"Good morning, students." Mademoiselle Lefevre said as she walked into the classroom. The students' conversations slowly pattered out, though Eva hadn't been speaking in the first place. She had been mindlessly doodling on her papers for French. When she realized she had been drawing a detailed cat eye, she scribbled it out quickly as a spike of rage overtook her.

"Today, we will be starting the unit on the French Revolution. For this unit, we won't be having a test." The class let out a collective cheer. "Instead, we will be getting into pairs and doing projects, which will be presented to the class at the end of the unit."

Many students let out a groan in complaint, causing Mademoiselle Lefevre to shush them. "Oh, come on, guys, you'll all like this a lot better than a test. I already have your partners picked out for you, and it's all printed out on this sheet of paper." Lefevre explained, holding up a sheet of paper attached to a clipboard. "Come to the front and see who your partner is. Once you know your partner, we'll rearrange seats so you can sit next to each other during this unit. Then we'll begin working on the first chapter."

Everyone stood up and made their way to the front to find their partners. It took Eva a bit to make her way up there, considering she was sitting in the back, but her size allowed her to squeeze between the other students and make it to the paper. She read down the list until she found her last name.

Agreste - Trompeur

"Awesome, looks like we're partners." Eva turned to see Adrien behind her, looking over her at the paper.

Evaelle's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Thank goodness. This'll be so much easier."

Adrien raised a brow. "Why's that?"

"Because I already know you. I don't have meet anyone new." Evaelle shrugged as she explained.

He chuckled. "What's so wrong with meeting new people?"

"I've had a bad run so far with meeting new people in Paris." Evaelle stated, her fists tightening and relaxing within a second as she attempted to keep her tone even.

That made Adrien frown. "Like who?"

"Like..." Eva grimaced as those green cat eyes flashed in her mind. "Never mind, it's not important."

"Right." Adrien eyes trailed Eva as she traveled back to her desk. He quickly grabbed his stuff and jogged after her. "But you've also met good people. There's Alya, Marinette, me, Nino. Right?"

Evaelle paused, pursing her lips as she turned to face him. "That's... true." She glanced at his bag on his shoulder and books in his arms. "I could have more to your desk. It was closer."

"It's fine, I don't mind. I imagine it's nice to not sit right under the teacher's nose." Adrien stated as he took a seat. Evaelle did the same as the rest of the class arranged itself. "For the project, I have a pretty tight schedule, so we'll have to use every second we can to work on it. I do have a little time before my fencing lesson today though- I could text Nathalie and tell her that I'll be at the library working on a project until then."

