Another Day at the Beach

Another Day at the Beach is a bonus video on the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack. It is a pre-rendered cinematic that depicts the events following Second Squad's Pelican after it was shot down by the Scarab in the opening cinematic of the Halo 2 campaign level Outskirts. The map pack disc also contains Halo 2: Killtacular, which goes over the making of the cinematic.

A remastered version of Another Day at the Beach, animated by Blur Studio, was released alongside Halo 2: Anniversary. The cinematic was initially hosted on Halo Channel before the latter was shut down; the cinematic was then made available through the menu in Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Plot synopsis

Three Pelicans are flying low above a highway in Old Mombasa when they are ambushed by a Scarab. One of the Pelicans, carrying Sergeant Marcus Stacker's unit, is shot down by the Scarab; it flies over Hotel Zanzibar, where it is spotted by a Sangheili. Private O'Brien and the Pelican's pilots are killed in the crash. The survivors (Stacker, Butkus, Fones, and Walpole) decide to seek refuge in the ruins of Hotel Zanzibar.

The Sangheili sends in two Unggoy Minors and a Kig-Yar Sniper to prepare an ambush, and the sniper nearly hits Butkus. Walpole, the squad's sharpshooter, easily takes out the Kig-Yar. The Kig-Yar's body falls from the ledge and lands next to the two Unggoy; frightened by the body, the Unggoy drop their weapons and flee. The Sangheili then activates his active camouflage and leaps down towards the ODSTs.

The cloaked Sangheili surprises the ODSTs; he slashes his energy sword at Butkus, cutting his battle rifle in half. He picks up one of the Unggoy's discarded plasma pistol. The ODSTS then scan for the Sangheili, who throws a plasma grenade at Fones' helmet. The ODST takes the helmet off and throws it back at the Sangheili; the explosion disables his active camouflage. Revealed, the Sangheili jumps down and grabs Walpole, using him as a hostage, with the energy sword at his throat. Butkus fires an overcharged burst at the signal of Fones (Stacker in Halo 2: Anniversary), who then fires a burst of his battle rifle to kill the Sangheili after the plasma bolt disables the Sangheili's shields.

As the ODSTs recover from their encounter, Cortana contacts Stacker, who reports on their situation. Cortana tells him to find a safe spot and that they will come to him.

Appearances

Characters Human Avery Johnson Butkus (First appearance) John-117 Fones (First appearance) Marcus Stacker O'Brien (First appearance) Walpole (First appearance) AI Cortana Species and entities Human Kig-Yar (Ruuhtian) Sniper Sangheili Unggoy Minor Organizations Covenant Covenant military UEG United Nations Space Command UNSC Marine Corps Orbital Drop Shock Troopers Locations Sol system Earth Africa East African Protectorate Mombasa New Mombasa Old Mombasa Hotel Zanzibar

Events Human-Covenant War Battle for Earth Battle of Mombasa Vehicles UNSC D77 Pelican Covenant Scarab Protos-pattern Scarab Weapons UNSC BR55 battle rifle M6C magnum M9 fragmentation grenade SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle Covenant Energy sword Pelosus-pattern energy sword Focus cannon Heavy plasma repeater Plasma grenade Anskum-pattern plasma grenade Plasma pistol Eos'Mak-pattern plasma pistol Beam rifle Sulok-pattern beam rifle Equipment and technology Armor Kig-Yar combat harness MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor Mark VI ODST armor Sangheili harness Combat harness Unggoy combat harness Equipment Active camouflage Energy shield Sangheili personal energy shield

Transcript

• Marine (COM): "Immediate; Grid Kilo 23 is hot. Recommend mission abort."

The Bungie logo is shown.

• Pilot (COM): "Roger, recon. (To Sergeant Johnson) It's your call, Sarge."

• Sergeant Major Avery Johnson: "We're going in. Get tactical, Marines!"

Five ODSTs from second squad are inside one of the Pelican's troop bay. Marcus Stacker is standing between the troop bay and the cockpit. O'Brien and Fones to the left, Walpole and Butkus to the right.

• Gunnery Sergeant Marcus Stacker: "You heard the man, boys. It's time for some hazard pay!"

The ODSTs enthusiastically prepare for combat. Butkus cocks his battle rifle, while O'Brien hits Fones'arm. Walpole is sitting in the corner with his sniper rifle.

• Pilot (COM): "Thirty seconds out... stand by to... woah..."

The pilot goes silent as a huge Scarab comes into view. Its leg spears a truck which explodes, then its main gun focuses and fires, destroying the lead Pelican. The two other Pelicans veer off, as the Scarab's front heavy plasma repeater track them. The rightward dropship containing Stacker and the fireteam of ODSTs catches a burst of plasma on its left engine.

Cuts to a Sangheili outside of the Hotel Zanzibar. He looks up and sees the ODSTs' Pelican, with its engines screaming and burning, flying fast over the Hotel Zanzibar. He points at the Pelican, looking at the lance he is commanding: two Unggoy Minors and a Kig-Yar Sniper.

• Sangheili: "(Sangheili) Wort, wort, wort! (Go go go)!"

The three subordinates head towards Hotel Zanzibar, with the two Unggoy mumbling. Cuts to the Pelican swerving towards the ground. Its starboard engine explodes and begins to flame, and the dropship crash lands on the beach behind Hotel Zanzibar. Butkus stands up from being moved from the right to the left side of the Pelican. Fones is sitting in the same place checking on O'Brien to his right. Walpole is on the left side on the ground crawling to the cockpit. Stacker, bleeding at the temple, stumbl