History Main / MakesUsEven

A malicious variant is when Alice wrongs Eva (or at least Eva thinks Alice did), and when Eva gets her revenge, she will say "NOW we're even."

Compare DebtDetester; contrast YouOweMe.

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' in Asuka readily volunteers for the most dangerous part of the battle plan in Episode 11, explaining that she wants to get even with Shinji for risking his life to save hers in Episode 10.

-->'''Max:''' Liz. You brought me back.
-->'''Liz:''' I guess that makes us even.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': In the episode "Red Sky At Morning", Sam and Dean, while fighting the MonsterOfTheWeek, end up saving the life of recurring rival [[EvilBrit Bela]]; at the end of the episode, she gives them $10,000 in cash, saying that makes them even.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': The Mayor hires a mysterious sorcerer to forcibly remove Angel's soul. Instead, he only pretends to do so in order to help the heroes with a FakeDefector scheme. His job done, he declares that his debt to Giles is repaid, with an added warning not to call upon him again.
-->'''Willow:''' His debt to you is repaid? What did you do?\\
'''Giles:''' I introduced him to his wife.
* In the Russian miniseries ''Messing'' (about the life of the so-called psychic Wolf Messing), the young Wolf is blackmailed by Baron Heinrich Canaris to use his PsychicPowers to help him cheat at a casino. Wolf helps him make a fortune on just a few bets at the roulette and then forces the casino owner to allow them to leave with the winnings. Canaris is grateful and leaves. Years later, as Hitler is bringing Germany closer to war, Messing encounters Canaris again, who is now a [[NaziNobleman high-ranking Nazi officer]]. After Messing is declared an enemy of the state (for publicly foreseeing Germany's defeat and, well, for being a Jew), Canaris starts a manhunt on him. Messing is eventually captured at his home village in Poland. Canaris tells him that the reward for his head is about as much as Messing helped him win back in the day, so he allows him to leave, citing this trope. This doesn't last long, though, as Canaris catches up to him pretty quickly and takes him captive. [[spoiler:Messing is able to flee Germany into USSR. Eventually, near the end of the war, he visits a prison camp and encounters Canaris for the final time. The broken man is no longer able to resist Messing's powers and is mind-controlled into trying to escape, resulting in the guards shooting him.]]
* This is part of Shran's M.O. on ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise''. Anytime [[TheCaptain Captain Archer]] does him a favor, he quickly finds a way to repay him, simply because [[DebtDetester he hates being in anyone's debt]].

* In ''Videogame/FalloutNewVegas'', after helping out The King with a series of quests, he'll say that he owes you a favor, which you can cash in immediately for either a fake passport to The Strip, money or membership into his gang. However, if you hold onto it, during a quest where the NCR wishes to make peace with the Kings, you can use your favor to make him make him agree to settle things with the NCR, at which point he states that you're now even.

* A one-sided variant in ''Videogame/Uncharted2AmongThieves'' from Nathan Drake toward Tenzin since they speak different languages. Nate catches Tenzin's hand and pulls him up to the ledge declaring "You owe me one, pal", of course, with [[TheChewToy Nate's luck]] this lasts about fifteen seconds before Tenzin has to save him from ground breaking beneath his feet.

* When Demona battles the original Hunter in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', she allows him to escape to save [=MacBeth=]. Years later, in the battle when [=MacBeth=] kills the original Hunter, he saves Demona, prompting the following exchange.

* Similarly to the Phineas & Ferb example below, the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Spike at Your Service" has Applejack save Spike's life. Spike then reveals that thanks to the Noble Dragon Code, he has to serve her for the rest of his life. She quickly [[UnwantedAssistance gets tired of his attempts to help her do everything,]] and her requests for him to stop get ignored. Rainbow Dash suggests that Spike should be given a task so pointless and impossible that he quits, but that plan doesn't work either. Eventually, the ponies engineer a situation in which Spike has to rescue Applejack to make them even.

