The sewers of New York were unusually quiet, only the sound of the Hamato brothers devouring pizza broke the silence in the lair. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo were enjoying one of their few nights off patrol. The absence of their sister, Artemisia. For a few days now she had been distant, locked in her room and avoiding contact with them. This was not normal for her, who always found time to meditate with Leo, train with Raph, work in the lab with Donnie or have fun with Mikey.

"Has anyone else noticed that Artemisia has been a little weird lately?" Donatello asked as he set his pizza aside.

"Yeah, she's too quiet... and she hasn't left her room all day," Raphael added.

"Maybe she needs a break, you know, we all have those days," Michelangelo commented, his tone not reflecting total unconcern.

The four brothers looked at each other, worried, and decided to go to their sister's room to see what was going on. Upon arriving, Leonardo, the eldest, opened the door and the image they found surprised them: Artemisia was in bed, hidden in her shell, with an insecure and frustrated expression. Her feminine body stood out among them, with narrow but defined hips, a waist that gave her great agility and a plastron that accentuated her shape. Her pink bandana cascaded over her face, hiding her blue eyes.

Raphael was the first to break the awkward silence, crossing his arms. "Are you okay, Artie? Well, whatever's bothering you, you can tell us, you're not alone in this."

Artemisia didn't answer uncomfortably. The brothers came closer, they considered her a strong, brave and skilled warrior, something in her posture made them see a fragility they weren't used to seeing.

What none of them knew, was that their sister was in her first heat, which made her feel vulnerable, a feeling she had never experienced in this way.