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| The "Tales of the Southern Cross" LP; click to listen to the soundtrack |
MUSIC VIDEO: Opx. MJ Darl!ng - OPX (Our Hero)
SKIRMISH AT CLUB RED
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| Downtown B'ham, AL |
WEEKEND WARRIOR - Omn!pax helped to keep a Nepalese kid in Southside from nearly getting killed on his first "college night".
One late Thursday night in Birmingham, Alabama in 2007, after slinging sushi all day at his job at Sekisui til 1am, Southside scooter-punk DJ, MJ was coming home after grabbing a 6pack from the local Tom & Jerry's convenience store, passed by Club Red on Highland Avenue, and had stopped at the light, waiting for his left turn onto 20th Street South.
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| Omn!pax's cycles, "Valor!" I and II |
From his scooter, he saw this frenzied group of shadows that was an obvious fight in the club's alley way.
At first, he thought, "tsk, whatevah; probably some violent drunk", but he then saw that the one getting beat up was a little guy, and which is more, he getting triple-teamed, as girls screamed for the bouncers to stop.
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| Dub Hel!x, Revolve, and Omn!pax (all pictured on cover) |
He zipped up his battle-worn, classic black leather jacket all the way to the neck so that the silver six-winged Seraph chevron shone clearly upon his chest, lowered his iridescent visor down over his eyes and nose, strategically leaving his mouth exposed so his commands could be heard, then turned on the LED lights on his helmet's temples to protect his identity, and to blind those who attempt to look upon his face.
He had now become that previously pondered figment of his own newly-created universe, Omn!pax.
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| Click to hear the soundtrack |
He then darted around the back of the club to the top of the alley, revved the motor, and sped downhill upon them with the headlight beams on-high and in their eyes, til they backed away from that little man, balled up in the fetal position crying and begging for them to stop, for fear of getting hit by what may have appeared to their hyped-up minds, to be some type of perhaps bad-assed motorcycle.
Omn!pax quickly hopped off his vintage military, gunmetal gray scooter, pointing specifically to two girls to help the guy up and bring him to his side.
Unable to whisper, he yelled to the young man, "go that way" pointing to walk uphill, and away from this alley as fast as he can, until he came to catch up with him in a few moments.
But to his attackers, he stretched his gloved hands defensively, bid them to back up, loudly bellowing from underneath his gleaming black helmet, "leave him alone; he belongs to ME", beating upon his chevron on the last syllable.
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| Opx. MJ Darl!ng |
He noticed that the boy's assailants couldn't see that he was just a "regular Joe" climbing off a scooter, no-less, but only a series of moving benevolent brilliance, as he confidently shewn light on their sadistic deeds.
The other bystanders who weren't being blinded could see loads of silver metaphysical power symbols on his jacket's front, sleeves, collars, cuffs, and back, but were completely confused about this crazy action movie sequence now unfolding before them.
"WHAT?!?!?" they continuously murmured.
The tight black-t shirted bouncers attempted to get close to Omn!pax, but could not, as his light would blind them afresh, every time he turned in their general direction.
Everyone must've thought it was a gun, because they all yelped in surprise, and quickly ducked for cover.
Omn!pax chuckled at the fortunate moment of naivete, then took the opportunity to hop back on his scooter, and hightail it back uphill to catch up to that poor busted-up kid, who must by then, had traveled a block or so away from the skirmish.
After a moment of driving, he soon caught up with the lil' guy, limping up Highland avenue.
Omn!pax putted slowly beside as they walked, and led him to Tom & Jerry's at the very end of the street.
The young man confessed that he was in college from outta town (the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa), and "just wanted to have a good time but couldn't find company to go" with him, so he came alone, to which Omn!pax snapped, advising him to never club alone, especially outta town.
Omn!pax looked at the boy's protecting of a lame hand, and saw that they broke 3 of his fingers, and his face was puffy and skinned from the stomping they gave him.
Who knows exactly what he did to incur such a beating, being that he wasnt drunk, himself. But there was no apparent justification for a young 5 foot 5 college boy being ganged-up on, 3-to-1.
Omn!pax began to feel an encroaching sorrow, because his beloved city, who delights in out-of-towners delighting in her, had caused him dishonor and in a way, broke his own heart a little.
When they arrived, they had management call the police, who about 40 minutes later, took it from there; at which time, Omn!pax had conveniently disappeared.
Turns out, the
guy leading the attack was a prominent local club promoter (who'll remain nameless) who had since found out that it was MJ/Omn!pax who
interceded that fateful night. Sometimes, when MJ thinks back on that, he realizes he could have gotten rather seriously hurt that night, but it just somehow felt more like giving Jesus, or the Archangel Michael permission to use his body for a few moments "or something".
Since, whenever he returns to Tom & Jerry's, the clerk who was there that night never fails to tear into his ridiculously vintage hero's narrative, calling MJ "the fearless crimefighter", which makes him wince every time.
MJ'd just laugh, then kiddingly correct him by saying "nah, I'm no crimefighter; that's the police.
I'm a DO-GOODER; I fight evil".
This was the day that MJ got ballsy abt taking Positive authority in negative situations.
This was the day that Omn!pax fully stepped into the mundane world, and became real; suit and all.
To be continued...
