The Crack

The Mind of a Hero Quintet is a Danny Phantom fanfic by Tavalya Ra, more commonly known as The Crack. It has five arcs and a grand total of 102 chapters, so yeah, it's quite a read.

The first arc deals with hero Danny Fenton is kidnapped by Vlad on his sixteenth birthday. With the intention of making Danny acknowledge him as a father, Vlad uses a special machine to bring out Danny's inner darkness. Unfortunately, it turns out for the worse when Danny ends up raping Vlad. Both remain out of touch for seven years until Vlad returns with the consequences of their actions: Madison, their daughter, carried by Vlad, fathered by Danny. Oh, BTW, this is an Mpreg fanfic, made possible via their half-ghost status, though I guess you figured that out from the fact that Vlad had a kid.

The entire fanfic centers on Danny and Vlad struggling to tolerate one another for the sake of their daughter. Eventually, they reach an agreement point and through certain unintentional events, Danny is stuck carrying their second child. What lies after is whether the two can stabilize a romantic relationship despite past traumatic events and complications in their current lives, the last involving some intense battles and time traveling.

The fanfic was launched in September 2006 and can be read here...somewhat. The author has stopped posting around the second arc, however the story in its entirety can be downloaded here ^{[dead link]} .

Tropes used in The Crack include:

