ok so-

Hello. This is my first ever fic, I hope you enjoy it.
I'm under the impression that most of the ILH fandom is dead since the comic was cut short and ended a long time ago, but Finch and Devil Lad still hold a special place in my heart. In some ways, I can relate to their friendship and the comics remind me of golden days with my friends.

Sorry it's not the best written! I just recently starting to write again and I'm still in need of lots of work.

The story is finished and I'll be uploading the chapters all at once~

If you enjoyed reading let me know! Or help me with constructive criticism!

Act 1. Sacred Moment

Finch waited alone by the stop sign at the end of his neighborhood's street corner.

The sun sank behind quaint homes and trees, leaving their black silhouettes against an orange gradient sky in its wake. A chilled wind blew up leaves and sand, whirling them about in a ghostly dance and street lights flickered on as the last moments of sunlight were chased away by night.

It was officially Halloween.

"Sacred moment." He whispered to no one but himself.

Finch was 17 now. He still kept his hair a red spiky mess and he was still shorter than most boys his age. Despite that, he still demanded the respect of his peers. His cool exterior remained an intimidating element. While he was mostly aloof, everyone listened when he spoke. And, still, although most would say he was too old, he upheld the Halloween traditions his friends and him had instilled years before.

And what changed? His friends did, for one thing. Mr. Kitty and Pig Pig, who now preferred their real names even on this sacred day, had long abandoned their costumes. Now, on Halloween, they would party hop all night, chasing scantily dressed girls and stealing bottles of beer from the refrigerators of the hosts to hold them over until they hit the next party. Though he missed their companionship, Finch couldn't help but to laugh to himself and admire their new sense of mischief. Moochie, on the other hand, followed in Finch's footsteps. She no longer needed her big brother to accompany her on Halloween night; she had her own crowd of troublemakers to go out with. No doubt they were out causing chaos tonight.

"Alone again this year, I see." a familiar voice broke Finch from his thoughts and brought him back to the current autumn night. He turned and met the eyes of the last surviving remnant of Halloweens past- Devil Lad.

He stood there in his typical fashion, red hood drawn tightly around his deadpan devil's mask, hands stuck in his sweatshirt's large middle pocket, standing nonchalantly with his weight on his left side.

"Appears that way." The shorter boy replied casually, not bothering to say any proper hellos.

Devil Lad was Finch's once-a-year friend. The mysterious boy would show up only on Halloween night. He was always fashionably late, and he would disappear before the night was out, sometimes without anyone noticing or even saying goodbye. It stung in a way. Finch would turn around to acknowledge the devil, and he would just be gone. He would disappear into thin air it seemed at times. Finch would be left standing there alone, on a dirt path in the woods or on the sidewalk, just as the sun began to cast a shadow before him. And then it would be nothing until next year. Finch had tried to address this at one point, but the obscure devil just shrugged it off saying he may stop by sooner, it just depended on "this n that", but he never did show. Finch found himself wondering where the boy even came from. Mr. Kitty seemed to be convinced he was a "Halloween Poacher", someone who showed up to score in another neighborhood and then ditch when it was all drained of candy. Finch wasn't so sure. There seemed to be something otherworldly about the cryptic visitor. That and, to be honest, Devil Lad didn't exactly fit the profile for a "Halloween Poacher". That is to say, Finch and him had stopped trying to collect candy a few years ago. The adults had begun to turn them away more and more, declaring the candy was for the children. So instead of hoarding treats, the two spent their night playing tricks. If he were a poacher, he didn't have a reason to keep coming back…so why did he?

"So what's on the plate for tonight, Finch?" Devil Lad piped up after a moment of silence between them. "I was thinking about what you said last year, you know, about the sling shots," he reached into his big sweatshirt pocket and pulled out two sling shots and a brown paper bag that looked close to bursting, "so I brought these and the marbles."

Finch felt a smile creep across his face behind his skeletal mask. He took the bag in his hands and pulled out a transparent glass marble, streaked with a twist of red and blue through the middle. He could feel a surge of excitement pulse through him as he eyed the perfect sleek sphere. This was the sort of fun he lived for. Finch had always had an ambition for trouble, and it seemed like Devil Lad was always willing to match it. This was a driving force behind their friendship that Finch could not easily replace.

"These oughtta leave big welts. Nicely done." He dropped the ammo back into its bag and began to walk, waving Devil Lad after him.

"C'mon, I know a great tree we can camp out in and wait for our, uh, prey to come by."

"Lead the way."

The two walked side by side down the hill out of Finch's neighborhood, past orange-lit houses adorned with skeletons, jack-o-lanterns and cotton cobwebs. They were headed towards the hottest trick-or-treating spot in Turgid Meadows, the "rich neighborhood". Kids swarmed there like bees to honey, pushing past each other in a barbaric attempt to be the first person at the doors of the pristine white mansions that lined the streets. The homes were rarely ever decorated, but the adults threw sugary sweets out better than anywhere else. Full bars, handfuls of candy, even premade goodie bags were all a common score, but the competition made it a battle to get your hands on any of it. The neighborhood went dry fast, and the kids knew that, if you wanted to get in while it was good, you had to show up early. Finch couldn't think of a better place to ruin someone else's Halloween.

As the two walked silently, hands shoved in pockets, eyes following the sidewalk, Finch's mind began to wander again. His thoughts kept getting pulled back to the ever-present mystery that was Devil Lad. Finch didn't even know the guy's first name, let alone where he came from or what he may look like under that red plastic face. Every year it seemed to be more and more of a miracle that he even showed up. Sure, they always managed to have some fun, but it seemed that the fun was less as each Halloween came and went. Camping out in a tree and pelting kids with marbles could make for an entertaining hour or so, but who wanted to spend an entire night doing that? Devil Lad could easily have this sort of fun on his own any other day of the week; it wasn't necessarily a thing to do on Halloween night. As Finch thought it over, he felt an inevitable truth closing in on him. When will Devil Lad stop showing up? He can't come forever…and he doesn't have a reason to. This could be the last year he even bothers.

With that, the red head decided he would have to unravel any secrets the devil faced boy possessed tonight. For all he knew, it would be their last Halloween.