Disclaimer: You know to whom Hellsing belong, don't make me say it again. Duke belongs to me and Cas Corach to celtic folklore. All characters are fictional, and any relation with real life they may have is coincidental.

(Re) Building An Empire

Seven Years

-That One Day-

A late afternoon call changed Integra's weekly plan. Jack Clemens was visiting Dublin to arrange of some business meetings. At first the Head of Hellsing thought the old man wanted to pay a visit to his beloved one, but this man was a professional, never mixing feelings with his job as head manager of the company founded by Duke. The reason behind calling was far more appealing than what she was expecting. Ireland's president, Mary McAleese, was requiring Hellsing's services! As it seemed, Mr. Clemens had an appointment with a member of the Lower House, which leaded to the discussion of some local affairs that concern every member of the parties that lead Ireland underground government. Cadhan Corach had disappeared, he was presumably dead and it was probably the reason behind several assaults to slaughterhouses all around Cork. Especially some wealth managers in Roscraea & sons abattoirs were highly disappointed for the low rank attention the government was giving to their case.

It wasn't the first time governments from other countries had called them to fix their own supernatural problems. At first, when she got orders from Her Majesty to treat international issues, she thought the woman had turned soft in those kind of affairs. After all, they weren't cheap mercenaries of sorts; they were a proud secret British organization under ruling of the Crown. But England's situation wasn't the best they were facing, and sad but true they needed the money more than ever. Last month, they had departed to Iran to a presumably mummy attack which ended disappointedly being a scam. Anyhow they got their payment and were back at home in a matter of one week. Missions have turned easier in the last years, Seras was getting used to her new powers and she was finally enjoying what it was to be a real vampire. The quota they had set was high, however Integra was sure Ireland wouldn't mind paying considering their 'Celtic Tiger' period of economical development. And sincerely the Hellsing family was giving a high percentage of the poor income they were getting monthly from the crown for reallocation of neo Nazi's victims program.

Duke was overjoyed with the idea; packing and getting things ready to an early encounter with his partner, made him forget that they were facing a sort of enemy that caused him frequent nightmares. Integra didn't have the heart to tell him to stay taking care of the mansion. Seras, the other side, was ready to go but sulked about since the day of London Attack Memorial. It was the same each year, and honestly Integra was puzzled about her subordinate's attitude. Integra had several times reminded the Draculina that Walter would want them to keep going and stay calm, instead of crying out loud how alone both of them felt. After all, there was a bit of hope that Alucard could pop out from wherever he was to return with them.

"I don't understand a thing." Seras fumbled with her slender belly resting on the couch, inside Integra's office. "Who is Cadhan Corach?"

"As it seems, he's the last member of the Corach clan." Integra lit her cigar, "Great great son of Cas Corach, the poet, warrior, hero, who helped Caoilte to slay the daughters of Airitech..." she puffed a cloud of smoke before continuing with a grin "or so the legend says."

Seras raised an eyebrow, as confused as she was before the explanation. Duke prompted by getting in with his and Integra's luggage already packed.

"Summarizing, Corach is the Irish equivalent to Hellsing, only difference is that they specialize in werewolves." How that old vampire that had dedicated to business in America all his life knew this, Integra mused about it for a long time after his comment. But it was clear that Duke hid some bitterness against le lycanthropes, as the memories revelation to her during the sealing ceremony invaded her dreams from time to time.

Money was always an issue; they had to take a ferry instead of the plane. Days like this Integra missed her private jet the most. It didn't matter how much she tried to gain Lory Penwood's trust, the man was marked by the war. In his eyes, it was Integra's fault to begin with that the neo-Nazi had attacked England, therefore his father's death. And now that his wife has given birth to his heir, he was entirely focused in the kid for caring about a secret agency like Hellsing.

Now she felt another fringe of loathe by seeing how much Ireland was progressing while UK was suffering the loss of human lives and resources. Deep inside Integra wished this was just another scam, for she had only met Cadhan when she was a little girl. A visit from her family to Ireland had arranged a meeting in which her father ordered her to attend despite her young age. She met in Cadhan a man of goodwill, easy going and hard worker. Back then he had had a terrible hunch for his three female bodyguards; as a kid she never got closer to them than the closeness to their master allowed her. She understood years later, once she had Alucard under her services, that those three girls were in fact the werewolves that Cas Corach had supposedly killed centuries ago.

