Apex strutted down the marble steps toward her car — a slick, midnight-black Lamborghini that gleamed like polished obsidian under the city lights. It waited out front like a sleeping beast, parked before the glass-walled building that bore her name. Her empire — Apex Design HQ — pulsed with creativity and stress, but now the day was finally done.

She ended her phone call with a soft click, satisfied with the confirmation of her next fashion show. Another chance to flaunt her new line. Another reason the cameras couldn’t get enough of her — or maybe it was the chaos she’d stirred a few days ago that kept everyone talking. Being a zebra in this world of lions had its costs, especially when fame painted a target on her back.

The car’s tinted windows reflected the city’s neon veins, hiding the interior in mystery — a necessity, considering how recognizable she’d become. Apex gripped the handle, the gull-wing door lifting with a gentle hiss. Inside, the cabin was a shrine to luxury — smooth red-leather seats, a matching grip on the steering wheel, and that faint new-car scent that whispered power.

She sank into the seat, letting the door seal her inside with a muted thunk. The world outside went quiet. Finally — peace. She exhaled a long sigh, resting her head back. The hum of the city faded behind glass and steel. For a brief, precious moment, she was alone.

She adjusted her seat, tucked a loose strand of her striped mane behind her ear, fastened the belt, and tilted the rearview mirror—
—and froze.

A pair of ice blue eyes met hers. A figure sat in the backseat, hair the color of spilled wine, skin pale in the dim light.
Before she could even scream, the stranger lunged forward.
Steel flashed.

Pain flared white-hot as a knife plunged into her right thigh — precise, deliberate, missing the bone but deep enough to paralyze her for a second. Apex’s cry was strangled beneath a gloved hand pressing against her muzzle.

“Hello, dear.”

The voice was smooth, calm — almost affectionate. The stranger’s breath brushed her ear.

“Do exactly what I say, and things won’t get ugly.”

The intruder slid gracefully over the console, settling into the passenger seat. A pistol, sleek and black, emerged from beneath her coat — the silencer brushing Apex’s temple as the woman tightened her seatbelt with her free hand.

The knife still jutted from Apex’s thigh, a cruel reminder to stay still. Her leg trembled, but she could still drive. Barely.

Without a word, she shifted the car into drive. The Lamborghini growled awake, tires whispering against the pavement as it rolled into the night — predator and prey trapped together in the same cage of glass and leather.

---

Commissioned art made by ApexZ0ne: https://bsky.app/profile/apexz0ne.bsky.social
Story by  silver_crescent1
Michelle (redhaired cat) belongs to me
Apex (the zebra character) belongs to ApexZ0ne

Reposted because I wanted to show this story, so, i'm sorry :,)