"That's fine with me." Evaelle smiled. "Hopefully I don't get lost trying to find the library."

~~~~~

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. Eventually Evaelle found herself sitting in the library, doing her geometry homework as she waited for Adrien to arrive. The library was filled with the sound of shuffling foot steps as other students flocked there to find study materials and meet up with friends.

A few minutes passed and she thought nothing of it.

Then a few more passed.

15 minutes.

Evaelle checked her phone for the time. She had no clue where Adrien was. A news alert flashed on her phone. Another akuma in the city. Evaelle looked around her. The library had thinned out significantly. Everyone was heading home- where they were supposed to be.

5 more minutes passed. Then 10 more. Then 15.

Eva gritted her teeth, her hands balling into fists, listening to librarian shuffle from shelf to shelf. It was easy to hear considering she and Evaelle were now the only two in the library. Guess Adrien was just like everything else in Paris- a disappointment.

"Oh, hi, Evaelle!" A cheery voice called, and Evaelle looked up to see Lila heading towards her with a half-smile. From somewhere in the library, the librarian shushed Lila, who looked startled by the reaction. "Sorry, Mademoiselle. I didn't mean to be loud- I just have a node in my vocal cords and sometimes it's hard to control my volume. I'll try harder next time."

"Oh, don't worry, dear. If it's a medical problem, then I can make an exception. I wouldn't recommend getting to comfortable with your partner there, though; the library closes in five minutes.

Lila flashed a brilliant smile. "That's fine. Thank you so much, Mademoiselle." She stated, before turning her attention back to Evaelle as she stood in front of the desk she was sitting at. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I was supposed to meet Adrien to work on our history project." Evaelle stated with a slightly bitter tone, glaring at the wall next to her. "But I'm pretty sure he's not coming."

"Oh, jeez. That's such a bummer. I know Adrien told me he sometimes has trouble meeting up with study partners because of his dad- luckily Adrien speaks so highly of me that his dad actually lets me study at his house. Crazy, right? Gabriel Agreste literally doesn't let anyone in his house, except me!" Lila bragged, her smile beaming.

Before Evaelle could even respond, Lila's smile fell, and she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. She placed it on the table and slid it over to Evaelle, all while boring into Eva's eyes with her olive green irises. "Until now, it seems." She leaned in close and began whispering so only Evaelle could hear. "I'm only delivering this because I want to see Ladybug destroyed. But don't think you're replacing me. Got it?"

Evaelle eyed Lila as she stood up straight again, awaiting Eva's answer. "Whatever you say, Lila."

Lila smiled. "Good answer." She stated, before walking away.

Evaelle watched her go, scowling slightly. Lila was almost as bad as Chloé- on top of that, she was talking completely gibberish. Eva didn't have any clue what Lila meant by any of that. She unraveled the note, reading the cursive print written with a light hand.

Evaelle,

After some consideration, I've decided to take you up on your offer. Come to Place du Châtelet, 75001. Do not tell anyone where you're going.

P

Evaelle gasped slightly when she saw the "P" signed at the end. Papillon.

Evaelle gathered all her stuff quickly, typing the address into her phone. She realized that she had a few texts from her mom, asking Evaelle where she was. Eva quickly memorized the route and shut off her phone.

She followed the turns she memorized in silence, her fists clenched. Everyone on the sidewalks was bustling with chatter- steer clear of the Lourve, Ladybug and Chat Noir were still busy trying to take down a villain. Evaelle pursed her lips as she listened to the chatter. Not so professional to be taking so long, Chat.

Eventually, she came across a large wall that opened with a tall, iron gate. She glanced at the address on the wall. 75001. Evaelle glanced back at the street sign on the corner; Place du Châtelet. This was the place.

She pressed the button, which she assumed was a doorbell.

"Who is it?" A female voice asked through a speaker, and Evaelle looked up into what seemed to be a camera.

Evaelle cleared her throat. "I am Evaelle Trompeur."

The gate clicked, and Evaelle walked over and pushed it open. Her stomach flipped with nerves as she walked on the cement. She watched as the double doors ahead opened, revealing a tall, thin woman with black hair that was pulled back in a tight bun.

"Good evening, Evaelle." She stated, her voice void of any real emotions as Evaelle crossed the threshold into the mansion. The woman closed the doors and guided Eva to another set large double doors. "He's been waiting."

"I'm sorry for the wait." Eva stated. The woman pushed the door open. On the other side of a sunny atelier. The floor was patterned like a black and white checker board with grey and fuchsia couches built lower into the floor. The walls were black, and the walls and floor were littered with clothes designs and mannikins with outfits strewn on their bodies, half-finished. The greatest piece of art in the room, however, was a giant portrait of a regal woman with golden blonde hair, a slender face, and emerald green eyes.

