bcdef
abbbc
 z
y
 reddit
abcdef
 abc
aaa
 y
z
 cbxz
aaaa

bccdb
 z
 dfdeed
 aab
 y
 abac

import java.util.*;
import java.io.*;
import java.lang.Math.*;

public class Main{
	public static void main(String args[]){
		PrintWriter pw=new PrintWriter(System.out);
		InputReader ip=new InputReader(System.in);
		char oleg[] =ip.next().toCharArray();
		char igor[] = ip.next().toCharArray();

		int len=igor.length;
		char[] ans = new char[len];
		char[] igor2 = igor.clone();

		Arrays.sort(oleg);
		Arrays.sort(igor2);
		for(int i=0;i<len;i++){
			igor[i]=igor2[len-i-1];
		}
		int first=0,last=len-1;
		int i=0;
		StringBuffer temp=new StringBuffer("");
		for(;i<len/2;i++){
			if(oleg[i]<igor[i]){
				ans[first++]=oleg[i];
				ans[first++]=igor[i];
			}
			else{
				temp.append(oleg[i]);
				ans[first++]=igor[i];
			//	ans[last--]=oleg[len-1-i];
			//	ans[first++]=igor[i];
			}
		}
		if(len%2==1)temp.append(oleg[i]);

		pw.println(String.valueOf(ans).trim()+temp);
		
		pw.close();
	}
	static class InputReader {
        private InputStream stream;
        private byte[] buf = new byte[1024];
        private int curChar;
        private int numChars;
        private SpaceCharFilter filter;

        public InputReader(InputStream stream) {
            this.stream = stream;
        }

        public int read() {
            if (numChars == -1)
                throw new InputMismatchException();

            if (curChar >= numChars) {
                curChar = 0;
                try {
                    numChars = stream.read(buf);
                } catch (IOException e) {
                    throw new InputMismatchException();
                }

                if (numChars <= 0)
                    return -1;
            }
            return buf[curChar++];
        }

        public String nextLine() {
            BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
            String str = "";
            try {
                str = br.readLine();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
            return str;
        }

        public int nextInt() {
            int c = read();

            while (isSpaceChar(c))
                c = read();

            int sgn = 1;

            if (c == '-') {
                sgn = -1;
                c = read();
            }

            int res = 0;
            do {
                if (c < '0' || c > '9')
                    throw new InputMismatchException();
                res *= 10;
                res += c - '0';
                c = read();
            }
            while (!isSpaceChar(c));

            return res * sgn;
        }

        public long nextLong() {
            int c = read();
            while (isSpaceChar(c))
                c = read();
            int sgn = 1;
            if (c == '-') {
                sgn = -1;
                c = read();
            }
            long res = 0;

            do {
                if (c < '0' || c > '9')
                    throw new InputMismatchException();
                res *= 10;
                res += c - '0';
                c = read();
            }
            while (!isSpaceChar(c));
            return res * sgn;
        }

        public double nextDouble() {
            int c = read();
            while (isSpaceChar(c))
                c = read();
            int sgn = 1;
            if (c == '-') {
                sgn = -1;
                c = read();
            }
            double res = 0;
            while (!isSpaceChar(c) && c != '.') {
                if (c == 'e' || c == 'E')
                    return res * Math.pow(10, nextInt());
                if (c < '0' || c > '9')
                    throw new InputMismatchException();
                res *= 10;
                res += c - '0';
                c = read();
            }
            if (c == '.') {
                c = read();
                double m = 1;
                while (!isSpaceChar(c)) {
                    if (c == 'e' || c == 'E')
                        return res * Math.pow(10, nextInt());
                    if (c < '0' || c > '9')
                        throw new InputMismatchException();
                    m /= 10;
                    res += (c - '0') * m;
                    c = read();
                }
            }
            return res * sgn;
        }

        public String readString() {
            int c = read();
            while (isSpaceChar(c))
                c = read();
            StringBuilder res = new StringBuilder();
            do {
                res.appendCodePoint(c);
                c = read();
            }
            while (!isSpaceChar(c));

            return res.toString();
        }

        public boolean isSpaceChar(int c) {
            if (filter != null)
                return filter.isSpaceChar(c);
            return c == ' ' || c == '\n' || c == '\r' || c == '\t' || c == -1;
        }

        public String next() {
            return readString();
        }

        public interface SpaceCharFilter {
            public boolean isSpaceChar(int ch);
        }
    }
}