* During the WackyRacing episode of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', Red X turns up to compete for the briefcase containing a prized possession of Robin's. After Robin saves his life, however, Red X repays him by knocking just about every other villain out of the race.
-->'''Red X:''' ''(to Raven)'' Tell Robin we're even - for now. ''(teleports away)''

* ''Series/MacGyver''

* Similarly to the Phineas & Ferb example above, the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Spike at Your Service" has Applejack save Spike's life. Spike then reveals that thanks to the Noble Dragon Code, he has to serve her for the rest of his life. She quickly [[UnwantedAssistance gets tired of his attempts to help her do everything]], and her requests for him to stop get ignored. Rainbow Dash suggests that Spike should be given a task so pointless and impossible that he quits, but that plan doesn't work either. Eventually, the ponies engineer a situation in which Spike has to rescue Applejack to make them even.
* Used and parodied in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. Baljeet one day saved Buford's life, and thanks to "[[TitleDrop The Bully Code]]" becomes his slave for the rest of his life. Baljeet quickly becomes creeped out and annoyed by this [[LampshadeHanging "60's sit-com cliche"]], and spends the episode trying to settle the score. Eventually he's convinced that having someone follow his every whim isn't such a bad thing... at which point Buford saves his life, making them even.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Reboot}}'' episode "When Games Collide" Bob saves Megabyte from a Tyrannosaurus with a tank for a head while the two are in a game. Later, when Megabyte has Bob and his friends dead to rights at the end of the episode, he lets them go, saying that now they are even.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Reboot}}'' episode "When Games Collide" Bob saves Megabyte from a Tyrannosaurus with a tank for a head while the two are in a game. Later, when Megabyte had Bob and his friends dead to rights at the end of the episode, he lets them go, saying that now they are even.

* Asuka does this for Shinji in Episode 11 of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion.''

* ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceofThieves'': The Sheriff of Nottingham invokes the malicious version when he slashes Robin's chin with his sword before their FinalBattle, as payback for Robin scarring his cheek earlier in the film.

-->'''Demona''': Thank you.
-->'''[=MacBeth=]''': I owed you.
-->'''Demona''': Good. That means we're even.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': In [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E02TheAntillesExtraction "The Antilles Extraction"]], [[spoiler:Kallus]] gives this explanation when asked why [[spoiler:he's helping Sabine, Wedge and Hobbie escape Skystrike Academy]]:

* ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'': At the end of ''Film/TheMatrix'', Trinity saved Neo's life by giving him a HowDareYouDieOnMe speech. In ''Reloaded'', after she's mortally wounded he returns the favor. Afterwards:
-->'''Trinity:''' I guess this makes us even.

* ''Film/BatmanBegins'': The malicious variant of the trope comes up when [[spoiler: Ra's Al Ghul burns down Wayne Manor and leaves Bruce to die]].
-->'''[[spoiler: Ra's]]''': Justice is balance. You burned my house and left me for dead. Consider us even.

* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'': When Jack is exposed as a pirate after saving Elizabeth from drowning, he promptly takes her hostage in order to escape. He justifies it using this logic. "I saved your life, you saved mine. We're square."

* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': In ''Literature/AgentsOfArtifice'', Jace saves Baltrice's life on Kamigawa, and she returns the favor when [[spoiler:she catches him trying to escape from the Consortium, but decides to give him a head start]].

* Mr. Chapel's CatchPhrase in ''Series/VengeanceUnlimited'' is "We're even, and I'm out of your life forever." Invariably, the response to that is, "Thank God."

* At least in ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', Drow has an interesting variation: they usually just don't get a concept of altruism, but ChronicBackstabbingDisorder is counterproductive more often than not, so what to do? Keep scores. Drow being more inclined to act for sport than out of obligations, it's not a score of debt, but a score in the "game".

