Nowhere to hide

**Nowhere to hide** is the ninth episode of *Sequester Canada 1*.

## Story

Sequester Bot recaps the previous episode as the camera then pans to the jury house. Kitana, in her confessional, expresses her frustration with the company of Blossom and Brayden in the jury house, finding them annoying. She admits that while she wants her allies to succeed in the game, now that she's out, she doesn't care much about the game's outcome and hopes for the arrival of one of her friends in the jury house to have someone to chat with. When Jin-gyu enters the jury house, Kitana surprises everyone by hugging them warmly. Jin-gyu, in their confessional, acknowledges the unexpected warm welcome, considering that Kitana might still be upset about being voted out, especially after dealing with Blossom and Brayden for days. Kitana and Jin-gyu have a playful exchange where Kitana jokingly reminds Jin-gyu about their previous betrayal of her. Jin-gyu suggests that they can now share their thoughts about the remaining contestants and engage in a "tea sesh". They both seem eager to catch up and discuss the ongoing game.

In the main game, the six contestants not participating in the battle match discuss their preferences for who they want to see return. Kai Tanaka, in his confessional, expresses his desire for Jin-gyu's return, as it would give him a potential ally. However, he acknowledges that if Jin-gyu doesn't come back, he could become a valuable free agent, open to alliances. Amanda Walker, on the other hand, in her confessional, voices her reluctance to have Jin-gyu return, as she believes she currently has a strong grip on the game, and Jin-gyu's return could disrupt her plans. Toby Mason, who has just returned from the battle match, is warmly welcomed by the group. Amanda playfully refers to them as part of the "battlematch assassins club." Fembot delivers a note outlining the rules for the upcoming round, called "can't vote." In this round, contestants are not allowed to vote for a specific person, and one person can be picked multiple times, even allowing contestants to vote for themselves. The group receives their assigned restrictions for voting; Amanda can't vote for Toby. Kai can't vote for Mateo. Lyrsa can't vote for Amanda. Marina can't vote for Toby. Mateo can't vote for Michaela. Michaela can't vote for Mateo. Toby can't vote for Lyrsa.

In this pivotal round, the contestants split up to discuss their strategies and build alliances. Lyrsa, in her confessional, expresses her determination to secure Kai as an ally, recognizing that they need one more person to flip the majority. Lyrsa approaches Kai and apologizes for voting against Jin-gyu in the previous round, explaining that she did so because Kai and Jin-gyu were playing both sides and had betrayed their alliance. She argues that it's essential to target Amanda's allies in this round to level the playing field, as leaving the four of them intact would likely result in their domination. Kai acknowledges the potential danger and contemplates his options. Kai, in his confessional, finds Lyrsa's willingness to target Michaela intriguing. He considers the possibility of going to the end with Lyrsa and Michaela, using it as leverage to get them to turn on each other later. Lyrsa suggests targeting Mateo as a potential flip, emphasizing that he has been wanting to flip on Amanda. Kai agrees to consider the plan and mentions that the challenge is convincing Kai to flip. Lyrsa leaves to inform Michaela about their discussion. Meanwhile, Amanda, Marina, Mateo, and Toby strategize. Amanda asks who each of them got restricted from voting for this round. Marina reveals that she can't vote for Toby, Toby can't vote for Lyrsa, Mateo can't vote for Michaela, and Amanda can't vote for Toby. They realize they'll have to split their votes, but they stress the importance of having Kai on their side for this vote. Amanda suggests targeting Michaela, considering Lyrsa as a non-factor. They agree that they need Kai's support to secure the vote. Amanda emphasizes the need to bring Kai into their alliance for this round. Mateo volunteers to talk to Kai and convince him to join their side. The group acknowledges the challenge they face due to the voting restrictions and the necessity of bringing Kai into their fold. Mateo then leaves to talk to Kai, hoping to sway his allegiance to their side.

As the elimination ceremony approaches, the contestants continue to strategize and build alliances. Mateo shares his plan in a confessional, explaining that he intends to persuade Kai to vote for the target of their choice while he himself votes for Lyrsa to ensure his safety for the round. Mateo approaches Kai and inquires about their target. Kai reveals that Lyrsa is interested in targeting Marina due to her receiving Amanda's name, even though Marina isn't perceived as a significant threat. Kai also acknowledges the limitation of the final six, where LOS plays are no longer possible. Mateo suggests that Kai, Michaela, and Lyrsa vote for Marina, while he, Mateo, will vote for Lyrsa. This way, Mateo can continue to gather information from Amanda while maintaining the illusion of his loyalty. Kai agrees to the plan, and they align their votes accordingly. Kai confides in Mateo that he recognizes Mateo's strategy to protect himself from being chosen for the battle match. Meanwhile, Michaela and Lyrsa discuss their targets and agree to vote for Marina, aiming for a 3-2-2 split. They also acknowledge Mateo's intention to vote for Lyrsa to gather information from Amanda. Michaela expresses satisfaction with their potential majority, believing that voting out Jin-gyu was the right move, as it seems to have shifted the balance of power in their favor.
As the elimination ceremony begins, Amanda continues her efforts to convince Kai to vote with her alliance. However, the contestants are prepared to proceed with their planned votes and alliances, setting the stage for an intense elimination round.

