Hidden Gun

"It seems to be a kind of...arma da fuoco - but as small as a hummingbird!"

- Leonardo da Vinci The Hidden Gun is one of the expansions of the Hidden Blade invented by Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad using the Apple of Eden. After discovering the design for it on one of the Codex Pages, Leonardo da Vinci managed to craft one for Ezio in Assassin's Creed II. It consists of a small firearm with a very short barrel attached to the bottom of a Hidden Blade that, if aimed properly, can kill a target from a distance. It is unlocked right after you finish Sequence Eight. The weapon will return in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood in both single and multiplayer.

Usage
The Hidden Gun provides the deadly effectiveness of the Hidden Blade, but at long range. Though an excellent weapon for assassination from afar, it will give away the player's position immediately after firing by creating a loud noise that will alert any guards within the area. The Hidden Gun takes several seconds to lock onto a target, and the player is shown how far they are in the process by four lines that come closer together until they converge into a single line, signaling that it is fully aimed. Firing before a lock is acquired may provide a hit, though the chances are less likely with the less time spent aiming. It should be noted that aiming the Hidden Gun within guards' lines of sight will make them suspicious of the player. Against a few guards, aiming the gun for more than several seconds will also cause the group to lose morale and eventually flee, though this tactic will not be successful on Brutes.

The Hidden Gun does not kill in a single shot during the battles with either Dante Moro andorRodrigo Borgia, though it is just as effective as usual when the player is required to assassinate them. The Hidden Gun and Throwing Knives are disabled in the Secret Locations that require the player to chase an Agile, as said weapons would allow the player to kill the Agile before the intended time in the course, and would eliminate the entire chase altogether.

Trivia

 * Altaïr is the true designer of the Hidden Gun, as Leonardo just decodes his Codex. Altaïr claims that he has invented a smaller version of the weapon his neighbors from the East have, using knowledge from the Apple of Eden. This provides an example of the apple's malevolence; it provided the information he asked for and helped him make a smaller weapon, but provided no information to improve the weapon further, such as for rifles.
 * Every time the Hidden Gun is fired, a dog can be heard barking. Though not a surprise as dogs tend to bark at loud noises, no dogs are seen or mentioned in the game.
 * Ammunition can be found as an item when searching the bodies of deceased guards despite the fact that they do not carry a firearm.
 * The design and physical appearance of the Hidden Gun is similar to the concept of a Pistol Sword, only applied to the Hidden Blade instead.
 * In Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines when you connect your PSP to a PS3, you will obtain a variant of the Hidden Gun that fires Throwing Knives instead of lead bullets.
 * Bullets cost 750 florins.