"What kind of question is that?" demanded Momoko, too outraged to keep up the act anymore. "'Why would you want to win'--so you don't die! So you don't have to go back! It's basic survival, animal instinct, to want to avoid death, avoid pain, to not want to be murdered in front of thousands of these psychopathic spectators--" She stopped, breathing heavily, surprised at herself.

Maybe suppressing her fear in favor of preparations hadn't been the best plan after all.

Calling the prospective sponsors she was hoping to charm psychopathic probably wasn't a very good plan either.