To the upset faces that passersby made towards her out of sympathy, Jack Clemens had disposed a hearse waiting for them in the harbor. The stevedores loaded in both coffins in the trunk, one of them removed his hat while opening the back door to Sir Integra.

"Miss.. er… I'm sorry for your loss." She was taken aback by the comment, the coffin trick was the cheapest way to travel with both vampires, but until then Integra realized she must have been wearing a real mourning face. She mildly smiled to the strong man.

"Thank you for your concern."

Seras and Duke had to wait patiently to arrive to the house that Mr. Clemens was renting for coming out of their coffins. Duke actually glomped on the old man, making him fall backside on the floor... hard. Then lovebirds reunited with a long argument that lasted until dinner was served. When Integra managed to calm down her old pet vampire, she could finally have a word about what they were hired for.

"Malachi Finnegan is coming here in a matter of an hour; he's the Ceann Comhairle of the Lower Court. Don't expect this to be formal, he's coming undercover, my young lady." This way of talking of Clemens was what annoyed Integra the most, like the man treated her as if she was a little girl. "I already had a talk by phone with Mrs. McAleese; Malachi will arrive with a special unit of trained agents given to follow your every order. They want this to be fixed as clean and as soon as possible. The paycheck is already in your account, we complied that five million pound sterling is more than enough, including the expenses you have to make for the mission."

The broccoli that Integra had pinched with the fork fell halfway her mouth to the plate again. She glanced towards Seras for getting sure she had heard the right amount; the Draculina had the red eyes round open like saucers. Even if they had to pay a compensation for the soldiers that might die in the mission, they'd still have plenty of money.

"I'm suspecting it's a personal matter, darling. There's no way they would want Sir Integra to work in secrecy for such quantity." Duke was concerned, he knew more about money than anyone else in the room. "Have you started the inquiries about Cadhan?"

"It was swallowed by the earth. Neighbors say he visited the market one month ago, and never returned. He used to attend there in a weekly basis, so they went to pay him a visit finding his hut on the forest completely empty. The data in his laptop confirmed he was writing a letter for a friend, was promising to visit the next winter. The door was locked. No trace of struggle inside or outside the house. As it seems he only stood up from the computer and walked away, God knows where." Clemens sighted abated, taking aside his good manners to put the elbow on the table for resting his beard on the palm of his hand. "Why do you think I stayed so many days after my scheduled meeting? I wouldn't mind offering Sir Integra's help here if there was someone else to take care of this."

"Any information from the women that lived with him?" Integra could picture the scene, the man dragged by his own servants into the pitch dark forest.

"Which women? If you mean the harem he had had for about thirty years? the three of them died long time before this. He buried them on the backyard of his proprietary."

"The three of them? At the same time?"

"I get where you want to go. It was a flood. They liked to hide in a small cave near Cork Harbour; it's not far from here. Two years ago two of them hid in the night without Cadhan's notice. The next morning high tide had drowned them."

"Two of them? What about the other?" Integra was starting to put the pieces together, but there were still lots of questions about the topic that couldn't be answered, the Ceann Comhairle of the Lower Court had arrived.

Malachi Finnegan was a tall man willingly to distrust Integra. It was very different how he treated Mr. Clemens as an old friend and how easily accepted Duke as the man's partner. Seras, the other hand, disappeared of the room as soon as the man made his presence. Integra could still feel her servant lurking from the shadows, it was baffling how easy was for the girl to decide if someone was nice or unnerving.

Integra knew that there was nothing to complain as long as the money was already in the bank account; nevertheless, the other person that was accompanying the politician was nothing more economically powerful than her own pet vampire. The man's name was Rohan Roscraea, the son part in the Roscraea's and son abattoir. He was a pampered half trimmed guy in an expensive suit, and she knew it was trouble the moment he grabbed her hand in a too uncomfortable handshake.

