vilakins | Ficlet: Brains

Written for the brains challenge during b7friday catch-up week; 303 words. Warning: brains. Sorry.

Brains

Vila ducked as the trooper fired, then his eyes widened at the monstrosity coming over the ridge towards them. "Um, you might want to look behind you."

"If you expect me to fall for that one--" the trooper re-aimed his gun, "then AAAAAAUGH!"

Vila recoiled and turned away. "I feel sick."

"Running would be somewhat more useful," Avon said, checking to left and right along the wall they had their backs against.

"I think that thing's a lot faster than us." Vila hoped he'd live long enough to have nightmares about it. with its three eyes on stalks, its huge mouth which opened far enough to take a whole trooper, its three upper tentacles, its shiny purple barrel-like body, and its six long and scuttly legs.

"I suspect you’re right." Avon raised his Liberator handgun and fired. The thing reeled and growled in fury around its mouthful.

"That's not doing any good! Shoot it in the head!"

"I could use help, not advice," Avon snapped and blew half the creature's head away, depriving it of two eyes and its lunch. It made a high-pitched keening noise and fixed its remaining scarlet eye on them.

"That didn't help! You've just annoyed it."

Avon frowned. "I was going for its brain."

"Well, you missed!" Vila squeezed his eyes shut and wondered if he ought to revise his opinion of suicide.

"Exactly." Avon thought fast. "Fire at the bony area on its belly, where I'm aiming. And keep firing."

Vila whimpered but did so. At first he wasn't sure whether it was working--though at least they'd stopped the thing--but then the stomach ruptured. "Eeeww!" He almost dropped his gun.

"Yes. I reasoned its brain was in the most protected spot." Avon looked at Vila and, surprisingly, smiled. "You've got grey on you."