The field trip to Upstate Science Museum wasn't my idea. In fact, when Mr. Donovan announced it in biology class on Wednesday, I initially considered skipping it altogether.
A day spent shepherding teenagers through exhibits on space exploration and natural history seemed like a waste of valuable preparation time.
But Mark and William were excited - especially William, who wouldn't stop talking about the new quantum physics exhibit - and Ms. Chen had made it clear that school attendance was non-negotiable under my probation terms.
So here I am, Friday morning, standing in the museum's cavernous main hall with thirty other students from Reginald Vel Johnson High.
"This is gonna be awesome," William says, practically vibrating with enthusiasm as he adjusts his glasses. "They've got a working model of the Large Hadron Collider that actually visualizes particle collisions."
"Fascinating," I mutter, scanning the room out of habit. Two exits visible from our position, security guards stationed near the entrance, cameras in the corners. Old instincts die hard.
Mark nudges me. "Try to contain your excitement, Megumi. You might pull a muscle."
I roll my eyes but can't help a small smile. "Sorry. Museums aren't really my thing."
"That's because you haven't seen the medical history exhibit," Mark says.
"They've got this whole section on ancient surgical tools that looks like a medieval torture chamber. Right up your alley."
Before I can respond, Mr. Donovan claps his hands for attention. "Alright, people, listen up. You have your assignment sheets.
Groups of three or four, stay together, and meet back here at one o'clock for lunch. Remember, this isn't just a day off - I expect detailed observations for Monday's discussion."
The students break into pre-arranged groups, and I find myself with Mark, William, and Samantha Eve Wilkins - known to everyone as Eve.
She's one of the top students in our grade, with a focused intensity that rivals my own.
According to Megumi's memories, she's been Mark's lab partner in chemistry since sophomore year.
But I know as well from my previous life memories that she is Atom Eve, the girl who I believe is supposed to end up with Mark.
The latter parts of the series were sadly - extremely so given my situation - parts I don't have quite the many details of.
"Where should we start?" Eve asks, consulting the museum map with methodical precision.
"Quantum physics," William says immediately.
"Medical history," Mark counters, glancing at me.
I shrug. "Let's just work our way through systematically. Start on the ground floor and move up."
We begin with the Earth Sciences exhibit, making our way through displays on geology, meteorology, and oceanography.
William dutifully takes notes for our assignment, while Mark and Eve discuss the interactive volcano simulation.
I follow along, contributing occasionally but mostly observing - both the exhibits and my companions.
It's strange how comfortable this feels - just being a normal teenager on a school trip.
For brief moments, I almost forget about Viltrumites and apocalypses, about cursed energy and probation officers. Almost.
I can't let myself get too comfortable as my inclinations want me too. It would be foolish.
By mid-morning, we've made our way to the second floor and the medical history exhibit.
As Mark predicted, I find myself genuinely interested in the evolution of surgical techniques and anatomical understanding.
There's something fascinating about how humans have gradually unlocked the secrets of their own bodies, despite their inherent fragility.
"Check this out," Mark calls, pointing to a display of early surgical instruments. "They used to perform amputations with basically a handsaw and no anesthesia."
"Brutal but efficient," I comment, studying the implements. "Though the survival rate must have been abysmal."
"That's your takeaway?" Eve asks, raising an eyebrow. "Not 'thank goodness for modern medicine'?"
I catch myself, remembering to respond as Megumi would. "Well, that too, obviously."
The medical exhibit transitions into the biology section, with its impressive collection of preserved specimens and anatomical models.
As we examine a detailed cross-section of the human brain, I notice William has wandered ahead to the adjacent physics hall, drawn inexorably to his beloved quantum mechanics.
"We should probably follow him before he gets lost in theoretical dimensions," Mark jokes.
We find William already deep in conversation with a museum docent - a middle-aged man with a neat beard and an enthusiastic manner - about the particle acceleration display.
"...and that's why the visualization uses color to represent different energy states," the docent is explaining as we approach.
