#Python 2, <s>49</s> 48 bytes <!-- language-all: lang-python --> g=lambda s,n:n and g(s[0]+s[2:-2]+s[-1],n-1)or s [Try it here with testcases!][1] Simple recursive solution. Removes the second and last second element from the input string and calls itself with this and `n-1` until `n=0`. **edit:** Feeling kinda stupid, looking at [the other python solution][2]. Guess I just like recursion too much... [1]: https://repl.it/BoVJ/1 [2]: https://codegolf.stackexchange.com/a/73583/49110