the move.

"Showtime," Nikki muttered. "Ready to play bait?"

Jessica swallowed hard. "As I'll ever be."

They took off running, making as much noise as possible. Jessica's cheerleader training came in handy as she vaulted over fallen branches and dodged around trees. Behind them, she could hear the monster's heavy footsteps and mechanical whirring.

"Over here, you overgrown tuna can!" Nikki shouted, her voice ringing through the forest.

Jessica couldn't help but laugh, despite the terror coursing through her veins. "Really? Fish insults?"

Nikki grinned. "Hey, we still have comedy in the future.”

They burst into a clearing, and Jessica's heart sank as she recognized the camp's cafeteria. The wooden building loomed before them, its windows dark and empty.

"Quick, inside!" Nikki urged, yanking open the door.

They stumbled into the cafeteria, the smell of stale food and disinfectant hitting Jessica's sensitive nose. She wrinkled it in distaste, scanning the room for potential weapons or escape routes.

A deafening crash shattered the relative silence as the monster burst through the wall, sending splinters flying. Its red eyes gleamed in the darkness, fixed on Jessica with predatory focus.

"Oh crap," Jessica muttered, backing away. Her foot caught on something–a chair, maybe?–and she stumbled, hitting the ground hard.

The monster lunged, its jaws opening wide. Jessica threw her arms up, bracing for impact, but it never came. Instead, she heard a fierce growl that definitely didn't come from the fish creature.

Jessica lowered her arms, her jaw dropping at the sight before her. Where Nikki had been standing moments ago was now an athletic white wolf, its fur gleaming like starlight. The wolf–Nikki?–had the monster by its mechanical throat, razor-sharp teeth tearing into metal and flesh alike while she pushed it back with her two paws.

"You're... you're a werewolf?" Jessica sputtered, scrambling to her feet.

The wolf–definitely Nikki–growled in response, never taking her yellow eyes off the thrashing monster. With a powerful twist of her head, she sent the creature flying into the cafeteria's industrial-sized freezer.

In a blur of motion, Nikki shifted back to her human form, slamming the freezer door shut and jamming a nearby mop through the handles.

"That won't hold it for long," Nikki panted, her purple eyes wild with adrenaline. "We need to move. Now."

Jessica's mind reeled, a thousand questions fighting to be asked. But Nikki was right–they didn't have time. The freezer door was already beginning to buckle under the monster's assault.

"Right," Jessica nodded, pushing her confusion aside. "To the junkyard."

They raced out of the cafeteria, the sound of screeching metal fading behind them. Jessica's legs burned with exertion, but she pushed herself harder. The junkyard wasn't far now.

"So," Jessica managed between breaths as they ran. "Werewolf, huh?"

Nikki flashed her a grin, barely winded. "Yep. Genetically engineered wolf bite. Long story."

“Cool! I’m a werewolf too! Why didn’t you tell me before?”

"Didn't seem relevant," Nikki shrugged. "Plus, you know, maintaining the space-time continuum and all that jazz."

Jessica shook her head, unable to suppress a laugh. "Right, of course. Silly me for not considering the space-time continuum."