"It's a simplification, of course, but it helps convey the basic principles."
William nods eagerly. "What about quantum entanglement? Does the exhibit address that?"
The docent smiles. "It does, actually. Follow me - it's just around the corner."
We trail after them into a room dominated by a large, complex apparatus at its center - presumably the model of the Large Hadron Collider that William had mentioned.
Around the perimeter are various interactive displays, currently being operated by students from another school group.
As the docent leads William to the quantum entanglement exhibit, Mark, Eve, and I spread out to explore the room.
I find myself drawn to a display on cosmic radiation, reading about the particles that constantly bombard Earth from space.
According to the information panel, most are deflected by our magnetic field, while others pass harmlessly through our bodies every second.
Except they wouldn't pass harmlessly through a Viltrumite, I think. They'd be vulnerable to certain types of radiation, if I remember the comics correctly.
Or was it a specific type or radiation? Either way, useful information to file away.
I'm so absorbed in my thoughts that I almost miss the subtle change in the atmosphere - a shift in the ambient noise, a tension in the air.
My instincts, honed by Sukuna's decades of battle awareness, snap to attention before my conscious mind even registers why.
Looking up, I scan the room and immediately spot the source of my unease. Three men have entered from a side door - maintenance access, based on the signage.
They're dressed in what appear to be museum staff uniforms, but their body language is all wrong - too tense, too deliberate. One remains by the door, while the other two move deeper into the exhibit area.
My eyes narrow as I take in additional details. Slight bulges under their jackets. The careful way they're surveying the room. The communication devices in their ears.
These aren't museum staff.
I catch Mark's eye across the room and make a subtle gesture - a warning signal we've developed during our years at school together, according to Megumi's memories.
Something's wrong. He frowns, not immediately understanding, but his posture straightens as he picks up on my tension.
Before I can move toward him, one of the men reaches into his jacket and pulls out a gun, pointing it at the ceiling.
"Everyone stay calm and nobody gets hurt!" he shouts, firing a single shot into the air.
The sound echoes through the exhibit hall, followed immediately by screams and cries of alarm.
Students drop to the floor or freeze in place, while the docent moves protectively in front of William.
"This is a robbery," the man continues, his voice steady and controlled.
"We're only interested in one thing, and it's not in this room. Stay down, stay quiet, and you'll all be going home today."
The second armed man begins herding students and staff toward one corner of the room, while the third remains at the door, gun now visible in his hand as well.
I assess the situation rapidly. Three armed men, at least a dozen students plus staff in the room. More students in adjacent exhibit areas who might wander in unknowingly.
Security will respond to the gunshot, but how quickly?
Mark has dropped to the floor near a display case, pulling a younger student down with him protectively.
William and the docent are against the far wall, partially obscured by the collider model. Eve is across the room, her posture tense but controlled.
I need to make a decision quickly. These men are too well-organized for this to be an ordinary robbery.
Their positioning, the way they're controlling the room - they're professionals, possibly mercenaries. And whatever they're after in the museum, it can't be good.
The leader gestures to the third man. "Secure the hallway. We have four minutes until security override kicks in."
As the third man moves to check the corridor, I catch a glimpse of something on his wrist - a tattoo peeking out from under his sleeve.
Some kind of military or mercenary insignia, nothing I recognize.
These indeed aren't random criminals - they're as my suspicions already sugggested, now confirmed - professionals, well-trained and well-equipped.
I make eye contact with Mark across the room. He's tense, but unlike me, completely powerless in this situation.
In the timeline I remember, his abilities wouldn't manifest for weeks.
I shift my attention to Eve, who's positioned near the emergency exit. If anyone besides me has a chance of handling this, it's her with her molecular manipulation powers.
I catch her eye briefly, giving her the slightest nod. Since she's Atom Eve - with me handling the how I know later, if she suspects that is - she'll understand what needs to be done.
I'll create a distraction, she'll neutralize the threat. Simple, efficient, with minimal risk to the hostages.
