Venn is 8 in this. Part based on this song

Venn leaned against the railing of the ferry, gazing across the bay to London. It was a week and a half since leaving Venice. His injuries from Malvagio were mostly gone, except for the slash on his left eye. He had taken off the bandage and it now looked very red and painful.

Getting onto the ferry had been no problem at all. He was warned of the ghosts on the other side, then pushed along.

The mood of those around him changed the closer London got. Anxiety filled the air as people put on jewelry of glittering silver and polished iron. Venn had none of this. He blinked in confusion, looking around. Was he supposed to have iron and silver? He didn't know. He saw a hazy figure standing on the docks and gave a start when he realized they were translucent.

Venn was the youngest one on the ferry. Every other person on board was an adult. It made Venn feel very small. He wasn't exactly sure what he was getting himself into. All he knew was that London was having a major ghost issue that had been aptly named "the Problem" by some English literary genius a few decades back, children were the only ones who could see ghosts, there were several large agencies desperate for agents, and this ferry was the only one operating at night and was ridiculously expensive.

The ferry pulled up to the dock. A ghost stood directly at the end of the plank that stretched from the ferry. Before the first person could start down, Venn leaped forward and grabbed their arm. He had learned about ghost touch and wasn't keen to witness it.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" the woman exclaimed, gazing down at the pale, dark eyed boy with a quizzical expression.

Venn turned bright red and stepped back hastily. He automatically turned his face so she couldn't get a good look at his left eye. "S-sorry, Signora, but there is a... ah... ghost there." He pointed at the ghost standing on the dock.

The woman's confusion vanished. "Oh you darling boy. Thank you."

Venn looked up at her again, smiling faintly. "You are welcome."

The woman gasped when she saw the wound over Venn's eye. She knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder, pulling him over to her. Panic flashed in his eyes, but he didn't pull away. This woman seemed nice. "Where did you get that, child?" She brushed her fingers lightly over the cut.

Venn flinched away and brought a hand up to cover his eye. Playing his hand carefully, he looked down. "The palazzo my family owned in Venezia collapsed. I got... injured by a falling..." he struggled to find the proper words. His Italian accent became almost overwhelming. "A falling... I am sorry. I am new to English. I come from Italy."

The woman smiled patiently. "It's alright. You can explain later. I assume you're alone?"

Venn blinked at her in confusion. "Slow, per favore?"

"You are on your own?" the woman asked more slowly. When Venn nodded, she stood and offered a hand to him. "You can come with me. I can take care of you for a time."

The captain pushed past them and threw a handful of iron shavings at the dock. The ghost flickered and vanished. He moved down the walkway and sprinkled the whole area with iron filings.

Passengers flowed around them, hurrying into the night to their hotels or homes. Venn hesitated. This woman was nice. She would probably not kill him or hold him hostage. Then again, she might do exactly that. The decision showed in his eyes. The woman reached out to stop him, saying something he didn't understand as he bolted onto the dock and ran off into the night.

Venn didn't stop running until he was several blocks from the ferry. He stopped and looked around. He had no idea where he was or where he was going. He turned in a slow circle, feeling a chill creeping up his spine.

Venn froze when his eyes fell on the ghost of a tall, light haired man. He had a long sword in one hand and advanced with a halting gait, as if his leg pained him. Venn watched the ghost approach, locked in place. He couldn't move. An unnatural feeling of dread and hopelessness settled over him.

A flash of silver, white, and black leaped between Venn and the ghost with a shout. Venn snapped out of whatever had been holding him in place. The figure that had leaped between them swept a long, glittering silver rapier through the ghost. He wore a shining silver jacket and khaki pants. His shoulder length black hair swished to the side as the ghost exploded. He shielded his face with one arm.

Venn blinked in surprise. This must be what an agent was. The teen turned around and regarded Venn with piercing blue eyes that seemed to look straight into Venn's mind. The blue was so unnaturally bright it almost seemed to glow. He had a crooked smile on his face as he approached, sheathing his rapier. "And what would a young lad like you be doing wandering the streets of London unprotected?" He winked mischievously at Venn.

Venn had missed most of what was said. He picked out enough to figure out what was being asked. Thankfully, he knew enough English to respond properly. "I am a foreigner here. I want to learn to hunt ghosts."

The teen blinked in surprise at the accent and the request. He smiled quickly and consciously slowed down his speech so it would be easier to understand. "I might be able to help with that. The name's Shale." He held out a hand to shake.

Venn took his hand hesitantly. "Venn."

Shale smiled at Venn, showing off shining white teeth. Venn returned the smile with closed lips. He didn't want Shale to see his sharp teeth. It was bad enough with the black eyes and the fiery red wound over his left eye.

Shale pulled back and gestured for Venn to follow him. "Come with me. I know a place that might hire you."

Shale waved Venn into the small office. "She wants to meet you herself."

Venn stepped silently into the space. It was decorated with paintings of events that were probably important in ghost hunting history. He didn't have much time to admire the room, because a shrewd looking woman cleared her throat, drawing his attention to her.

"So... you are the young boy Echo has told me about..." the woman leaned forward and folded her fingers together. She eyed Venn's wound for a moment before inspecting his ragged hair, pale face, neat black blazer, black pants, and white shirt. "You don't really look like much do you?"

Venn blinked in confusion. Echo? He cast a sidelong look at Shale, who stood silently by the door. His silver and white uniform standing out brightly against the dark wood wall. He watched the woman behind the desk with silent attentiveness. The expression on his face led Venn to believe that this woman was someone important.

"Well? Are you mute?" the woman kept her eyes on him.

"N-no, Signora," Venn said, collecting himself smoothly. He straightened up and met her gaze. "I am new to English. I find it hard to keep up sometimes."

The woman seemed surprised by his change in posture and his accent. "Ah... I see. Well, I am Penelope Fittes. I run this agency here. I understand you are looking to be trained in?"

Venn nodded, struggling to translate the words into Italian so he could respond. "That is correct, Mrs. Fittes."

Penelope tapped her fingers on the desk thoughtfully. "Under normal circumstances I would test your psychic abilities myself, but Echo seems keen on starting your training. As we are rather pressed for new agents at this time, he will test your skills for me. When Echo feels that you have learned enough to start going on cases, you will join Ardal's team. Understood?"

Venn paused again. When he finally got the main idea of what she had said translated, he grinned, showing his sharply pointed teeth for the first time. "Thank you." He bowed.

Penelope looked slightly startled by the sight of his teeth, but nodded and waved a hand. "Off you go then. Echo will take it from here."

Venn followed Shale out the door with a skip in his step. If only Malvagio could see him now. He was going to be a ghost hunter.

And he was determined to be the best.