Standing in front of the portrait, staring up at the face of the painting, was a very tall man. Like, very tall- Evaelle pegged him at 7 feet at least, if not taller. He turned to face Evaelle as the woman shut the door behind them. His pale blonde hair was sleeked down and tight around his head, except the fluffed, combed back tuff on the top. Past the thick pair of glasses, Eva recognized those pale, grey-blue eyes.

Evaelle stopped in the center of the room, staring up at him as she placed her hands behind her back. "So, you're Papillon."

"I am. It's nice to finally meet you, Evaelle." Papillon stated. "You arrive here three days ago, correct?"

Evaelle furrowed her brows. "How did you know that?"

"Because since you've arrived in Paris, I've felt nothing but negative emotions from you, with only the briefest of breaks between the waves of anger, sadness, and betrayal." Papillon lip curled into a half smile. "I'll admit, you when first rejected my akuma, I was frustrated. But I see now that you were meant to be my greatest muse."

He approached Evaelle as she stayed in place, watching him with caution swimming in her brown irises. "I asked you to meet me here today because you're different, Evaelle. You're not angry at one single entity. Your entire situation distresses you. You are lost. You don't know which way to turn. And that's why I'm here. To give you a sense of purpose again. To give you a straight path to follow in this maze of a city."

Evaelle pursed her lips, weighing his words. Papillon continued. "The so-called heroes that roam this city are normal people living normal lives. The only reason they can call themselves better than you or the people they save is because they carry a Miraculous, an ancient tool of power that gives an individual amazing abilities. Ladybug and Chat Noir both possess one." Evaelle's lips curled slightly at Chat's name.

"Ladybug holds the power of creation. Chat Noir holds the power of destruction. There are other Miraculous out there- the fox, the turtle, and the bee, but I'm almost positive those Miraculous are only granted temporarily by Ladybug and the Guardian." Papillon explained, before removing the red and white ascot around his neck, revealing a small purple jewel. "This is my miraculous- the butterfly miraculous- which gives me the power to give others powers of their own." As he explained the power of his miraculous, a small, purple creature flew out from under Papillon's white jacket, looking at Evaelle with sad eyes. "And my partner, Paon," Papillon gestures to the woman standing next to Evaelle, "holds the peacock miraculous. This gives her the power to create manifestations of powerful emotions. And you, Evaelle, hold the power to bring balance to Paris."

Evaelle blinked. "I... have so many questions."

"I figured as much." Papillon stated, eyeing Evaelle as he continued to walk around her slowly. "Normally, this isn't information I give out so freely. But I'm becoming desperate. The two Miraculous Ladybug and Chat Noir possess are the most powerful, which also makes them the most dangerous. This power shouldn't be yielded by two children. Giving these Miraculous to children was obviously the judgement of a madman. I can only assume that the Guardian has lost his mind after all these years on the run. Only once I have all the Miraculous in my possession, will we be truly safe.

Evaelle nodded as he explained. She agreed- only a crazy person would give someone like Chat Noir such a powerful Miraculous. "I want to help you take them down, but I don't want to be like the other akumatized people. I want to be the one to succeed in retrieving these Miraculous."

Papillon and Paon smiled. "As I expected, your potential will make you my most unstoppable ally. Your determination to right how you've been wronged outweighs any other person I've recruited. This determination to work long-term is the key to our success."

Papillon walked back to the painting, which opened to reveal a secret shelf. He grabbed out a thick, battered book and approached Evaelle. He opened the book for her and began flipping through the pages as Evaelle read as quickly as she could. "The Chinese Miracle box we're after originates from Tibet- the location of the now-destroyed Guardian temple. Paon and I suspect that the Guardian holding onto the Miracle box destroyed the temple in an effort to keep the most power Miraculous to himself."

Papillon continued flipping pages. "There are three levels to the Miracle box. The bottom levels are the Miraculous representing the Chinese zodiac- the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, the pig, the rat, the ox, and the tiger. The next level contains the Miraculous that represent the five elements- fire for the fox, earth for the bee, metal for the turtle, water for the peacock, and wood for the butterfly. And of course, the ladybug and cat Miraculous are yin and yang- creation and destruction."