• Alliterative Name: Madison Masters. Somewhat unintentional as her name was inspired by Vlad's obsessions with Wisconsin and Maddie Fenton.
• All There in the Manual: The author has supplementary materials that explains much of the Crackverse; everything from how half ghosts gets pregnant, character analysis, OC descriptions, original drafts, and even the somewhat unnecessary information on both the middle names of Danny and Vlad's children and extended family trees of the Master-Fenton family line.
• Artifact Title: Each of the five installments has a real title, but are better known as Crack 1, Crack 2, etc. as "The Crack" was the working title for the series (due to the claim that you'd have to be on some sort of drug to think the premise would work)
• Author Appeal: Mpreg and pregnancy sex. The author has multiple WI Ps for other cartoon series also prominently featuring Mpreg and started an Mpreg art meme on deviantART. On a non-kink note, references to signs of Madison's obsession with Sailor Moon (played for laughs) are way too specific for someone with only limited knowledge of the anime. Sailor Moon used to be a series the author enjoyed years ago.
• Badass Family: A family of half ghosts.
  • With a Badass Normal trained by Valerie and a reborn Clockwork being raised by Danny and Vlad.
• Babies Make Everything Better
• Big Bad: In the final installment, Dark Danny returns as the opening act.
• Beta Couple: Sam/Tucker, Jazz/Allen (OC)
• Black Sheep: Jackie
• Break Up to Make Up: Sorta. Danny and Vlad entered a mutual relationship after the birth of their second child, but it's when the former needed a break from the man that eventually chain reacts to them fully confessing their love.
• But I Can't Be Pregnant: Used in a very emotionally traumatic fashion - and also three different times, last in conjuction with...
• But We Used a Condom: How the twins are conceived
• By the Power of Grayskull: Like Danny, Madison has a signature pre-transformation catchphrase. Unfortunately, hers was influenced by Sailor Moon. Plasmius Prism Power!"
• Cameo: Xanatos (yes, that Xanatos), Dib and the Teen Titans.
• Canon Immigrant: In a sense. Danielle was edited in, due to Kindred Spirits premiering.
• Continuity Drift: Although Danny mentions having drycleaned his suit in the original series, it's understandable that a one-off joke could be passed over.
• Crack Fic: Doy
• Crossover: With Fairly Oddparents, unsurprisingly, with shoutouts to Invader Zim and Gargoyles to name a few.
• Despair Event Horizon: Crossed by Danny. Only by developing Samaritan Syndrome does he keep going, convincing him that he's Cursed with Awesome.
• Did Not Get the Girl: Vlad's original goal to obtain Maddie is dash after decades of pursuit. But luckily, he falls in love with Danny by end, so it's all good.
• Died in Your Arms Tonight: Danny when he sacrificed himself to Vlad as the ultimate act of love. It Makes Sense in Context.
• Disappeared Dad: Madison, the first seven years of her life. She apparently never does find out how she was conceived. (But would you really want her to know?)
• Disposable Woman: Danielle. Interestingly, she was not originally planned to be in the fic at all, as this fic predates Kindred Spirits.
• Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Vlad, violently so
• Emotion Bomb: The Mind Control Device. It didn't turn out so good.
• Exactly What It Says on the Tin: It's a Crack Fic.
• Fan Girl: Madison is a huge fan of Sailor Moon. Vlad is unamused, offering Danny a million dollars to get her to stop saying Plasmius Prism Power!
• Fantasy Contraception: Word of God is that Vlad eventually develops one after Danny's second pregnancy.
• Fix Fic: Season Three of the television series is completely ignored.
• Has Two Mommies: Vlad's explanation for how Maddie is supposed to fit into Madison's life, much to Danny's horror
• Half-Human Hybrid: A family of them, plus Jazz's boyfriend, who is hinted to be half-vampire; averted with Danny's youngest Samuel, who is entirely human.
• Heartwarming Orphan: Vlad passes Madison off as his orphaned niece in public.
• Heroic BSOD: Many times by Danny in Crack 1
• Hot Mom: Vlad. It still counts.
• I Just Want to Be Special: Danny's youngest, Samuel
• I Want Grandkids: Maddie's mantra by Crack 2. It's how Jackie came to be!
• Jossed: Inevitable, given the timing. Also, could be Fanon Discontinuity, as most fans refuse to acknowledge the existance of the third season in the first place.
• Jumped At the Call: Madison, who anticipates it given her parentage
• Limited Wardrobe: Madison is almost always dressed in purple
• Love Hurts: Danny is crushed in Crack 5 when he finds out Vlad is still in love with his mother despite their somewhat functioning relationship for the past four years. Of course, it later turns out that isn't true, Vlad was just in denial.
• Love Redeems: In the last chapters, Vlad finds out he loves Danny and all is bright and happy.
• Love Triangle: Not just the series' Jack/Maddie/Vlad; Danny feels in competition with his mother for Vlad and later Vlad becomes convinced (not without good reason) that Danny has feelings for Valerie
• Luke, You Are My Father: Comes as a nasty shock for Danny
• Maddie Made Them Do It: How Jackie was conceived.
• Mafia Princess: Madison, which is the only reason Skulker tolerates her
• Mama Bear: Threatening Madison proves a good way to get Vlad to toss all restraint out the window
• Mister Seahorse: BIG time.
• Mommy's Girl: Madison
• Mommy's Little Villain: Appears to play straight, but then subverted
• Morality Chain: Eventually Danny for Vlad
• Morality Pet: Madison for Vlad
• Most Fanfic Writers Are Girls: ...have you read the description?
• My Secret Pregnancy: Vlad with Madison.
• Nietzsche Wannabe: Vlad, who even recommends reading Nietzsche to his daughter. Slightly subverted in that this trait allows him shift from being a bad to good guy without major alternations to his personality.
• No Bisexuals: Averted except when played for laughs. ("I like girls... and Vlad. Girls and Vlad!")
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Danny actively wants Vlad to beat him to a pulp in the first arc because of the guilt he feels towards him for raping him. He gets his wish a few times.
• No Pregger Sex: Averted like woah
• Our Ghosts Are Different: Besides the weirdness taken from the show, apparently being half-ghost sets up your body to spontaneously generate ectoplasmic equivalents of an egg and uterus with the presence of sperm. Hmm.
• Power Glows: Faithfully carried over from canon
• Princess Curls: Invoked in Madison, who has wavy hair but still fits the trope.
• Purple Eyes: Madison. Justified both by having a violet-eyed grandmother (Maddie) and plot relevance.
• Rape as Drama: The driving point
• Rape Is Love: Averted. The rape is clearly defined as an act of unhinged anger and lust and becomes an impediment to Vlad and Danny acknowledging the possibility of love.
• Replacement Goldfish: Played with by Danny becoming paranoid that he's a stand-in for Maddie
• Reset Button: Not far enough for some characters
• Retcon: The original fic had no reference to Danielle, as the opening chapters were penned beforehand. The existing chapters were edited-well enough that it doesn't seemed forced.
• Ret-Gone: The alternate future created by Vlad averts this by Vlad placing a time medallion in Danny and their kids.
• Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: Justified by the characters in question wearing Clockwork's time medallions
• Romantic False Lead: Valerie and in some ways, Maddie.
• Samaritan Syndrome: To the death of Danny's GPA, although it keeps him from being suicidal in Crack 1. It gets better when the rest of the Fentons learn his secret and decide to pitch in.
• Saying Too Much: Vlad, who in trying to explain away Madison as a test-tube baby, accidentally says that a woman was never involved. Also Madison, who slips up and calls Vlad "Mommy" at a crucial moment
• Series Mascot: Judging by the fanart, Madison
• Set Right What Once Went Wrong: This is what Vlad believes he's doing in Crack 5
• Shout-Out: loads to Fairly Odd Parents (and that's not even counting Samuel's experiences.), like the occasional mention of Yugopotamia and Jazz not wanting her kid named Victoria (Vicky) because that would make her "icky with a v." "Is that Godzilla over there? Fighting with Batman and Optimus Prime?"
• Slash Fic: Duh
• Suddenly Sexuality: Vlad by Crack 2 when he starts sleeping with Danny in order to keep him happy for the rest of his pregnancy. Danny averts it, he was already attracted to Vlad from the start of the fic.
• Tangled Family Tree: Not in the main fic, but in her anecdotes that details the family of Vlad and Danny to their grandkids and beyond! Some of the offspring are truly maddening.
• Tell Me About My Father: Subverted in Crack 1. Danny attempts to invoke this trope, but Madison just doesn't care.
• The Unfavorite: Jackie, unintentionally. She and Danny just didn't bond.
• Training from Hell: The obstacle course in Crack 1. A cringe worthy scene; pity poor Danny.
• Villainous Breakdown: Vlad at the climax of Crack 1
• Villainous BSOD: Vlad in Crack 5.
• Wacky Cravings
• We Can Rule Together
• Weird Science
• What Have I Done: Danny in Crack 1, Vlad in Crack 5.
• What the Hell, Hero?: In Crack 1, Danny decides that the best course of action is to attempt to turn Madison against her own mother and then kidnap her, all to keep Vlad from turning her evil. Lampshaded in that he acknowledges it's a dick move and feels a lot of guilt over it. Fortunately, he fails to accomplish any bit of his plan and realizes Vlad doesn't want Madison to turn out like himself either.
• Word of God: Much of what happens after the fic has been revealed in the author's blog and random comment strings.
• Xanatos Roulette: Oh, not Vlad. In the last Crack arc, we find out Clockwork caused the headache-inducing time traveling for both of them to ensure his existence as he is really their son.