They both believed her payment was far too much, considering a high percentage belonged to the union of slaughterhouses' owners that had lost more cattle than expected. So, their mission was not only to provide her with personnel, but also they wanted to go with her for getting sure she wasn't a fraud.

"I'm aware you are specialist in 'vampires'" the skinny man retorted, implying that Hellsing had been fighting for more than a century against nothing but folk tales. "Don't know if you have the equipment to deal with the beasts that are assaulting our cattle."

"I assure you, there's a certain agent with us that has a broad experience previously slaying werewolves." Integra set back as keen as she could, knowing that aforementioned was a Draculina whom recently was having problems to deal with. Neither was she saying that the 'broad experience' was summarized to a single werewolf.

Integra was expecting more soldiers; the elite agents they've sent were only five men. She didn't doubt their qualities; it was only that she was used to deal with more soldiers for the missions. Five could barely cover the area while Seras was getting rid of the werewolves. And speaking of Seras, during the unnecessary trip for the abattoir, the Draculina never showed, not once. Integra pulled the seal ordering her to make act of presence, but her subordinate was stubborn about staying in the shadows.

"That man is not trustworthy." Was the only response she got mentally from the vampire. Duke was obviously staying with Clemens, she didn't have to order it twice, as the former owner of the elder vampire was able to keep Duke under the seal and controlled by simply indulging him with some drops of fresh blood.

They didn't have the entire night for vacations trips, Integra cut flat Rohan's explanation of how many heads of cattle they had lost in recent days. The man looked bemused for her manners, but she didn't care as long as they could show her Cadhan Corach's hut before dawn.

In the middle of the forest, it had taken all the good will for Mr. Finnegan to reach there walking, instead of taking the jeep. The house was exactly as Integra remembered, no bigger than one hundred square feet in a single room. Everything was in place, the owner a very tidy person, had even cleaned the fridge before fading out. The enquiries were right, no traces of struggle; if it wasn't for the electricity that was to be cut due lack of pay, it looked like no one ever lived in that house.

Integra didn't like how things were at the moment. She knew the cattle problem was a werewolf's fault; problem here was that its modus operandi was cleverer than the average for that kind of monster.

Coming out of her master's shadow Seras manifested behind them. Malachi yelped like a helpless child while Rohan fell on his back.

"Master, there is something you aren't seeing, or don't want to see." The way she talked like her maker always sent shivers through Integra's back, however she would never give the vampire the benefit of being feared by her owner. The Head of Hellsing nonchalantly pulled a cigar from her pocket; a flame from her lighter flickered around the tip, and turned around her subordinate while the first puff of smoke was going down her throat.

"Explain yourself."

"Mr. Clemens never explained what happened to the third werewolf girl."

The Draculina was right. Integra remembered the words of the old man 'Two years ago two of them hid in the night without Cadhan's notice'.

Why were they hiding? from what? She retrieved Seras' message, Integra was overlooking something important. If Cadham had disappeared, one of his wives was still out somewhere. It was a quite simple answer, but it was an incomplete one. A single werewolf wouldn't mind covering its traces if she was for cattle hunting, neither would she steal more heads of what it truly might need. Seras was playing with her mind like Alucard used to, the vampire was deliberately hiding information and twisting facts for her Master to suffer a headache. Integra's mouth was left half open, her order to explain further never coming out as one of the elite unit members dashed inside the hut, the man was nerve sharpen, breathing hard, the vision of hell reflected on his wide open eyes. He recomposed after some heavy breaths.

"Sir, it's a monster!" his face matching with the horrors he had just witnessed. "The bullets... it was as if we were shooting him flowers and…" decency aside, the man's early lunch went by the feet of a very restless Finnegan and a more aghast Rohan. "He killed all of them."

"Wait a minute! He?" Integra understood in the words that progressed out of her mouth. Weren't they fighting a female werewolf? Cadham always had under control his charges, but this time it was a male.

"That's my cue." Seras grinned to her Master and rushed outside, soon she was one with the murk of the night. The full moon was shining high above their heads. Excellent, just what we need now, Integra thought.

Author's Note: Much to my dismay werewolves aren't very popular in celtic folklore. The sole story I found about them was Cas Corach And The Werewolf Maidens. Luckly it was enough inspiration to make a very long chapter.