As the elimination ceremony unfolds, Amanda Walker decides to take a risk by not playing her Locus Of Safety (LOS) advantage, believing that she is not the target and that the other contestants are trying to manipulate her into flushing it. Meanwhile, Michaela Kingston, who is wary of Kai's past betrayals, chooses to play her LOS to ensure her safety. When Fembot reveals the results, Marina Kelsi is eliminated from the game. Michaela, Kai, and Lyrsa all stand up, indicating that they voted for Marina. Marina announces that she will choose Lyrsa for the battle match, believing that Lyrsa is the easiest to defeat. However, Lyrsa confidently responds, stating that she has won a battle match before and is fully prepared to face Marina. Marina and Lyrsa head outside for the battle match, with Marina expressing her belief that this will be an easy victory for her. Lyrsa, on the other hand, is determined to prove her strength in the competition and is ready to face off against her opponent.

In the "Dance Off" battle match, Marina Kelsi and Lyrsa Hearth are pitted against each other in a challenge where they must replicate dance moves as quickly as possible. The match is played best 2 out of 3 rounds. Marina confidently expresses her belief that Lyrsa's clown costume will negatively impact her dance performance. In the first round, Marina takes an easy lead and successfully completes all the dance moves, while Lyrsa lags behind. The second round sees Marina maintaining her swift pace and completing the dance moves once again, while Lyrsa falls down and becomes visibly upset. Marina taunts Lyrsa, telling her to cry in the jury house and asserting that Lyrsa was never going to win the game. In response, Lyrsa fires back, stating that Marina is merely Amanda's "goat" and has little chance of winning herself.

Lyrsa Hearth enters the jury house with mixed reactions from the existing jury members. Blossom and Brayden seem excited to welcome her, while Kitana and Jin-gyu express strong disapproval. Kitana Laurent immediately confronts Lyrsa, not holding back her disdain. She questions their supposed friendship, stating that she, Jin-gyu, and Michaela only used Lyrsa to relay messages, which she believes Lyrsa failed at. Kitana goes on to criticize Lyrsa's gameplay and labels her as a "bad player." Blossom Smith steps in to defend Lyrsa. However, Kitana continues her tirade, targeting both Lyrsa and Blossom. She berates Blossom for not only being a first boot but also not surviving a single round in the game. Kitana's harsh words lead to a heated exchange. Lyrsa attempts to stand up for herself and suggests that Kitana might be jealous of Blossom. Kitana fires back, claiming that she and the others mocked Lyrsa whenever she left the room. She dismisses Lyrsa with a final insult, telling her to leave and go to bed. Lyrsa exits the scene, with Blossom and Brayden offering their support while Kitana maintains her strong opinion. The jury house is filled with tension as the interactions between the contestants continue to escalate.

The remaining five contestants, including Marina's return from the battle match, prepare for the next challenge. Marina is proud of her victory in the battle match, and Amanda takes a moment to express her confidence that Marina will defeat Lyrsa. Marina shares a note from Fembot, explaining the rules of the upcoming challenge. It involves five rounds of true or false questions, with contestants needing to answer correctly for all five rounds to secure immunity. Incorrect answers lead to elimination. If everyone answers all questions correctly, no one receives immunity. Similarly, if only one contestant is eliminated, immunity is not granted. The contestants brace themselves for the challenging competition ahead, knowing that this round marks the last opportunity to use Locus Of Safety (LOS) advantages. The stakes are high as they prepare for the true or false questions. The remaining five contestants participate in the true or false questions challenge. In the first question, everyone except Michaela and Marina is eliminated. As they continue, Michaela and Marina correctly answer the second, third, and fourth questions. The suspense builds as they face the fifth and final question. After much anticipation, the answer is revealed, and it's a correct one! Both Michaela and Marina have successfully answered all five questions correctly, earning immunity for this round. They celebrate their accomplishment, knowing they are safe from elimination.

The contestants are faced with a challenging situation due to the immunity twist, making it difficult to strategize effectively. Kai attempts to influence Mateo to vote out Toby, citing Marina's immunity and Amanda's LOS as reasons and threatening to put him in the battle match. However, Mateo reveals that he possesses an LOS in a confessional, rendering the threat of a potential battle match less concerning for him. Mateo then confirms he is voting for Kai as he would be the only other choice if the vote deadlocked. Kai contemplates picking Amanda for the battle match. With the majority of contestants immune this round, the vote seems to be heading toward a consensus, although Michaela continues her efforts to sway the votes toward Toby, knowing it's an uphill battle.

In a twist-filled elimination ceremony, Amanda decides to play her LOS, but it turns out she did not have the majority of votes. The person eliminated is Kai, who accepts his fate gracefully and chooses to challenge Amanda in the battle match. However, Amanda, too, reveals her LOS, rendering Kai's choice ineffective. As a result, Kai shifts his attention to Toby, another ally of Amanda, and selects him for the battle match. The tension builds as Toby and Kai prepare to face off in the battle match.

In the intense pool search challenge, Toby manages to outperform Kai, successfully locating the specific gem needed to secure his victory. Kai gracefully acknowledges Toby's win, and the two competitors show respect for each other's efforts. Toby celebrates his third battle match win, securing his place in the game's final five.

## Votes

 Lyrsa (2 votes)
 Michaela (used LOS)
 VOTED OUT:Marina Kelsi