The leader moves toward the quantum entanglement display, where a small, cylindrical device sits on a pedestal.
"This is it," he says to his partner. "Get it and let's go."
The second man approaches the display, pulling out what looks like a specialized tool to bypass the security system.
I need to give Eve an opening, but I need to be careful. Direct confrontation would endanger everyone in the room.
I need a distraction that will create enough chaos for her to act without drawing attention to herself.
Slowly, I start to edge along the wall, using the other students as cover. If I can trigger the fire alarm near the exit, it might provide enough confusion for Eve to use her powers discreetly.
But before I can move much further, the situation escalates.
William, ever the science enthusiast, speaks up from his position near the docent. "That's experimental quantum technology! You can't just take it - it's unstable!"
The leader turns sharply. "Shut up, kid. Nobody asked you."
"But it's true," William persists, his voice tight with fear but determined. "That device contains experimental quantum particles. If it's removed from the containment field without proper protocols-"
"I said shut up!" The leader strides toward William, gun raised threateningly.
I glance at Eve, expecting her to make her move now that attention is focused away from the device. But she remains frozen, her eyes wide with fear. This isn't the confident superhero I expected - she looks like any other terrified teenager.
A cold realization washes over me. Her powers may or may not have manifested yet either. The timeline may be too different here.
I'm on my own.
In that split second, I make my decision. I grab a heavy fire extinguisher from a nearby wall mount and hurl it with precise force at the overhead sprinkler system.
The impact triggers the sprinklers, sending water cascading down throughout the exhibit hall.
Screams erupt as cold water drenches everyone. In the confusion, I move quickly toward William and the leader, who's momentarily distracted by the sudden downpour.
The second gunman has already removed the quantum device from its housing, triggering alarms that add to the chaos. The third man rushes back in from the hallway.
"Security's coming! We need to move now!"
The leader grabs William by the collar. "This one comes with us. Insurance."
That's when something shifts inside me. The careful calculation of Megumi Fushiguro falls away, replaced by something older, colder, and infinitely more arrogant.
A presence that views these armed men not as threats, but as insects who've wandered into the wrong garden.
"Let him go." My voice cuts through the chaos with unnatural clarity, carrying a weight that doesn't belong to a high school student.
The leader turns, gun swinging toward me. "Stay back!"
I don't stay back. I advance with deliberate steps, water streaming down my face, my eyes locked on his. There's no fear in my movement, only the inexorable confidence of a predator approaching cornered prey.
"You dare point a weapon at me?" The words emerge in a tone I barely recognize as my own - imperious, dismissive, amused. "Know your place."
There's something in my voice, in my posture, that makes the man hesitate. Even through the water and chaos, he senses something wrong, something dangerous radiating from the teenager before him.
"Shoot him!" yells the man with the device.
The leader fires, but I'm already moving. With inhuman speed, I sidestep the bullet's path and close the distance between us.
My hand strikes out, fingers curled in a precise formation that channels cursed energy in a way that feels both foreign and intimately familiar.
"Dismantle," I whisper, the word coming unbidden to my lips.
A thin, invisible line of cursed energy extends from my fingertips, slicing through the gun with surgical precision. The weapon falls apart in the man's hands, cut so cleanly it seems to disintegrate.
The leader stares in shock at his ruined weapon, then at me. I grab William and shove him toward the docent, never taking my eyes off the armed men.
"You stand before a king," I say, my voice resonating with a power and authority that isn't mine - or rather, isn't entirely Megumi's. It's Sukuna's essence, his absolute conviction in his own superiority.
"And yet you fail to kneel."
The three men exchange glances, clearly reassessing the situation. They hadn't counted on encountering something beyond their understanding.
"This isn't worth it," the third man says, backing toward the door. "We need to go. Now."
The leader hesitates, looking between me and the exit, calculating his options. I can see the moment he decides to cut his losses.
"Fall back," he orders. "Plan B."
As they retreat toward the maintenance door, the man carrying the quantum device suddenly hurls it toward the center of the room - directly at a group of huddled students.