* In ''Videogame/FalloutNewVegas'', after helping out The King with a series of quests, he'll say that he owes you a favor, which you can cash in immediately for either a fake passport to The Strip, money or membership into his gang. However, if you hold onto it, during a quest where the NCR wishes to make peace with the Kings, you can use your favor to make him make him agree to settle things with the NCR, at which point he states that you're now even.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', Stroud will declare that he and Anders are even if Anders persuades him to save [[spoiler: a tainted Bethany / Carver]] by making them a Grey Warden. Why he owed Anders is left to the player's imagination.
* In ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'', Begging for his life, [[spoiler: Julius Little]] attempts to convince the protagonist that they wouldn't be alive without his interference, and the protagonist responds, alerting [[spoiler: Julius]] to the fact that the protagonist wouldn't have been in a coma if it weren't for him. In a grave voice, Julius mutters that this makes them even. The protagonist answers this with [[spoiler: shooting Julius in the head, and dropping a "Not really."]]

* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. Moe asks a man to open his store again, a few minutes after he's closed for the night, reminding him of when Moe saved his life by pulling him from a burning car. The man agrees but says that this makes them even.

* Similarly to the Phineas & Ferb example above, the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Spike at Your Service" has Applejack save Spike's life. Spike then reveals that thanks to the Noble Dragon Code, he has to serve her for the rest of his life. She quickly [[UnwantedAssistance gets tired of his attempts to help her do everything]], and her requests for him to stop get ignored. Rainbow Dash suggests that Spike should be given a task so pointless and impossible that he quits, but that plan doesn't work either. Eventually, the ponies engineer a situation in which Spike has to rescue Applejack to make them even.

See the other side of this, YouOweMe.

* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'': When Jack is exposed as a pirate after saving Elizabeth from drowning, he promptly takes her hostage in order to escape. He justifies it using this logic. "I saved your life, you saved mine. We're square."

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* Similarly to the Phineas & Ferb example above, the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Spike at Your Service" has Applejack save Spike's life. Spike then reveals that thanks to the Noble Dragon Code, he has to serve her for the rest of his life. She quickly [[StopHelpingMe gets tired of his attempts to help her do everything]], and her requests for him to stop get ignored. Rainbow Dash suggests that Spike should be given a task so pointless and impossible that he quits, but that plan doesn't work either. Eventually, the ponies engineer a situation in which Spike has to rescue Applejack to make them even.

* In ''Anime/SonicTheHedgehogTheMovie'', Sonic and Knuckles save each others' lives during the fight with Metal Robotnik, and Knuckles declares that they're both even. Later, during the fight with Metal Sonic, Sonic steps on Knuckles' head (at SuperSpeed!); after the fight is over, Knuckle punches Sonic in the head and declares that they're even again.
* Asuka does this for Shinji in Episode 11 of Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion.

* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanCurseOfTheBlackPearl'': When Jack is exposed as a pirate after saving Elizabeth from drowning, he promptly takes her hostage in order to escape. He justifies it using this logic. "I saved your life, you saved mine. We're square."

* Used and parodied in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. Baljeet one day saved Buford's life, and thanks to "[[TitleDrop The Bully Code]]" becomes his slave for the rest of his life. Baljeet quickly becomes creeped out and annoyed by this [[LampshadeHanging "60's sit-com cliche"]], and spends the episode trying to settle the score. Eventually he's convinced that having someone follow his every whim isn't such a bad thing...at which point Buford saves his life, making them even.

Alice does something for Bob (most often this is saving their life)... then later Bob returns the favour, and one or the other will say "That makes us even" or "I guess we're even".

A malicious variant is when Alice wrongs Eva (or at least Eva thinks they did), and when Eva gets her revenge, she will say "NOW we're even"

* ''Film/{{Eragon}}'': Murtagh saves Eragons life part way through the film. In the final battle Eragon takes care of the enemies who have Murtagh surrounded:

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', Stroud will declare that he and Anders are even if Anders persuades him to save [[spoiler: a tainted Bethany / Carver]] by making them a Grey Warden. What he owed Anders is left to the player's imagination.

* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. Moe asks a man to open his store again, a few minutes after he's closed for the night, reminding him of when Moe saved his entire family from a burning building. The man agrees but says that this makes them even.

* Parodied on {{TheSimpsons}}. Moe asks a man to open his store again, a few minutes after he's closed for the night, reminding him of when Moe saved his entire family from a burning building. The man agrees but says that this makes them even.