Evaelle counted in her head. "19 Miraculous in total, and only two are safe from the Guardian." She shivered. "That's terrifying."

"That's where we need your help, Evaelle." Paon stated from next to Eva. "We need someone to find the Guardian and retrieve all the Miraculous. And you'll be fully capable of doing it with our help."

Evaelle blinked. "Me? How?"

Papillon closed the book and smiled. "Because you will become a faux Miraculous holder." He stated, turning and returning his book to his shelf before closing the painting. "Last night, after you confronted my strategies, I realized you were on to something. Usually, my akumas enter their object only when they are feeling strong, negative emotions. And they stay in their host until Ladybug removes them. No stealth, only brute force. But your akuma will be different, Evaelle."

With that, Papillon looked up at the purple creature next to him. "Nooroo, transform me!" The creature flew into his brooch and it sprouted clear, pointed wings. Papillon transformed from a stern looking, middle-aged man to a fierce, almost frightening persona. He was wearing a deep purple suit, a silver mask covering all but his eyes and mouth, and a sleek cane. He placed his hand over the glass part of the cane, which glowed purple underneath his hands for a few seconds. When he lifted his hand, the glass on the top of the cane opened, and a glowing purple butterfly fluttered out.

"This akuma is different from the others I've created." Papillon explained as it fluttered over to Evaelle, landing on her shoulder and flapping it's bright wings slowly. "This akuma can be used multiple times and can stay in the akumatized object for hours at a time. And it allows for more autonomy; just because you're powers are activated doesn't mean you'll be in contact with me or under my control. You will control when you transform and the akuma and your sentimonster will stay with you at all times. Acting completely on your own according will allow you to blend in perfectly with Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Evaelle beamed. "That's... perfect. Playing the stealthy, long-term game is exactly how we'll defeat them. I'll get you the Miraculous and save Paris from those children playing dress up." She stated, before her smile faltered slightly. "I'm getting a sentimonster?"

"Yes. You're belt will transform you and give you you're powers, but your sentimonster- your artificial kwami- can assist you on the mission. It can travel places you cannot and conceal itself much more easily." Paon explained. "Also, while we don't want Ladybug or Chat Noir to know your identities, if you must visit the Guardian to gain their trust, he may ask you to detransform and at that point, you'll need a kwami to pull off the lie."

Evaelle nodded slowly. "That makes sense." She watched as Paon nodded, before reaching in her pocket and grabbing out a small peacock brooch, which she clipped onto her red undershirt. Suddenly, a blue, peacock-like creature appeared next to Paon as Paon shouted, "Duusu, transform me!" The creature whirled into the brooch, which lit up as Paon changed from a very austere business woman to an elegant, blue skinned lady with a figure-fitting blue dress and a beautiful fan made out of peacock feathers.

Paon pulled a feather out of her fan, clutching it in her hand as dark magic seemed to materialize and slip in between her fingers to reach the feather. When she opened her hand, the once white feather was now black. She blew on it, sending it floating over to Evaelle, where it entered her belt.

A black, globular mass appeared in front of Paon, who began moving her hands, shaping the mass with her mind. Eventually, the black mass melted away to reveal a small white, mouse-like creature. "Naari, I am Paon," Paon explained, "I have created you to possess the powers of a kwami. You will obey your owner's every command to carry out this mission."

"Yes, Paon." Naari stated in a monotoned voice. Then, she blinked her large red eyes and smiled as Evaelle. "Hi, I'm Naari! I'm the mouse kwami! I grant the power of super speed! All you have to do is yell "Whirlwind" and I'll have you running so fast, it'll feel like time slowed down! But you have to remember that after you use your power, you only have five minutes until you transform back."

Evaelle smile slightly. "Hi, Naari. I'm Evaelle. I look forward to working with you."

After that, both Papillon and Paon both detransformed into their civilian forms. "Paon, take our new accomplice home. Evaelle, we'll be in touch for your first run as a faux Miraculous holder tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." Both Paon and Evaelle stated, before Paon guided Evaelle to the door of Papillon's atelier. She pushed it open, allowing Evaelle to walk through first.

And that's when Eva locked eyes with Adrien Agreste.

____________________

Yes, I know Mullo is canonically the kwami of the mouse miraculous. I started writing this fanfiction before it was revealed that there was more Miraculous than just the ones visible from the top, and this story kind of relies on Evaelle being the rival to Chat... hence the faux mouse miraculous. Just, give me a chance, okay? I promise I can make it work.