Chapter 3 of my Percabeth Tangled!AU (thanks again to the-butterflyhouse for checking this over for me).

Annabeth had been minding her own business, practising her knife skills in her bedroom, when a boy dropped from her window. They nearly made her jump out of her skin. After all, for the 18 years she'd lived here she had never once had a visitor. She wasn't sure how to react to another person if she was being honest.

She was scared. Her mother always spoke so badly of others, about how they would use her for her powers. What did this boy want?

Annabeth gripped her knife tightly and ducked behind the railings. She decided she'd creep up and startle him when he wasn't looking. As if on cue, he walked over to the wall looking at something. Annabeth didn't care what.

She was brave and she could handle this.

She silently stood up and tiptoed up behind him, praying that he wouldn't notice her before she had made her move. When she was close enough she lifted her knife and placed it round his neck. He was only about an inch taller than her, so it wasn't too hard. She felt him stiffen slightly. She took a deep breath.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Thank the gods her voice sounded brave because she didn't feel it. She didn't get anxious often and it unsettled her. But her safety was more important, so when he didn't reply she repeated herself.

"I said; who are you and what do you want?" She tried to interject more malice into her voice this time, "Answer me, now!"

"I, My… My name is Percy," He stammered out.

"Well, Percy, what do you want?" Annabeth dug her knife in a little deeper and felt satisfaction when she heard his breath catch.

"I just need a place to stay -please- I'm being followed," He said a little frantically.

Maybe he wasn't here to kill her, she decided, but she wasn't going to take any chances.

She turned him around and slammed his back up against the wall, making sure to keep her knife to his neck. Then she looked at him properly for the first time. He looked about her age and he didn't seem evil. He looked normal. Or as normal as she imagined a boy to look, maybe even better. But that was not something she was going to voice out loud.

He had tousled, jet black hair, with tanned skin and a lean, slightly muscular physique. He also had really pretty eyes, sea green. They were wide and they were panicked. He looked scared.

Annabeth felt a twinge of guilt, but she still carried on as before. This was no time for sympathy.

"How did you find this place?"

"I don't even know myself, I was looking for a place to hide, and I just came across this… place," He sounded sincere, she supposed, but how would she know what he wanted?

"Why were you being chased?" She interrogated some more, "Do you want my powers?"

His eyebrows furrowed.

"Powers?" He questioned curiously.

"You really don't know?" Annabeth faltered slightly, not knowing what to think.

He shook his head in response.

Annabeth was beyond confused. Percy seemed genuine, but her mother had always said that all humans were bad. So why did Percy seem so…nice?

After staring at him confusedly for a few moments she looked at the sword sheathed on his side. Oh gods, maybe he was going to stab her. He'd shown no signs of reaching for it, but she could never be too careful. She grabbed her knife tightly again, intending on injuring him before he managed to hurt her.

Percy seemed to notice her change in demeanour and his eyes dropped to where hers had focused. His eyes softened in understanding. He slowly unsheathed the sword, placed it on the ground, and kicked it away from him.

Yes, Annabeth thought, now I have the upper hand. But what he said next surprised her.

"I don't know who you are, but I promise you I won't hurt you. I just need a place to lay low for a while. Honestly," He said, putting his hands out in front of him in a placating gesture.

Annabeth stared at the sword on the floor shocked. Clearly he underestimated her. She lifted her gaze back to him. Noticing, for the first time, that he was bleeding on his leg. There was a crimson stain on his trouser leg. Perfect opportunity.

"You promise?" She eyed him, making sure to look wary before she walked towards him. He nodded, allowing her to put her new plan into action "Let me help you get cleaned up then, that leg must really hurt,"


Percy's leg had been patched up by the mysterious girl reasonably quickly. He was also tied to a chair, but he liked to think he was an optimist.

The injury had been a lot worse than he had originally thought, going a lot deeper and bleeding a lot more. The girl was clearly not an expert in first aid, but she had wrapped the bandage around his leg with little trouble.

"You didn't have to tie me up you know," Percy stated, rolling his eyes slightly.

She had pounced on him the moment she'd sorted his leg out. With the stupid bronze dagger around his neck, he'd had no choice but to sit on the chair. Then she'd tied him up with her excessively long hair (which he was bursting with curiosity to know the story behind).

She turned towards him, her steely gaze caught his and he admitted that she intimidated him. Then she stepped forwards purposefully.

The dim sun rays coming from the window caught her face in the light. Percy's breath hitched. She was so beautiful. He'd noticed before but the lighting had been dim. She was even more breath-taking than he had first thought, which was really saying something. Her hair was a shiny honey blonde with perfect ringlets, and her grey eyes sparkled with amusement. She reminded him of the Princesses in the stories his mum or dad used to tell him before he went to sleep. He would always beg for them to tell him another, and they nearly always gave in, especially when he used the puppy dog eyes.

He had a feeling the puppy dog eyes wouldn't get him out of this.

"And why not?" The girl stared at him expectantly. "You trespassed in my home with a weapon,"

"I'm not going to hurt you, I said that already," What if she knew he was Wanted? Would she call for the Palace Guards?

"I don't believe you. My mother warned me about people like you,"

"What do you mean people like me?" Percy asked. He wasn't sure whether to be offended or not.

She ignored his question, however, instead crouching down to look inside his satchel. Percy stared in horror. She was going to find the crown. She would take it and not give it back. How would he ever get the money for his mum now?
She shocked him again.

"It's stunning…" She whispered softly, "What is it?"

He must've looked taken aback because her guard went up again.

"Don't laugh," She glared at him, "I don't get out much,"

"Sorry… I just- It's a crown. The royal family wears them -that one is for the princess," He must have done something right because she nodded satisfied.

"It's expensive. These are jewels." She looked at him with curiosity, "Where on earth did you get it?" His hesitation must have answered her question, because she then said, "Oh right, I see…"

She looked at him curiously, as if she was trying to analyse him. He fidgeted, uncomfortable under her intense gaze.

"I'll make you a deal," She proposed, "You can have the crown, but only if you do something for me first,"

Percy didn't like the glint in her eyes.

"What exactly were you thinking?"