Without thinking, I extend my hand again. "Dismantle."
The device splits in half mid-air, its internal components separating harmlessly before clattering to the floor in pieces. No explosion, no quantum catastrophe - just broken technology.
The gunmen use the distraction to escape through the maintenance door. I could pursue them, but my priority is ensuring everyone in the room is safe.
The sprinklers shut off as suddenly as they started, leaving everyone soaked and confused. Security guards burst into the room moments later, followed by museum staff.
Mark is at my side instantly. "What did you do?" he whispers, eyes wide.
I blink, the cold, regal presence receding as quickly as it had come. "I... I don't know. Instinct, I guess."
"That wasn't instinct, Megumi. That was..." He trails off, unable to find the words.
I shake my head slightly. "Not now. Later."
The next hour is a blur of police statements, paramedic checks, and concerned teachers counting heads.
I stick to a simple story: I threw the fire extinguisher to trigger the sprinklers, creating confusion that allowed William to escape. The gun must have malfunctioned when the water hit it.
The police seem skeptical but have no reason to doubt me - especially when the museum security footage from that room turns out to be corrupted by what they assume was an electrical surge from the sprinkler system.
In reality, a subtle application of cursed energy had ensured those particular cameras would capture nothing useful.
By the time we're cleared to leave, the field trip is officially canceled, and students are being sent home early. Mr. Donovan looks exhausted as he arranges transportation.
Mark, William, Eve, and I end up in the same group heading back to school. William hasn't stopped thanking me since we left the exhibit hall.
"I still don't understand what happened to his gun," he says for the third time. "It just... fell apart."
"Water damage, probably," I say dismissively. "Cheap hardware."
Mark gives me a look that says we'll be discussing this later, but says nothing.
Eve, however, has been watching me with a calculating expression that makes me uneasy.
She's too perceptive, too analytical. If anyone in our group might piece together what really happened, it's her.
"Quick thinking with the sprinklers," she says finally. "Not many people would stay that calm with guns pointed at them."
I shrug. "Not my first rodeo."
"Right. Your 'troubled past.'" There's no judgment in her tone, just careful assessment. "Still, it was impressive."
As we arrive back at school, students are already being picked up by worried parents who've heard about the incident on the news. Mark's mother is waiting, her face tight with concern.
"I should go," Mark says. "My mom's freaking out. But we need to talk. Tonight?"
I nod. "Your place. After dinner."
As he walks away, William gives me one more grateful look before heading to his own mother's car. Eve lingers for a moment.
"Whatever you did in there," she says quietly, "thank you."
Before I can respond, she's walking away, leaving me to wonder just how much she noticed.
I check my phone to find several missed calls from Uncle Kenji and a text from Ms. Chen asking if I'm alright. The news travels fast.
As I wait for my uncle to arrive, I reflect on what happened in the museum.
For a moment, I had let slipped back into what it is like to be Sukuna - allowed the rise of his arrogance, his casual disregard for human threats, his absolute certainty that he stands above all others.
It had felt... natural. Empowering.
And that's what worries me. The line between who I am and who Sukuna was is blurring in ways I hadn't anticipated.
I had used his technique - Dismantle - with an ease that suggests it's becoming more integrated with my abilities.
But I hadn't lost control. I had protected William, neutralized the threat without killing anyone, and maintained my cover.
No one except possibly Mark suspects anything beyond quick thinking and good luck.
No police involvement beyond routine statements, no reason for Ms. Chen to revoke my probation. I had walked the line perfectly.
As Uncle Kenji's car pulls up, I take a deep breath and prepare to play the role of the shaken but brave teenager who helped save his classmates.
Another performance in this increasingly complex life I've found myself living.
But beneath the performance, a question lingers: How much of Sukuna am I willing to let surface when necessary? And will I always be able to push those impulses back down when the moment passes?
Only time will tell, I suppose.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the chapter!
Finally we see the Sukuna part of the MC resurface. So do tell me how you found it.
I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)